Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Preparing For Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2025 – Savannah Bodman & Misaki Matsumura

rugbyasia247 Posted On April 18, 2025

17 Views

Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Preparing For Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2025

With the successful Japan Women’s domestic 15s season in their rearview mirror and preparations well underway for the new Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2025, we spoke with two Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix players, Savannah Bodman and Misaki Matsumura, about the change in seasons, their experiences at the top Japanese women’s rugby club and personal goals.

The 2025 Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series has seen some changes announced, as the three legs for the national championship will be preceded by a promotion leg and conclude with a championship finale similar to that implemented in the HSBC World SVNS Series.

Savannah Bodman and Misaki Matsumura – Young Talent at Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix

When we spoke with Misaki Matsumura, sitting alongside Savannah Bodman, both were at the club’s training facilities and new backdrops installed highlighted some of the past and present players at the club, notably on the backdrop was Nia Toliver who has been a huge success for the USA Women’s 7s team this season and in the opening leg of the current season in Dubai was the USA’s Player of the Tournament.

When we last spoke with Savannah Bodman, the New Zealand-born player was nearing the end of her debut 15s season with the club and was heading into the 15s final against Mie Pearls, which they won to claim a historic three-peat. She was also hopeful of obtaining her Japanese eligibility to be in the mix for the RWC 2025 selection.

Savannah Bodman – Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix

Of the final against Mie Pearls, Bodman reflected, “That was really good. I was so unsure if I was even going to play that game. So once I got named, I was so happy and just so nervous and then to be involved in the final and then winning – I was crying. It was just a really special moment and I was just so proud of the girls.

I was on the sideline when the final whistle went, and I had played the first 60 minutes or so and I was surprised I played that long, but when that whistle blew, I was just shaking and I was just so happy. It was also the end of the season and we all knew some players would be leaving or retiring too but we were all on a real high and enjoyed the moment,” said Bodman of winning the domestic 15s Championship in Japan.

The Japanese domestic rugby season has a marked difference from the 7s and 15s seasons, but under the Tokyo Phoenix Sankyu CEO and owner Yohei Shinomiya, the club has also forged international partnerships and players headed to Australia and France to play with other clubs for their domestic 15s season.

“Everyone was pretty busy afterwards. We had girls leaving for France within a few days, and then girls going to Australia, all the Japan-selected girls were starting camp soon after too,” added Bodman.

“I love how New Zealand and Australia have their Women’s Super Rugby competitions – and if we could ever get the chance to play games against those top teams it would be amazing. We went and played against the Western Force, and we actually did really well and we played against NSW Waratahs. That was probably the biggest highlight I’ve had here as well. So if we could get more involved with those types of top teams and just learn from them – it would be great.”

Misaki Matsumura was young when she started playing for the Japanese national team and in last season’s Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series, in which Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix finished 3rd overall and which was won by the Nagato Blue Angels, Matsumura was MVP in one of the three tournament legs.

She played with the Japan Sakura 15s in 2024 and scored tries in the tour match away to Italy and in the WXV2 against Wales in South Africa. Unfortunately, she picked up an injury and missed the domestic championship-winning 15s season and has been recovering and rehabilitating which included a stint in Canada.

Misaki Matsumura – Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix

Matsumura told us that the recovery had been frustrating (as it is for all players who are sideline), “I went to Canada for my rehab and learned how to train and what to do, and now I’m working on those rehab plans, like the gym training and some other exercise but I have not been training on field for a while.”

Asked when she started playing Misaki Matsumura told us, “I started playing rugby when I was six or seven years old, and I’m 20 now, and I joined Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix 3 years ago. This club has so many good players, and I like the environment as well as it will make me better as a player. I am improving my skills, and getting better as a player and there are so many opportunities to experience including the possibility of playing overseas.”

Savannah Bodman agreed and said that the team and club environment means they learn so much from each other and from the coaches. “I feel I am just learning a lot from everyone around me. When I was at university, I was part of the first girls to start that club in NZ, so I didn’t really have anyone to learn from. But being here, there’s so many girls that are more experienced than me, even if they aren’t older than me – I can learn so much from the younger players too (nodding to Matsumura sitting next to her).

I just feel like the opportunity to learn is what I love the most. And also the culture on and off the field, they really know how to switch on and focus on rugby, and then when it’s our off-days, they know how to switch off.”

Misaki Matsumura – Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix

Future Goals – Savannah Bodman and Misaki Matsumura

Of their future goals, Misaki Matsumura is clear that she wants to play at the Rugby World Cup but Savannah said, “I’m actually eligible for the national team now, but they’ve been training really hard and I’m just probably a little bit late. So I haven’t heard anything and I think I might have to wait until after the World Cup.”

Both are young players and hopefully, RWC 2025 is a possibility, but even if it is not, Australia RWC 2029 will be here before they know it.

Turning the attention domestically, Bodman said that the team is aiming to win the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2025. “We obviously want to take it out this year, and we’ve got new and good coaches coming in to help us and we’ve got new players coming in as well. Right now, we are working really hard but as we have so many players selected for Japan we have had to be resourceful at training.

We have regular 15s players all wanting to help us get ready, even our props are helping us. So we’re just trying to work really hard to get there, and once our other players come in, hopefully, it will be really smooth but we still have time. Once the Japan national team girls come back, they’re really good as well and help us all out.”

The Tokyo Sankyo Phoenix announced that Japanese players Murase Kasumi and Rizuki Yamamoto have joined them this season.

That disruption of the Sakura-selected players is a reality top women’s clubs in Japan have to deal with and be flexible about. They have players selected for both the Sakura 7s on the HSBC World SVNS Series (and Japan finished in the top 8 to play the Championship final in LA in May) and they have six players selected for the Sakura 15s tour to the USA in April.

What Changes Would They Like To See in Japanese Women’s Rugby?

We asked both Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix players what is one change they would like to see for the growth of the women’s game in Japan and both pointed out more coverage and more support.

Misaki Matsumura explained; “More exposure in the media, including in Japan. I want more people to know about women’s rugby because sometimes if I tell people that I play rugby, then they say, ‘Oh, do girls play rugby?’ And they’re kind of surprised. So it would be great to have more people to know about women’s rugby and get more supporters to come down and see the games.”

Bodman agreed and added, “I think some people just don’t know it is on, and last season pairing up some of the Women’s games as double headers with the Japan Rugby League One game meant we definitely were getting more supporters and people were saying “I actually do want to watch this. Like, this is cool.”

She added, “There’s definitely been a lot of support as well for the Sakura Sevens girls recently, and they’ve been doing amazing. So hopefully it just keeps growing and the support keeps growing as well.”

Matsumura was nodding along but also added they needed more game time. “When we look at England and other top countries, they’re playing more games in their season – many more games than us, especially in 15s. So we need to try and find ways to play more.”

One message Savannah Bodman would like to send to the fans is, “I think it’d be really cool if everyone came out and supported us, not even just us at Phoenix, but everyone else too. It’s such a good day out I love going to tournaments. So there’s great food there, good rugby, and just a good time to be had with your friends – So please come out and support!”

Follow our socials for the message from Misaki Matsumura in Japanese and video clips from the interview.

Rugby Asia 247 has entered a content agreement with the Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix club and will be bringing you player, coach, and staff interviews until 2026.