The Western Force women’s team are set for an history-making Japan tour in October and November with three fixtures locked in to help continue the side’s development ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Women’s season.
The historic tour marks the first time the Force women’s team will play off-season games overseas and offers a valuable opportunity to build towards the 2025 Super W season after qualifying for the finals for the first time in club history in 2024.
The tour comes out of the Force’s partnership with Japanese National Women’s Rugby Championship champions Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix who travelled to Perth earlier this year and had front-row pair Natsuki Kashiwagi and Hinata Komaki join the WA club on exchange.
The Force will face both of last season’s Japanese National Women’s Rugby Championship finalists during the three-game tour, Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix and the Mie Pearls. Phoenix were Japanese champions in 2022 and 2023 and the Pearls saluted in 2021.
Force female high performance pathway manager Claudia Bell said: “The overall purpose of this tour is to provide additional high-quality, competitive rugby games for the Western Force women’s Super W side and a meaningful opportunity to play in the Force jersey.
“This will commence their 2025 season preparation, giving the team and staff an opportunity to strengthen connections, whilst giving players an opportunity to tour overseas and experience playing against different styles of rugby.
“The touring squad will be a combination of current Super W Western Force players, Perth Gold women’s players, and identified national youth talent.”
The Force will open their tour in Nagano in a game where the opposition will be split into 40 minutes, against the Pearls and Yokohama TKM.
Next up, the Force will head to Fujiyoshida at the foot of Mt Fuji to face Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, whom they played earlier this year in Perth, losing 24-14 at HBF Park.
The Force’s third and final game in Tokyo will be another game split into 40 minutes against Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix and Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars.
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix general manager Yohei Shimomiya said: “We went on the Australia tour in February 2024, playing and interacting with our partner team, the Western Force. Now they have an opportunity to come to our place.
“Western force will have matches against not only Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, but also various teams in Japan during the tour, and I believe it will be a good boost for Japanese women's rugby.
“I am very happy that Japanese women's rugby will be revitalized with Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix as a hub leading to a higher level. In addition, it will also be a great advantage for us to be able to play high-level matches with Western Force before the start of the 15s rugby season for three consecutive championships. We hope everyone looks forward to watching our matches.”
The Force will depart Perth for Tokyo on October 16. Any streaming details will be shared closer to the date of games.
Western Force Japan tour fixtures
Game 1: Western Force v Pearls / Yokohama TKM, Saturday 19 October, Nagano
Game 2: Western Force v Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, Sunday 27 October, Fujiyoshida
Game 3: Western Force v Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars, Saturday 2 November, Tokyo
