They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and no more so could this be true than the photo above. This was taken shortly after Japan’s defeat to Italy in the 2021 (played in 2022) World Cup pool stages in New Zealand, a result which knocked the Sakura Fifteen out of the tournament without a win.
Fast forward three years and the team is in a very different place heading into England 2025.
As this summer’s World Cup grows nearer, Japan Head Coach Lesley McKenzie is keen to reinforce that Japan won’t be there to sightsee but to challenge the best and maybe, stun a few nations.
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“We are here to compete. The girls have grown so much since 2022, and they will showcase the best Japan has to offer and that’s not a small thing. People are going to love the way they play the game, and they will be properly excited by the Sakura.”
In 2010, McKenzie retired from playing after making 25 appearances for Canada, she then took different coaching roles until eight years later, the Japan Rugby Football Union came calling.
They invited McKenzie to become an assistant coach for the women’s sevens team. But the gig only lasted a few months as she was invited for a new role: head coach and main coordinator of the women’s 15s programme.
“I felt like I was starting from a blank page” said the 44-year-old. “And if you can’t make a difference when you start from scratch, you shouldn’t be in the role. The 15s programme was almost in a dormant state, and there was an opportunity for it to go live. I took that chance and said ‘yes’. It felt like a natural fit for me.
“I wanted to keep things simple and not chase a million rabbits to then catch none. For the first few months we focused on integrity in the contact, which ranged from the ball carriers work, the individual tackle and tackling support.
“For better or for worse it was our starting point, and I think the mindset to build towards something and the importance of having that framework that a World Cup cycle provides was crucial.”
The team confidence grew and accomplished several feats before the World Cup (played in 2022), a tournament that didn’t end exactly as they envisioned but was necessary for their long-term success. As McKenzie states, the team has undergone several changes since then, especially concerning their mindset.
“A good example of that change was how irritated they were after recording close losses in 2024. You could see in their faces that they wanted more, that they felt entitled to be angry for not winning. It is a whole new level of self-discovery for them.
“It was great to see them annoyed for not winning the bigger tests last year (against Scotland, Wales, USA and Fiji), and that’s why the performance they put out against the USA in April was so satisfying.”
Even in the beginning of it all, McKenzie understood that the Japanese rugby culture was special.
“When I first started coming to Japan, my exposure to the programme was very limited at the time. It was sort of punctuation marks, and I was missing the bigger sentence and paragraph.
“The impression I had was sort of consistent to the image everyone has of Japanese rugby culture: fit players and well-organised system. However, there was so much more to it.”
With the Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, McKenzie had to figure out a way to build a roster for the 15s. Luckily, the JRFU deployed the necessary funds to set up a few camps in the spring of 2019, which turned out to be a success.
“It gave me the chance to have a good look at the 40-50 players who had been identified. There was an end goal for the players who had been involved in the 2017 World Cup squad, which was to qualify for New Zealand in 2021.”
McKenzie’s deep knowledge about each one of her player’s is easily noticeable, something she pushed for since the beginning.
“I was really intentional from the start that I wanted to have conversations with my players. I want to know more about each one of them.
“Fortunately, as we live in an age of Google translators, we can communicate with each other at any time, even remotely or without a translator to supplement my rudimentary Japanese. I am always available for them.
“We had to alert the clubs that this was a feature of the culture we wanted in our programme, as we needed to build bonds between the staff and the players.”
The Sakura Fifteens winning record has greatly improved since the 2010s, securing wins over Italy, Ireland, Scotland, USA, Spain, Fiji, Samoa, South Africa and Australia, with McKenzie revealing two of the secrets that makes the present Sakura so special.
“Two words: positive and collective. The way they work together is something I’ve never seen in another team. It is one of their superpowers. The greatest steps forward and the greatest responses that we get from them when they accept the challenge are simply incredible every time.”
Without going into much detail, McKenzie goes further and breaks down the main areas of the team’s progression since the beginning of her tenure.
“The speed of our recycling and the ability to play phase on phase, whether it is defence or attack, has become a feature of our game, and it is going to be challenging for the opposition to shrug it off.
“Our set-piece has become stronger, and we won’t concede any easy penalties, which is really satisfying. At the same time, we have some individual players who can show some exceptional skill.”
Having been with the JRFU for the last seven years, the Canadian coach speaks about how this journey has been a life-fulfilling experience, with the Sakura having finally become a highlight of the game in Japan.
“When I read the comments from our players, I get emotional, as it is when you understand that you made a difference and helped them achieve their goals and dreams. It is rewarding to me to see the recognition and respect they are getting at the moment.
“They have always existed, and it is so immense to witness that people are finally coming around to understand their talent and growth. That they matter. And it is so wicked that we get to take it to the World Cup and show how far we’ve gone.”
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As the sun is going down in the vibrant city of Tokyo, McKenzie finalises her thoughts by stating how her life changed the day she accepted to embark on Japan and become part of the Sakura’s culture and history.
“It makes me deeply happy to be on this adventure with them. Yes, there has been lots of stress and challenges, but the highlights and the people involved in it have been exceptional. I have nothing to complain about, they are such a great group to work with.”
