Jamie Joseph names Japan's 31-man squad for upcoming Rugby World Cup

KYODO NEWS

- Aug 29, 2019 - 17:19 All,Sports,Rugby

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Ryohei Yamanaka playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Yamanaka was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Timothy Lafaele playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji. Lafaele was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Ryoto Nakamura playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Nakamura was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 27, 2019, shows Ataata Moeakiola at Japan national team training in Abashiri, Hokkaido. Moeakiola was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Lomano Lava Lemeki playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Lemeki was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows William Tupou playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Tupou was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Rikiya Matsuda playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Matsuda was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Yutaka Nagare playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Nagare was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Kaito Shigeno playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Shigeno was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Amanaki Lelei Mafi playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji. Mafi was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Hendrik Tui playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fuji. Tui was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows James Moore playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Moore was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 27, 2019, shows Yoshitaka Tokunaga at Japan national team training. Tokunaga was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Pieter Labuschagne playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Labuschagne was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Uwe Helu playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Helu was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Wimpie van der Walt playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Van der Walt was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Atsushi Sakate playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Sakate was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken in Abashiri, Hokkaido, on Aug. 21, 2019, shows Koo Ji Won at Japan national team training. Koo was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Asaeli Ai Valu playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Valu was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 19, 2019, shows Takuya Kitade at Japan national team training. Kitade was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 21, 2019, shows Isileli Nakajima at Japan national team training. Nakajima was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Kotaro Matsushima playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Matsushima was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Keita Inagaki playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Inagaki was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Yu Tamura playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Tamura was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Kenki Fukuoka playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Fukuoka was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Yusuke Kizu playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Kizu was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken July 27, 2019, shows Luke Thompson playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against Fiji in Japan. Thompson was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Kazuki Himeno playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Himeno was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Photo taken Aug. 10, 2019, shows Fumiaki Tanaka playing for Japan in a Pacific Nations Cup rugby match against the United States in Fiji. Tanaka was named to the host country's 31-man Rugby World Cup squad on Aug. 29. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Japan coach Jamie Joseph named the 31 players Thursday that will represent the nation at the upcoming Rugby World Cup, saying the squad will "give 150 percent" to achieve their goal of making the knockout stage for the first time.Captained by flanker Michael Leitch, the squad has just 10 players with previous World Cup experience and includes one uncapped player in hooker Takuya Kitade.At the other end of the scale, veteran lock Luke Thompson will be appearing in his fourth World Cup, while Leitch, hooker Shota Horie and scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka will be taking part in their third straight t…READ FULL ARTICLE

Jamie Joseph names Japan's 31-man squad for upcoming Rugby World Cup

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