Japan Announces 2023 Rugby World Cup Squad
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On August 28, the Japan Rugby Football Union finalized the 33 members of its squad for the men’s national team for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The list includes stars like prop Inagaki Keita, flanker Michael Leitch, and hooker Horie Shōta. Japan’s captain for the tournament is flanker Himeno Kazuki, and its vice-captain is scrum-half Nagare Yutaka.
The World Cup will be held in France from September 8, with Japan facing England, Argentina, Samoa, and Chile in Pool D of the tournament, and aiming to improve on its 2019 quarterfinal finish.
| Date | |
|---|---|
| Japan vs Chile | September 10 (Sunday) |
| Japan vs England | September 17 (Sunday) |
| Japan vs Samoa | September 28 (Thursday) |
| Japan vs Argentina | October 8 (Sunday) |
Japan’s 2023 Rugby World Cup Team
(Data current as of August 28, 2023)
Head Coach
Joseph, Jamie
Date of birth: November 21, 1969
Age: 53
Managing highlights
2011–2016 Managed Highlanders (New Zealand)
2015 Highlanders finished as Super Rugby champions
2019 Coached Japan to quarterfinal finish in World Cup
Forwards
Props
Inagaki Keita
Date of birth: June 2, 1990
Age: 33
Height: 186 cm
49 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Millar, Craig
Date of birth: October 29, 1990
Age: 32
Height: 186 cm
13 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Harasili, Sione
Date of birth: October 15, 1999
Age: 23
Height: 180 cm
0 caps
Club: Yokohama Eagles
Koo Ji-won
Date of birth: July 20, 1994
Age: 29
Height: 183 cm
25 caps
Club: Kobe Steelers
Kakinaga Shinnosuke
Date of birth: December 19, 1991
Age: 31
Height: 180 cm
12 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Valu, Asaeli Ai
Date of birth: May 7, 1989
Age: 34
Height: 187 cm
26 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Hookers
Horie Shōta
Date of birth: January 21, 1986
Age: 37
Height: 180 cm
72 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Sakate Atsushi
Date of birth: June 21, 1993
Age: 30
Height: 180 cm
37 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Horikoshi Kōsuke
Date of birth: June 2, 1995
Age: 28
Height: 175 cm
7 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Locks
Saumaki, Amanaki
Date of birth: March 8, 1997
Age: 26
Height: 189 cm
1 cap
Club: Kobe Steelers
Dearns, Warner
Date of birth: April 11, 2002
Age: 21
Height: 201 cm
7 caps
Club: Brave Lupus Tokyo
Locks/Flanker
Cornelsen, Jack
Date of birth: October 13, 1994
Age: 28
Height: 195 cm
16 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Fakatava, Amato
Date of birth: December 7, 1994
Age: 28
Height: 195 cm
3 caps
Club: Black Rams Tokyo
Flankers
Gunter, Ben
Date of birth: October 24, 1997
Age: 25
Height: 195 cm
8 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Shimokawa Kanji
Date of birth: January 17, 1999
Age: 24
Height: 188 cm
2 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Himeno Kazuki
Date of birth: July 27, 1994
Age: 29
Height: 187 cm
29 caps
Club: Toyota Verblitz
Fukui Shōta
Date of birth: September 28, 1999
Age: 23
Height: 186 cm
2 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Leitch, Michael
Date of birth: October 7, 1988
Age: 34
Height: 189 cm
80 caps
Club: Brave Lupus Tokyo
Labuschagne, Pieter
Date of birth: January 11, 1989
Age: 34
Height: 189 cm
16 caps
Club: Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
Backs
Scrum-Halves
Saitō Naoto
Date of birth: August 26, 1997
Age: 26
Height: 165 cm
15 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Nagare Yutaka
Date of birth: September 4, 1992
Age: 30
Height: 166 cm
34 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Fukuda Kenta
Date of birth: December 19, 1996
Age: 26
Height: 173 cm
0 caps
Club: Toyota Verblitz
Fly-Half/ Full-Back
Ogura Junpei
Date of birth: July 11, 1992
Age: 31
Height: 172 cm
4 caps
Club: Yokohama Eagles
Fly-Halves
Lee Seung-sin
Date of birth: January 13, 2001
Age: 22
Height: 176 cm
10 caps
Club: Kobe Steelers
Matsuda Rikiya
Date of birth: May 3, 1994
Age: 29
Height: 181 cm
33 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Centers
Osada Tomoki
Date of birth: November 25, 1999
Age: 23
Height: 179 cm
4 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Nakamura Ryōto
Date of birth: June 3, 1991
Age: 32
Height: 182 cm
35 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
Riley, Dylan
Date of birth: May 2, 1997
Age: 26
Height: 187 cm
14 caps
Club: Saitama Wild Knights
Wings
Naikabula, Jone
Date of birth: April 12, 1994
Age: 29
Height: 177 cm
4 caps
Club: Brave Lupus Tokyo
Fifita, Siosaia
Date of birth: December 20, 1998
Age: 24
Height: 187 cm
12 caps
Club: Toyota Verblitz
Masirewa, Semisi
Date of birth: June 9, 1992
Age: 31
Height: 181 cm
5 caps
Club: Hanazono Liners
Lemeki, Lomano Lava
Date of birth: January 20, 1989
Age: 34
Height: 178 cm
16 caps
Club: Green Rockets Tōkatsu
Full-Back/Wing
Matsushima Kōtarō
Date of birth: February 26, 1993
Age: 30
Height: 178 cm
51 caps
Club: Tokyo Sungoliath
(Translated from Japanese. All photos © Japan Rugby Football Union.)