All Blacks set for regular matches in Japan as NZR announce memorandum of understanding with JRFU

The All Blacks last played Japan in October 2022, winning 38-31. Photo / Photosport

Regular matches in Japan are set to be added to the New Zealand rugby calendar over the next five years.

The All Blacks, Māori All Blacks and All Blacks XV will play the Brave Blossoms and Japan XV on a regular basis in Japan, with New Zealand Rugby and the Japanese Rugby Football Union signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore strategic and commercial opportunities until the end of 2027.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the agreement would see the two parties commit to fixtures over a five-year period, starting in the middle of this year with the All Blacks XV playing tests against Japan and Japan XV in the July window.

“It is great to formalise our relationship with Japan Rugby, we have a long-standing and strong history of collaboration and mutual respect on and off the field, as well as a shared love for rugby and the values our game,” Robinson said.

“The MoU provides us with opportunities for our teams in black, commercial partners, and other professional teams and competitions to work more closely together. The intention is for teams across the spectrum to play more regular matches, while also looking at how our men’s and women’s competitions could work together in the longer term.

“We don’t see the finish term on this being in 2027, we see it growing beyond that. But it made sense to have an initial five years, with all the moving parts of the global calendar, to get to around the World Cup and then look to extend beyond that in due course.”

As well as adding more fixtures for representative teams, the two unions will explore cross-competition clashes between Super Rugby Pacific and Japan League One teams outside of competition windows, while opportunities will be discussed around the inclusion of some of Japan’s top women’s players in the Super Rugby Aupiki and Farah Palmer Cup competitions.

The national sevens teams are set to benefit from the agreement with more matches too, with opportunities to be explored around the Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens to play the Japan Sevens outside of existing tournaments.

“Japan Rugby acknowledges the heritage of New Zealand Rugby and the shared respect for the integrity of our respective teams and competitions,” Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) chief executive Kensuke Iwabuchi said.

“We have a shared love of rugby and the values that the game stands for on and off the field, including teamwork, hard work, honesty and integrity.

“In working more closely together, NZR and JRFU acknowledge the importance of maintaining and respecting the heritage, competitiveness and commercial operations of existing rugby competitions played in Japan and New Zealand or involving teams from Japan and New Zealand.”