Junior Japan
Rugby union team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Junior Japan is a national representative rugby union team of the Japan rugby union. It is a second-tier side to the Japan national rugby union team. Junior Japan competes in the World Rugby Pacific Challenge against teams such as Samoa A, Fiji Warriors, and Argentina's Pampas XV.[1]
| |||
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Sakura | ||
| Founded | 2012 | ||
| Coach |  Naoya Okubo | ||
| Captain | Keito Aoki | ||
| |||
The Junior Japan squad was formed in 2012 from players just outside the main Japanese national squad. In the first year, the team played a match in Tokyo against the Tongan national side, before joining the Pacific Rugby Cup in 2013.[2]
Current Squad
Naoya Okubu named a 33 man squad for the World Rugby Pacific Challenge 2024.[3]
| Player | Position | Club/Province |
|---|---|---|
| Jinnosuke Mori | Loose-head Prop | Tenri University |
| Mutsuki Urade | Loose-head Prop | Kindai University |
| Kenji Sato | Hooker | Waseda University |
| Haruya Kerakawauchi | Hooker | Teikyo University |
| Kenshin Shimizu | Hooker | Waseda University |
| Towa Nunobiki | Tight-head Prop | Teikyo University |
| Yuta Hatta | Tight-head Prop | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| Takumi Yamaguchi | Tight-head Prop | Meiji University |
| Chuka Ishibashi | Lock | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| Shuntaro Isobe | Lock | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| Yotaro Monobe | Locks | Meiji University |
| Tomonosuke Shiromaru | Lock | Tsukuba University |
| Keito Aoki | Lock | Teikyo University |
| Koki Kawagoe | Back row | Tenri University |
| Yoshiaki Taian | Back row | Tenri University |
| Shusui Kamei | Back row | Meiji University |
| Kotaro Okawa | Back row | Meiji University |
| Asahi Doei | Scrum-half | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| Joji Takagi | Scrum-half | Kyoto Sangyo University |
| Rieto Ito | Scrum-half | Meiji University |
| Takaya Motohashi | Fly-half | Teikyo University |
| Ryunosuke Ito | Fly-half | Meiji University |
| Yuta Akihama | Centre | Meiji University |
| Yamato Ueda | Centre | Teikyo University |
| Kohaku Ebisawa | Winger | Meiji University |
| Yoshitaka Yazaki | Winger | Waseda University |
| Jingo Takenoshita | Utility back | Meiji University |
| Tasuku Masuyama | Utility back | Tsukuba University |
| Aoi Omiya | Reserve | Nihon University |
| Ryoku Masuo | Reserve | Unattached |
| Syota Goto | Reserve | Nihon University |
| Yusuke Yoshida | Reserve | Teikyo University |
Record
Season standings
World Rugby Pacific Challenge
| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | TB | LB | Pts | Final | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 212 | -171 | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | Finished 3rd in Pool A |
| 2016 | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 94 | -36 | 0 | 0 | 4 | – | Lost to Tonga A in the 3rd place play off. |
| 2017 | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 92 | 103 | -11 | 2 | 0 | 10 | – | |
| 2018 | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 77 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | – | |
| 2019 | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 94 | 97 | -3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | – | |
| 2020 | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 25 | +118 | 2 | 0 | 14 | – | |
| 2023 | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 133 | - 33 | 2 | 0 | 6 | – |
