Sakura 15s Clinch Hard-Fought Victory Over Hong Kong China in Asia Rugby Women’s Championship
In a battle for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and WXV 2 qualification, Japan’s Sakura 15s secured a hard-earned 29-12 victory over Hong Kong China at King’s Park Sports Ground on Wednesday.
The Japanese side, favored to lift their sixth Asia Rugby Women’s Championship title, were made to work hard by a resolute Hong Kong China team. Japan led 12-0 at the half-time break, with tries from Havili Kagawa and captain Iroha Nagata.
However, the result was only confirmed in the final 10 minutes when Nijiho Nagata and Sakurako Hatada crossed the Hong Kong China line, securing the try bonus-point for the visitors. Hong Kong China scored tries through Shanna Forrest and Chong Ka Yan, but it wasn’t enough to deny the Sakura 15s the win.
“It was good we executed the win,” said Iroha Nagata after the match. “We have four days to fix it and we’re going to move onto the next game.”
The victory means Japan have taken a significant step towards qualifying for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England and the WXV 2 tournament in South Africa in 2024. They will seal their place if they can beat Kazakhstan in their second and final match of the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship on Monday.
The two sides had not contested a test since Japan’s 11th-place play-off win at the Women’s RWC 2017, with Hong Kong China’s sole previous victory coming a decade ago. Despite the seven-place gap between the teams in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings, Hong Kong China put up a valiant fight, frustrating their more fancied opponents for long periods.
This hard-fought win will provide the Sakura 15s with valuable experience as they look to cement their place among the elite of women’s rugby ahead of the upcoming global tournaments.
đź”— Source
