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Japan XV host the Maori All Blacks on June 28th at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Tokyo, which is part of the Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025. This is the Japanese development team's fourth game of 2025, while the visitors have picked a strong team as they prepare for consecutive matches against the Japanese and then the Scottish in New Zealand.
The match will be the 6th meeting between the Japanese and the Maori All Blacks, and the visitors have been victorious on four occasions. Last year, when they faced each other at Chichibunomiya, the Maori All Blacks won 36-10 in what were described as “oppressively hot” conditions in Tokyo, but the Japanese bounced back a week later to claim their first-ever win over the Maori side.
The Japan XV, Japan U20, and Japan U23 sides have all played matches this year and serve as pathways to the national Men’s team.
In 2024, the Brave Blossoms finished the year with four wins from 11 test matches, and Eddie Jones said, “At the last World Cup, Japan had the oldest squad, so we had to change the team and with that comes some pain.
But we’re making a massive investment for the future. Going into the next World Cup, we need a team with 500 to 600 caps - we’re currently playing with about 200.”
Earlier in 2025, Eddie Jones announced the new mantra is ‘Chosoku As One’, which builds on the team’s earlier concept of Chosoku Rugby or super-fast rugby, and this will be embodied across Japan’s elite levels. Combined with the exciting free-flowing style of the Maori side, we should be in for a treat on Saturday.
Japan XV squad has already twice played the NZ Universities in May, winning both games 78-28 and 30-21, and then defeated the Hong Kong China Men training squad 64-12 as they prepared for the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship - which they are in contention to win, and if they do, will book their place at Rugby World Cup 2027 for their maiden appearance at a Men’s RWC.
This match is an uncapped international, but the Japanese players will be looking to earn a call-up to the Brave Blossoms test match squad to face Wales if they impress.
Japan vs Maori All Blacks Past Results:
The Japanese have won 1 and lost 4 against the Maori side. Only one match has been played outside of Japan.
6 July 2024: 26-14 (Japan W) Toyota City
29 June 2024: 36-10 (Maori All Blacks W) Tokyo
November 8, 2014 18-20 (Maori All Blacks W) Tokyo
November 1, 2014 21-61 (Maori All Blacks W) Hyogo
June 28, 2008 65-22 (Maori All Blacks W) Napier, NZ
Kurt Eklund will captain the Maori All Blacks as a 29-player squad was named for 2025 that includes 11 new caps by Head Coach Ross Filipo. Assistant Coaches are Greg Feek and Roger Randle.
Filipo said of Eklund, “This team demands a strong leader with mana, and Kurt has shown that quality and more over a long period of time, for the Maori All Blacks, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and the Blues. He has a lot of experience throughout the squad, and that will be a strength for what will be two tough matches.”
Of the squad and new caps, he added, “It’s a proud moment for all the new caps and their whanau. This is a special team, and these players know they are here to represent something bigger than themselves - their whakapapa, their language, the jersey and Aotearoa.”
Crusaders fly half Rivez Reihana, who was man-of-the-match in the Super Rugby final, is in the side and toured Japan last year too.
20-year-old Blues midfielder Xavi Taele is one of the debutants and the youngest member of the squad. Other newcomers include Crusaders lock Antonio Shalfoon (part of the Super Rugby Pacific winning side), Chiefs midfielder Gideon Wrampling, Jared Proffit, Kershawl Sykes-Martin, Mason Tupaea, Jacob Devery, Zach Gallagher, Jahrome Brown, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara and Xavi Taele.
New Zealand Maori Rugby Board member Rob Clark added, “Maori rugby is the vehicle we use to express our indigenous identity. It holds the health and well-being of our people at the forefront, following in the pathways that have been paved before us and those that will follow. This team allows us to express our kaupapa to the world, to inspire all people and protect the taonga that is rugby in Aotearoa.
New Zealand Rugby and Adidas also unveiled the newest Maori All Blacks jersey Te Tauihu Matua, designed by Ngati Tuwharetoa artist Kahurangi Falaoa. The player jerseys are renewed every two years and will be worn for the first time by the Maori All Blacks against the Japan XV on 28th June in Tokyo.
Japan XV Squad
The Japan XV acting head coach is Neal Hattley, who is a former Australian rugby player and current Brave Blossoms Forwards Coach, and he has selected Kanji Shimokawa from Tokyo Sungoliath as captain for the team. He has been capped and appeared at the Rugby World Cup 2023 as an injury replacement. His club teammate Kenta Fukuda is the vice-captain.
21 of the 23 selected in the Japan XV squad play in Japan Rugby League One, with only Jingo Takenoshita listed at Meiji University, and Shuhei Takeuchi without a club and formerly at Kyushu Kyoritsu University.
Uncapped university player, Jingo Takenoshita, a third-year student at Meiji University, toured with the U23 squad to Australia earlier this year, in which he started all three matches at fullback.
There are members from nine JRLO clubs with a wide spread, but Toyo Suntory Goliath has the biggest contingent with four members. Kazuma Ueda is at the Kobelco Kobe Steelers but has been representing Japan 7s and was at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Selected on the bench is Shizuoka Blue Revs' Shuntaro Kitamura, who was a late addition to the Japan XV in addition to six other players, for the Japan National Team Miyazaki Training Camp. He was one of the surprise omissions from the Brave Blossoms Head Coach training squad recently. He was his club's top try scorer and second overall in JRLO Division 1 and a key ingredient in seeing the Blue Revs reach a first semifinal with 15 tries in 19 appearances. He is yet to be capped by Japan.
Shizuoka Blue Revs' teammate and Brisbane-born fly half Sam Greene was a surprise inclusion in the wider training squad as he is already 30 years old, and some talented Japanese players were not selected, notably the Saitama Wild Knights flyhalfKyohei Yamasawa, who topped the points in this past season’s JRLO top flight. Greene will be the starting fly-half vs the Maori All Blacks.