Japan

The host country of Rugby World Cup 2019, Japan has confirmed a 31-man roster for the tournament. Head Coach Jamie Joseph has selected a squad with 18 forwards, and 13 backs. As was the case in RWC 2015 the team will be captained by Michael Leitch. Leitch will be joined …

Japan were crowned Pacific Nations Cup champions for 2019 with a 34-20 victory over the USA on Saturday. The result saw the Eagles ending their PNC campaign with a 2-1 record. The Eagles would score two tries with Madison Hughes and Hanco Germishuys both touching down. Yet with Japan having …

Japan wrapped up a perfect Pacific Nations Cup by defeating the USA 34-20 in Suva on Saturday. The victory gives the Brave Blossoms their first PNC title in over a decade, owing largely to their upset win over defending champions Fiji in the opening round. The pace of the Japanese …

The 2019 Pacific Nations Cup will be decided at the neutral ground of ANZ National Stadium in Suva, Fiji, on Saturday (Friday evening North American time). While designed in a hybrid round-robin-slash-pool format, results from the first two rounds of the competition see both the USA and Japan enter undefeated …

Japan have named a 26-man traveling roster for their final fixture of the Pacific Nations Cup in Suva on Saturday. The match against the USA will serve as a title decider for the competition, with both teams entering the match undefeated after the first two rounds. Loosehead prop Koki Yamamoto …

A one-sided first half paved the way to a convincing 41-7 win for Japan over Tonga in the second round of the Pacific Nations Cup on Saturday. Osaka’s Hanazono Stadium set an engrossing stage in the searing heat, another prelude to the upcoming Rugby World Cup now less than 50 …

After upsetting pre-tournament favorites Fiji in Kamaishi, Japan will look to take another step towards the Pacific Nations Cup title when they host Tonga in Osaka on Saturday. Matches between the two sides have been traditionally very competitive but the Brave Blossoms were comprehensive winners in their neutral-venue clash at …

Players from six Major League Rugby franchises are set to feature in the upcoming Mitre 10 Cup. New Zealand’s national provincial competition runs from August 8 to the end of October, making it a convenient option for players looking to play high level rugby in the MLR off-season. Returning to …

The opening round of the Pacific Nations Cup left plenty to talk about. From the horrendous conditions at Apia Park, the wonderful new venue at Kamaishi, to the one-sided victory of the Eagles over Canada. There were new players to assess, a record-setting old-timer, and one particularly notable injury concern. …

Following the completion of international competition this weekend the Americas Rankings have been updated for July 28 2019. They take into consideration results of capped test matches involving countries from the Americas. Australia’s 16-10 over Argentina represents a gain of 0.23 points for the home side at the expense of …