Thailand Rugby Union Women’s Sevens Head Coach Yohei Shinomiya – I Want The Thailand Women To Be The Top Team In Asia

We caught up with the new Thailand Women’s Sevens Head Coach, Yohei Shinomiya to find out what his goals with the Thai Women’s Sevens team are and how optimistic he is about rugby growing in Thailand.

On why Yohei Shinomiya was interested in taking on a new national coach role and how the appointment with the Thai Rugby Union (TRU) came about, the Japanese former national team player told us, “I always want to learn to improve my craft and my motivation has always been the Phoenix (The Japanese women’s clubs he is the owner and CEO of). After we won the Sevens and XVs title in Japan (2023-2024), I said to myself, what’s next? What is my goal, and how can I be better? 

In Japan, it’s been my dream to be a Sevens Head Coach but it wasn’t to be. I talked to some friends from overseas, and they told me Thailand was looking for a new head coach.”

Thailand Rugby Union Womens Sevens Head Coach Yohei Shinomiya

He is still involved heavily in running the Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix but they have appointed senior leaders to help run things including a new coach and General Manager while he is on a one-year contract with the TRU.

He has already said he is here to win and is not interested in second place, but the team finished 4th in the opening round of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 in Korea.

“It is a new challenge for me – a new team, new environment, new voice, new image. I actually find I have more time in Thailand, compared to Japan, so I can still do all of my roles.” He also runs Herg One as CEO and Tokyo Athletic United.

“I want the Thailand women to be the top team in Asia. I want to beat Japan. I want to beat China. I don’t like number three or number four.”

He said of Korea, “In the first leg, we were close to China and Japan. I need to work on the player’s confidence and we don’t have too many players to choose from.

I also have to improve their fitness and I brought my S&C High Performance Manager from Phoenix here so we can work together to bring them up a level. I have experience in building a culture and I would like to do that here and build great success.”

He said his main message to the team in the first Asia Rugby Sevens Series tournament in Korea, was to be strong.

“I felt they were a bit afraid of the big players over recent years, and although we did not get the results, I could see them improve. So for the next leg (in China this weekend, where they are pooled with the hosts), I think we need to be more patient and not play as individuals. So that’s our goal in China, then we can build on our confidence again and I have already set a plan in my head to beat China, and to beat Japan.”

The biggest target remains to reach the Challenger Series, and our understanding is that the top two Women’s teams from ARSS 2024 (excluding Japan and China) should qualify. But even within Thailand, he sees a lot of potential.

Rugby’s Potential in Thailand – Yohei Shinomiya

Photo Credit: Asia Rugby – Thailand Rugby Union Womens Sevens 2024 ARSS Korea

“This country has a big future, I think. The players are very big, they love to do offloads and have very good handling and they have good stepping,” said Yohei Shinomiya.

He added, “I don’t know how the country wants to use sports and if they want to use it to give the country and people hope. I spoke to the Thai government about getting more people and women in Thailand into playing outside sports, and I hope the Thai government thinks about investing more into rugby and aiming for Olympic qualification.”

We talked about the next 18 months, with the potential Challenger Sevens involvement again in 2025, the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, and Thailand hosting the SEA Games which includes Sevens in late 2025.

Yohei Shinomiya concluded, “This is a great chance and it’s great timing, but we also need to have a system for players to grow and if we can have systems in high school and junior high school and have the coaches to send them to teach the basics…. I think in a few years then you will see a big change here.

I think about these goals and how we can be the number one team in Asia but also at a social level, at a domestic level, how we can build a strong domestic league in the future, and for me, to focus on being a good head coach.”

We will publish a fascinating and more in-depth piece about Yohei Shinomiya’s rugby career, his business interests and growing the Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix into the club and brand it is today (he is the CEO and owner).

Photo Credit: Asia Rugby – Thailand Rugby Union Womens Sevens 2024 ARSS Korea vs Japan

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