Japan select national sides

Almost the same squad that was picked for games against Hong Kong in Tokyo earlier this year are competing at the Asia 4 Nations.

There are just three changes, all in the backs. centre Chika Oshima, and wings Akari Fujisaki and Marie Yamaguchi come into the squad. The selectors have gone with a very experienced forward pack preferring to leave out two younger locks who were also in the Hong Kong match squad but didn't make the 22.

Captain Misaki Suzuki continues the captaincy role she's had for a couple of years with the 7s team. She is also one of two players in the squad that belong to a mens team at their university where they take full part in training but don't play any official matches.

There are also two crossover athletes in prop Nobuko Noge (shot-put) and Akari Fujisaki (Volleyball) who have been in the Japan team since their UK development tour in 2010. More, particularly a couple of taller and more muscular basketballers playing for the Rugirl7s club were ruled out as they are playing XVs in New Zealand at the moment.

One of the three new players, wing Yamaguchi has just come back two months playing club rugby in New Zealand. She also spent several years studying and playing both rugby union and league in Sydney, Australia and she is one of Japan's top prospects. In New Zealand she switched to the new position of stand-off but is named in her usual position of wing for the Asia Womens Four Nations Championship.

The held its pre-season camp on July 3rd and flew to China on the morning of the 4th July for its first game against Hong Kong at Kunshan Stadium, 6pm the next day. having convincingly beaten the same Hong Kong team in Tokyo 61-15 earlier this year, the team should be confident of making the final on Saturday 7th against the winner of Kazahkstan and hosts China. The last tme Japan played Kazahkstan for the 2010 Womens World Cup Asian qualifying place the Japanese dream ended with a 40-odd point drubbing. With Kazahkstan also showing signs of wear and tear with an aging team at the last World Cup, the question is can Japan, and even China further expose them? Or will a new generation of Kazahkstani women continue the country's Asian dominance?

The sevens squad features a number of players who have represented Japan in the last year at all or some of the three international tournaments they took part in, The Asian Champs in Pune, India, last November, the womens invitational in Las Vegas in February and the IRB Challenge Cup in Hong Kong in March. It will also act as a trial for several new players looking forward to the Asian Champs and Rugby World Cup 7s in Moscow 2013. However the team doesn't include a number of eligible players who will have been with the XVs team in China and it was decided not to select them across both squads due the dates being close for both tournaments.

Asia Four Nations Squad, Kunshan, China, 5-7th July

(Name, Age, Club)

Maki Ito, 27, Nagoya LadiesSayaka Yamamoto, 26, Nagoya LNobuko Noge, 25, Osaka Rugby School LadiesSeina Saito, 20, Abeno Hollies (Osaka)Azusa Yama, 22, Setagaya Ladies (Tokyo)Misaki Suzuki, 20, Kanto Gakuin University mens club (Yokohama) [color=#FF00FF]CAPTAIN[/color]Chikako Sasaki, 41, Setagaya LAngela Elting, 39, Phoenix WRFC (Yokohama)Ayumi Inui, 34, Hyogo Rugby School Ladies (Kobe)Takako Matsudaira, 33, TKM7s, (Yokohama)Mami Okada, 32, Nagoya LTsukasa Tsujimoto, 30, SCIX (Kobe)Matietoga Bogidraumainadave, 28, PhoenixChikami Inoue, 21, Ryutsu Keizai University Dragons (Chiba)Yuka Yamanaka, 19, Hyogo RSLRinako Yokoyama, 24, TKM7sAyaka Suzuki, 22, Rissho University mens club (Tokyo) (Also CTB)Chika Oshima, 27, Rugirl-7 (Yokohama)Eri Kamimura, 22, Setagaya LMiki Nishimura, 29, Nagoya LAkari Fujisaki, 27, Rugirl-7Tomoe Shinomiya, 27, Setagaya LMarie Yamaguchi, 22, Rugirl-Mio Suzuki, 21, Japan PE University womens club (Yokohama)

7s Squad for World Student Championships, Brive, France, 11-13th July

(Name, Age, Club)Chiharu Nakamura, 24, Phoenix WRFC (Yokohama)*+Keiko Kato, 24, Setagaya Ladies (Tokyo)*+Noriko Taniguchi, 19, Setagaya L +Ikumi Suzuki, 22, TKM7s (Yokohama)*Yuka Takashima, 22, Rugirl-7 (Yokohama)Ano Kuwai, 22, Rugirl-7Kana Mitsugi, 20, Rissho University mens club (Tokyo)*Niina Hara, 19, Rugirl-7Miki Iida, 21, Nagoya L +Ai Tasaka, 21, Japan PE University womens club*Makiko Tomita, 21, Setagaya L

Info thanks to Simon Cox

*Played or been in Japan 7s squads in the last year for international tournaments.

+ In XVs squad for match v Hong Kong in Tokyo in May 2012.