Kyushu Women’s Sevens – Nanairo Cup 2025

The Kyushu Women’s Sevens – Nanairo Cup 2025 will this year take place in Japan from 8-9 February 2025 and again be played at the Mikuni World Stadium in North Kyushu with ten women’s teams involved including sides from Japan, Australia and Singapore.

The Japanese women’s 7s rugby tournament is organised by the Japan Rugby Football Union, and supported by Kitakyushu City and Nanairo Lab. First run in 2021, the tournament hopes to help grow the women’s game in Japan as well as helping to profile of the sport and the profile of women’s rugby.

You can see more from the 2024 edition here.

Nanairo lab/Nanairo Prism Fukuoka CEO Hidetaka MURAKAMI told Rugby Asia 247, “We believe that international exchanges through rugby with teams from Asia and Oceania will help each player grow even further. The Japanese players are very excited. In the future, we would like to expand the number of participating teams in the tournament to create more opportunities for overseas players to excel.”

On the importance of women’s rugby especially in a Rugby World Cup year, the CEO added, “In 2025, there will be many women’s rugby events, such as the World Cup, the HSBC SVNS Series, and the domestic Taiyo Seimei Cup. Currently, I think that women’s rugby is still not well known in Japan.

I think that this year will be an important opportunity for both the players and the future of rugby to gain more women’s rugby fans through various tournaments, including the Nanairo Cup.”

Teams Confirmed – Nanairo Cup 2025

There are ten confirmed teams for the 2025 edition of the Sevens Rugby tournament.

Domestic Japanese Clubs Nanairo Cup 2025

• Nagato Blue Angels – They are one of the top Japanese 7s clubs and are the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2024 defending champions. A number of their players have represented the Sakura 7s.
• Senior Women’s Academy (JRFU）– The Japan Rugby Football Union Academy team will be competing and is a pathway to the Sakura 7s national side who compete in the HSBC World SVNS Series.
• Nanairo Prism Fukuoka – The club just recently got knocked out in the semifinals of the Japan National Women’s Rugby Football Championship 2025 semifinals and they have also produced Sakura 7s and 15s national team players.
• PIECES – This is a joint team comprising players from the JSDF PTS + BRAVE LOUVE clubs.
• Otemae University Women’s Rugby Club ” VENUS “
• Ryukyu Island Girls
• Kobe Fast Gyro

Overseas Clubs Nanairo Cup 2025

Briars Rugby Club (Sydney, Australia)

The Briars Sporting Club was formed in 1918 and has gone on to win 15 men’s premierships, 3 juniors premierships and a women’s 7s premiership in their relevant Sydney competitions.

The club formed an associated women’s rugby 7s team in 2017 and currently fields two senior women’s 7s teams. They won the 2023 Sydney Women’s Division 3 Premiership, Plate Final at the 2023 Borneo 7s in Malaysia and placed 3rd at the 2023 Dubai 7s. They recently won the Budgewoi Sevens in February 2025.

The club said, “Briars has a strong relationship with Asia Rugby and a number of their national unions, collaborating to provide competition outside of their traditional competitions. Briars have competed against the national teams for China, Singapore, Thailand, India, UAE, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.”

Bond University Rugby Club (Queensland, Australia)

Based on the Gold Coast in QLD, Australia – they have successfully won the national 7s tournament and QLD Premier Women’s XVs competition for the past 3 years. They are the former home club of Australian 7s sisters Maddi and Tegan Levi along with Faythe Manera and newly signed youngster Amahli Hala.

Bond University said, “The opportunity to play in the Nanairo 7s is something the players are very much looking forward to and it is sure to be a memorable experience.”

B.A.C. (Singapore)

The Singapore Women’s Rugby Club features several national team 7s and 15s players competing in the SRU domestic championships and also organises the Furious 5s Beach Rugby tournament in Singapore in the lead-up to the HSBC Singapore SVNS

In 2024 they played the Nanairo Cup as the Asian Barbarians which included players from Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.

Nanairo Cup 2025 Schedule

Women’s Sevens

• Saturday, February 8th –  Kickoff at 12:00pm
• Sunday, February 9th – Kickoff at 10:00am

Junior Rugby Schedule

• Saturday, February 8th: 13:00-approx. 40 minutes, 14:50-approx. 20 minutes (Junior high school students)
• Sunday, February 9th: 11:20-approx. 20 minutes, 12:50-approx. 40 minutes (Elementary school students)

How To Watch The Nanairo Cup 2025

The organisers said they will work towards streaming the two days of women’s sevens rugby action on YouTube.

Japanese Women’s Rugby News

• Mie PEARLS Rugby – Head Coach Janna Vaughan and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe – “Everyone’s now wanting to genuinely come here to have an experience”
• Three Japanese Women Players Sign Up For Super Rugby W 2025 Season.
• Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 Match Schedule – Japan Start With Ireland.
• Black Ferns Sevens Captain Sarah Hirini On Women’s Rugby.