Briars Women’s Rugby Japan Tour
The Briars Women’s Rugby 7s team continues its successful program with a tour of Japan in the past week. Briars were invited by Japan Rugby to compete at the prestigious women’s only rugby 7s tournament, the Nanairo Cup, in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Japan this past weekend.
A squad of 13 including players, manager and coach travelled to Fukuoka via Hong Kong to be one of 10 teams competing in the event. Seven local teams, plus international teams from Australia (Briars and Bond Uni) and Singapore competed last weekend at the Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu.
Conditions for the event were vastly different from the usual summery conditions they are used to playing in, arriving to a flurry of snow most days. Training was moved indoors a few days as the temperature dropped below 0c.
The team competed well in the tournament, with a number of teams being fully professional players who dedicate every waking hour to the sport. Briars as an amateur club challenged these sides well with two wins and two losses across the tournament. Although no trophies were won in this tournament, we were voted most friendliest team at the event.
Tournament results:
Briars 5 v PTS + BRAVE LOUVE 27
Briars 7 v Kobe Gyro 31
Briars 47 v Ryukyu Island 5
Briars 38 v BAC (Singapore) 10
Briars Rugby Dominates at the Sevens by the Sea!
The 2025 season kicked off in style for Briars Rugby with a trip up the coast to Sevens by the Sea, where the club made history by securing both the men’s and women’s trophies for just the third time. A fantastic start to the new season!
The Women’s team was unstoppable throughout the tournament, going undefeated without conceding a single try. They capped off their dominant run with a resounding 33-0 victory in the Grand Final. New coach Anthony Eriksson praised the team’s continuous improvement and outstanding attitude. Congratulations to Taylah Watson, who was named Player of the Final! The women’s squad now heads to Japan for an international tournament this weekend to continue their strong start.
The Men’s team, entering as defending champions, secured back-to-back titles with another commanding performance. Despite periods of strong resistance from The Lakes, Briars sealed a 27-10 victory in the final. Congratulations to John Doh, named Player of the Final! The men’s team now turns their focus to the Mick Curry Sevens this weekend, where they will face tough competition from Gordon, West Harbour, and Hunter.
Best of luck to both teams! Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays for all squads, with the Juniors set to kick off their season soon.