JRFU Fixtures 2024 – Brave Blossoms, Japan XV, Sakura XV

The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) has announced a raft of international fixtures for the Brave Blossoms and Japan XV in 2024, with details for the Women’s Sakura XV competing in the ARWC, touring Fiji, hosting the USA and playing WXV2. The U20s also competed in the World Rugby Trophy tournament 2024 in Scotland.

Updated September 2024

Lipotivan D Challenge Cup 2024 – Brave Blossoms

The Brave Blossoms will see their new (returning) coach Eddie Jones face one of his previously coached international teams, England, twice in 2024. The Japanese first take on England at home as part of the Lipotivan D Challenge Cup 2024 on 22nd June in Tokyo at the National Stadium. This will be the first official test match played between the two nations in Japan.

The Japan XV then have a tough two-match series against the visiting Maori All Blacks before the national team plays Georgia and Italy in July 2024. The Series ends with a test match against the All Blacks on October 26th at Nissan Stadium.

Commenting on the Japanese national fixtures,  JRFU President, Masato Tsuchida said:
“We’re honoured to welcome Georgia and Italy to Japan this summer, in addition to England, and the All Blacks and Māori All Blacks from New Zealand, and to host these incredible matches in front of our home fans….We are blessed with wonderful host cities and stadia, and we are delighted to be able to work with local communities to prepare for these fixtures.”

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Image Credit: JRFU

The Brave Blossoms will play England for a second time in 2024 when they head to Twickenham on 23 November. Japan have yet to taste victory against an English side even though they have played a dozen times – with the English currently ranked fifth in the world.

Eddie Jones said: “With England coming to Japan in June and now this return match announced for Twickenham in the Autumn, we have a fantastic opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best sides in the world. Twickenham is truly one of the world’s great rugby stadiums, with an incredible atmosphere and a superb pitch. Like the match in Tokyo, the atmosphere will be electric, and it will be an experience the players will never forget.”

It was also confirmed in February 2024, that former RWC-winning Springbok Victor Matfield had joined as a consultant for the Men’s team.

End of Year Brave Blossoms European Tour 2024

In addition to playing England at Twickenham in November 2024, it was announced that the Brave Blossoms would also play France in Paris on November 9 as part of the Lipovitan D Tour 2024.

Head Coach Eddie Jones said: “To play France in Paris will be a formidable challenge, but we want to test ourselves consistently against sides of this calibre, in hostile away environments, to grow into the team we want to be.”

There were also reports the Brave Blossoms could play Uruguay in France in between the England and France fixtures, and this was finally confirmed on 18 September. The Japanese will face the South Americans on November 16th, 2024 (Saturday) with a local kick-off at 14:30 local time at Chambérie Savois Stadium.

Pacific Nations Cup 2024

In 2023, it was already confirmed that the Japan XV national side would be competing in the new Pacific Nations Cup in 2024, which sees them facing Canada & the USA in the North America/Japan pool with the finals also set to be played in Japan.

Details on matches are confirmed with the fixtures due to be played in August and September 2024.

• Japan 55-28 Canada (Match Preview)
• Japan 41-24 USA (Match Preview)
• Japan 49-27 Samoa – Semifinal (Match Preview)
• Japan vs Fiji – Final

All of the PNC 2024 results can be seen here.

Japanese International Fixtures & Results 2024

• Brave Blossoms 17-52 England – June 22 2024 (Match Preview)
• Japan XV 10-36 The Maori All Blacks – June 29 2024
• Japan XV 26-14 The Maori All Blacks – July 6 2024
• Brave Blossoms 23-25 Georgia – 13 July 2024 (Match Preview)
• Brave Blossoms 14-42 Italy – 21 July 2024 (Match Preview)
• Brave Blossoms vs All Blacks – October 26 2024 (Nissan Stadium, Yokohama)
• TBC Japan vs Maori All Blacks – Australian media reported that this match might take place over the first weekend of November.
• France vs Brave Blossoms – 9 November 2024 (Stade de France, Paris)
• Japan vs Uruguay – 16 November (Chambérie Savois Stadium, France)
• England vs Brave Blossoms – 24 November 2024 (Twickenham Stadium, London)

*This match was first announced in media based in the Americas but was confirmed by JRFU.

The JRFU has said that some information such as dates, kick-off times, ticketing and broadcast information will be announced in due course for upcoming fixtures.

World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2024 – Japan XV

The World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2024 features the national ‘A’ teams of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Japan XV in Apia, Samoa from 10-20 April 2024.

• Manuma Samoa v Japan XV – 16:00 – Apia Park – 10 April 2024
• Fiji Warriors v Japan XV – 13:15 – Apia Park – 15 April 2024
• Japan XV v Tonga A  – 12:15 – Apia Park – 20 April 2024

Update 21 April 2024 – The Japan XV won the title after winning all three matches in Samoa!

Sakura Fifteen – 2024 Fixtures

The Japanese Women’s XV national team (Sakura XV) played the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship after beating Kazakhstan and Hong Kong China Rugby in Hong Kong to earn qualification for Rugby World Cup 2025 and a place in WXV2 2024 which will played in South Africa.

Several Sakura XV players will be competing in overseas leagues in 2024.

2024 Asia Rugby Women’s Championship Fixtures & Results

Photo Credit: Hong Kong China Rugby – Japan Sakura XV ARWC 2024

• 22 May 2024 – HKCR 12-29 Japan
• 27 May 2024 – Japan 64-0 Kazakhstan
• 1st June 2024 – Kazakhstan 0-22 HKCR

The winner of the ARWC 20024 directly qualified for the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025.

Sakura XV Tour Fiji – June 2024

Following the ARWC, the Sakura XV squad headed to Fiji for a two-match series in June which was the first time they would face each other in Fiji-  the series ended up 1-1.

• 14 June 2024 – Fiji 15-24 Japan
• 20 June 2024 – Fiji 24-15 Japan

Sakura XV Hosts USA – August 2024

The Sakura XV faced the USA in a two-match series in August 2024 before they played the WXV in South Africa.

• Game 1: Japan 17-17 USA – Sunday, August 11, 2024 Venue: Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu (Fukuoka) Match Preview
• Game 2: Japan 8-11 USA – Saturday, August 17, 2024 Venue: Ogasayama Sports Park ECOPA Stadium (Shizuoka) Match Preview

Sakura XV vs Italy – September 2024

The Sakura XV also played Italy before the WXV.

• Italy 24-8 Sakura XV – 14 September 2024 (Stadio Walter Beltrametti, Piacenza – KO 2Pm local time)

WXV 2024

The WXV 2024 takes place from September – October with the hosts being Canada (WXV 1), South Africa (WXV 2) and Dubai (WXV 3). The winner of ARWC heads to WXV2 (Japan) and the runner-up will play WXV3 in 2024 (Hong Kong China).

Japan Women WXV Schedule

See more here on the pools and schedule.

1. Japan vs SA – Friday 27 September 2024 (DHL Stadium)
2. Japan vs Scotland – Saturday 5 October 2024 (Athlone Sports Stadium)
3. Japan vs Wales – Friday 11 October 2024 (Athlone Sports Stadium)

Japan U20 & Japan National High School Team – 2024 Fixtures

2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy Tournament – Scotland

The Japan U20 team played in the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship which takes place in Scotland from 2-17 July 2024.

A JRFU camp was first held in March 2024 and the team will be looking to bounce back to reach the U20 Championship which they were relegated from in 2023. The Japan U20s will be in Pool A in Scotland with the hosts, Hong Kong China and Samoa.

Pool Matches – 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy 

• Matchday 1: Tuesday, 2 July 2024 – Japan 105-20 Hong Kong China (Match Preview)
• Matchday 2: Sunday 7, July 2024 Japan 81-7  Samoa (Match Preview)
• Matchday 3: Friday 12, July 2024 Japan 10-46 Scotland (Match Preview)

Final & Ranking Matches – 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy 

• Matchday 4: Wednesday 17^th July 2024 For 3rd Place Japan 75-22 Uruguay (Match Preview)

Japan National High School Rugby – 2024 Italy tour

In February 2024, the JRFU confirmed that 26 athletes were selected to represent the Japan National High School Rugby team with plans to tour Italy in March 2024 and play against the Italian U19 side.

• Match #1 20 March 2024 KO 7:00 pm
• Match #2 March 24th 2024 KO 2:00 pm 

2024 International Rugby Tournaments

• Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.
• WXV 2024 Details Confirmed – WXV 3 Heads Back To Dubai.
• Melrose Shield Competition Confirmed For 2024 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
• Cross-Border Rugby 2024 – A New Chapter For Japan and New Zealand Rugby.