Australia–Japan Test series

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In August 2026, the Australia and Japan national rugby teams are scheduled to tour each other in a two-Test, home-and-away Test series, with the latter making up the first fixture in Australia's "Flight Centre Series". The matches were confirmed by Rugby Australia (RA) in November 2025 [1] [2] following the restructuring of the annual Rugby Championship toward a biennial cycle, [3] [4] which featured Australia.

Contents

It is the first time Japan have played Australia on Australian soil since the 1987 Rugby World Cup. [5]

Background

Prior to 2017, encounters between Australia and Japan were sparse. The two nations met only four times in Test matches: twice during Japan's 1975 tour of Australia, and twice on the Rugby World Cup (RWC). From 2017 onward, [6] fixtures between the sides became more regular, and domestic teams from both countries began engaging in pre-season and post-season tours, most notably the Queensland Reds, [7] [8] New South Wales Waratahs, [9] Saitama Wild Knights, [7] [8] and Kubota Spears. [9] [10]

The Australia–Japan rugby relationship intensified significantly during 2023–2024, following revelations by The Sydney Morning Herald that Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones had been in discussions regarding a return to the Japan national coaching role while still in charge of Australia during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. [11] The episode attracted significant scrutiny in the Australian media (Eddie Jones § JRFU controversy). [12]

Fixtures

DateVenueHomeScoreAway
8 AugustTBD Japan  Flag of Japan.svgFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
15 August North Queensland Stadium, Townsville Australia  Flag of Australia (converted).svgFlag of Japan.svg  Japan

Test series

First Test

8 August 2026
Japan  Flag of Japan.svgvFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
TBD

Second Test

See also

References

  1. ↑ Williamson, Nathan (26 November 2025). "Wallabies confirm Test schedule for 2026 season". Rugby.com.au . Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Wallabies Test match fixtures for 2026 released, Les Kiss faces Eddie Jones in first match as coach of Australia". ABC News. 26 November 2025. Archived from the original on 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "Rugby Championship scrapped for 2026 due to Test calendar squeeze". ABC News . 16 October 2025. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "SANZAAR Confirms New and Exciting International Rugby Calendar 2026–2030". super.rugby. SANZAAR. 16 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Payten, Iain (17 November 2025). "Kiss to take on Eddie in first Wallabies games as global Test championship launched". The Sydney Morning Herald . Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025. Rugby Australia has filled the gap by arranging a home-and-away series with Japan in August, according to informed sources. That means Kiss' first two Tests will be against former Wallabies coach Jones, when Japan will play Australia Down Under for the first time since the 1987 World Cup.
  6. ↑ "Wallabies beat Japan 63–30 in historic rugby Test in Yokohama as Tevita Kuridrani bags hat-trick". ABC News . 4 November 2017.
  7. 1 2 "【ハイライト動画あり】埼玉パナソニックワイルドナイツ、国際親善試合でクイーンズランドレッズと対戦。リーグワン プレシーズンマッチ" [[Video highlights] Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights play Queensland Reds in an international friendly. League One pre-season match]. Yahoo Japan (in Japanese). LY Corporation. 5 November 2024.
  8. 1 2 "ラグビー【国際親善試合】埼玉ワイルドナイツ、レッズと3度目の対戦で初勝利ならず。豪州留学の竹山晃暉は「前半は空回り」と悔やむ。" [Rugby [International Friendly] Saitama Wild Knights fail to win for the first time in their third meeting with the Reds. Kohki Takeyama, who studied in Australia, regrets ‘spinning out of control in the first half’.]. Yahoo Japan (in Japanese). LY Corporation. 4 November 2024.
  9. 1 2 "NSW Waratahs Name Line-up for Kubota Match in Japan". waratahs.rugby. New South Wales Rugby Union. 26 November 2024. Archived from the original on 2 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "【プレシーズンマッチ】クボタスピアーズ船橋・東京ベイがワラターズに敗れる。ルディケHC「良い学びの場となった」" [[Pre-season match] Kubota Spears Funabashi and Tokyo Bay lose to Waratahs. HC Rudike: ‘It was a good learning experience’]. Yahoo Japan (in Japanese). LY Corporation. 30 November 2024.
  11. ↑ Decent, Tom (24 September 2023). "Eddie Jones held Zoom job interview with Japan days before Wallabies' World Cup campaign". The Sydney Morning Herald . Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023.
  12. ↑ Decent, Tom (2 May 2025). "'I apologise mate': The interview no one expected Eddie Jones to give". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Townsville to Host Rugby Australia Wallabies vs Japan Test Match in August 2026". Townsville Enterprise. 26 November 2025. Archived from the original on 27 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
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