The Japan national rugby union team, often known as the Cherry Blossoms, Sakura, and more recently The Brave Blossoms is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
Huw Bennett is a former Wales international rugby union hooker, who played most of his rugby career for the Ospreys.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country team, and a match en route to Australia against the Barbarians.
The 2010 end-of-year rugby union tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere, saw Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in a competitive tour of the northern hemisphere. Test matches were also arranged with the various Pacific island teams and other non-Tier 1 international sides. This period also marked the conclusion of the 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying process, as well as the beginning of the European Nations Cup.
The 2005 mid-year rugby union tests refers to the Rugby union Test matches played during between May and July in 2005. It will coincide with the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, playing a 3-test tour against New Zealand. Wales toured North America, playing against Canada and the United States, while Ireland played two tests against Japan.
In June 2013, Wales toured Japan as part of the 2013 mid-year rugby test series. They faced Japan in a two-test series on 8 and 15 June, playing in the oldest dedicated rugby union stadium in Japan, Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka, and the home stadium of Japanese rugby, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo. The test series was Wales' first test series against Japan since 2001, when Wales were victorious 2–0, and their first encounter since Wales' 72–18 victory in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Pool B match. Wales were also the first Tier 1 nation to play Japan in Japan since Italy in 2006.
In June 2013, France played a three-test series against New Zealand as part of the 2013 mid-year rugby test series. This was the sides' first encounter since they met in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, which New Zealand won 8–7. It was France's first test series against the All Blacks since their 2009 two-test tour of New Zealand, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
In June 2014, the Scotland rugby union team played single test matches against four countries; Argentina, Canada, South Africa and the United States. The opening three tests, United States, Canada and Argentina, coincided with the June international window, whereas the test against South Africa fell outside the international window. This meant players playing outside Scotland at club level were not permitted to be released by their clubs to represent Scotland against South Africa; Scotland effectively picked two separate squads, one for the USA and Canada games, the other for Argentina and South Africa.
In June 2013, Ireland toured North America, playing test matches against Canada and the United States. The tour was part of the second year of the global rugby calendar established by World Rugby, which will run until 2019, with Ireland helping to expand Test opportunities for Tier 2 nations in 2013.
In June 2014, Ireland played a two-test series against Argentina. This was Ireland's first test series against Argentina since 2007, in which Argentina won that series 2–0. However, Ireland did go into this series on the back of a Six Nations Championship victory, and three consecutive win over Argentina. Including a record winning margin of 22, the last time these two teams faced each other. The tour is part of the third year on the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019.
On 7 July 2014, it was announced by the New Zealand Rugby Union that the Māori All Blacks would play a three-match Asian Series, including two matches against the Japanese national team and a match against an invitational Asian Pacific Barbarians (APB) team - a side made up from top Asian and Polynesian players and coached by Tana Umaga. The APB match was set to take place at the newly opened National Stadium in Singapore, but due to concerns over the safety of the playing surface at the stadium, the match was cancelled on 21 October 2014. For Japan, the second a third meeting between the two teams goes ahead a scheduled with the 2013 tour coach Colin Cooper remaining as head coach.
Huw Richard Forbes Jones is a Scottish international rugby union player who plays as a centre, although he can also play as a full-back or winger. He is in his second spell playing for Glasgow Warriors, having spent the 2021–22 season playing in England for Harlequins.
The 2016 mid-year rugby union internationals are international rugby union matches that were mostly played in the Southern Hemisphere during the June international window.
In June 2016, England played a three-test series against Australia as part of the 2016 mid-year rugby union tests. They played the Wallabies across the three weeks of the June International window, 11 June–25 June, and contested the Cook Cup, which England had previously won eight times to Australia's twelve. The series was part of the fourth year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019.
The 2016 end-of-year rugby union internationals, also known as the 2016 Autumn Internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, were a series of international rugby union matches predominantly played between the visiting Southern Hemisphere countries: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – and the European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The 2016 Wales rugby union tour of New Zealand was a rugby union tour of New Zealand by the Wales national team in June 2016. The tour saw the Welsh side play four matches: three test matches against New Zealand and one match against the Chiefs of Super Rugby.
The 2017 mid-year rugby union internationals were international rugby union matches that were mostly played in the Southern Hemisphere during the June international window.
In June 2014, France played a three-test series against Australia as part of the 2014 mid-year rugby union tests. They played the Wallabies across the three week June International window, and which were part of the third year of the global rugby calendar established by the International Rugby Board, which runs through to 2019. This was France's first tour to Australia since 2009 and first series since 2008.
The 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour that took place in South Africa in July and August 2021. The British & Irish Lions, a team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, played a three-match test series against South Africa, and tour matches against three of South Africa's four United Rugby Championship teams and South Africa A.
Ryosuke Kojima is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for J1 League club Albirex Niigata.
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