At only 17 -years-old, Iroha Nagata earned her first cap for Japan in a qualification match for the 2017 Rugby World Cup. Since then, the now 26-year-old has become a shining light for her country as captain and one of their most valuable players.
Throughout Nagata’s time in the captaincy, the Japanese team has gone from strength to strength. Not able to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2021 (played in 2022) World Cup in New Zealand, the team has seen new coaches come on board, and they have bolstered their physicality and attack.
Recently, Japan won the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship for a record sixth time in a row following a commanding 63-5 victory over Hong Kong China and defeated higher ranked team the USA 33-39 in Los Angeles last month. Watch the replay on RugbyPass TV.
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The Sakura captain acknowledges the unprecedented growth she has experienced first hand since joining the set up in 2017.
“I think we have been undergoing an evolution in the last few years, not only as a team but as individuals” said the flanker.
“For example, from my forward point of view, I can definitely say that our set-piece has made strides. But even our main strengths have improved, like our defence. We are connecting better now, and figuring out more quickly how to adapt and our attack has gotten faster and (head coach) Lesley McKenzie has been vital for that progression.”
McKenzie joined the JRFU back in 2018 as an assistant coach, becoming the head of the whole program one year later. Nagata goes into great detail to explain the McKenzie effect on the Japanese women’s national team.
“Lesley is always asks questions to make us think, even while we are training. She wants us to continuously think about our decisions, and that has pushed us to find answers, progress and grow.
“Lesley is all about consistency and detail which fits well with our way of working, as we have no problem repeating things until we get them right. She pushes for us all and has contributed massively to rugby in Japan.”
McKenzie’s work with the Sakura helped them blossom to become a more menacing competitor, with Nagata growing as an athlete, player and leader, becoming their captain in 2023.
“I wasn’t expecting to become the captain. Lesley came to me and said, ‘You are going to be the captain’. I was surprised by her choice, and I asked her if I could take some time to reflect on it. And Lesley just replied ‘Well, let me tell you in advance: congratulations!’. I had to take it!”
Nagata’s rise to Japan’s leader didn’t change her mindset or way of playing, as she attests: “At first it was a bit of a pressure for me, but I am not only a captain, I am a player. We all make the team together. I have found the right balance of speaking to my teammates and focusing on my game. I am not a verbal kind of captain; I am more leading by example.
“It is more exciting for me to be under this pressure. We want to see what we are capable of at this level and to show the world what we are all about. I hope fans will get to watch a very special Japan team at this year’s World Cup.”
A generational talent, Nagata’s story with the sport started when she was 12, just five years before her senior national team debut. Among the memories she has built playing for her national team, the 20-cap Sakura shares her most significant moment which helped improve her game.
“A memory which isn’t actually a positive one, but it taught me a valuable lesson was against France in our opening game of the 2017 World Cup.
“In the very first play, the ball came to me, and I made a handling error that led to us conceding a try. It was my first game against a top nation, and I felt powerless against them. I couldn’t match their physicality or skill. It was an important lesson to help me grow.”
Nagata didn’t allow that mistake to rip a hole in her confidence and rather put it to good use, converting a weakness into a strength.
“The error came from a high ball. I couldn’t catch the ball properly and it ended up scooped by a French player. From that day on, I started working on that skill day in and day out.
“It helped me want to improve, to develop myself as a player so I can help Japan win and be one of the best teams in the world. These goals have been a major driving force in my career.”
With the Rugby World Cup getting closer and closer, Japan are in Pool C alongside Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, and Nagata’s ambitions go further than winning a game or two, with the skipper admitting their eyes are on a certain behemoth of the sporting world. “New Zealand.”
“Of course I want to get good results for my team, but more important than that I want to set a benchmark to inspire more girls to want to be here with us. Be it personally or as a captain, I will do whatever I can to drive my team in that direction.”
At Sandy Park in Exeter on 31st August the Sakura take on the reigning champion Black Ferns. We will see then if that goal can become a reality.
