Mana Furuta

Mana Furuta

Date of birth	(1997-11-16) 16 November 1997 (age 27)
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2020 Arukas Queen Kumagaya (0) 2021 Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix (0) Super Rugby Years Team Apps (Points) 2022 Brumbies Women (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2016–Present  Japan 18 (0) National sevens team Years Team Comps  Japan

Mana Furuta (古田真菜 born 16 November 1997) is a Japanese rugby union and sevens player. She plays centre for the Japan women's national rugby union team.[1] She competed for Japan at the 2021 Rugby World Cup.

Early career

Furuta is a native of Fukuoka Prefecture and her father also played rugby.[2]

Rugby career

Furuta debuted for Japan at the age of 18 during the 2016 Asia Rugby Championship.[3] She missed the 2017 Rugby World Cup, but returned to the team in 2019.[3]

In November 2021, she was part of the team that was announced for the end-of-year tour of Europe, where she scored her first test try in her sides narrow defeat to Ireland.[3]

In 2020, she began her professional career playing for Arukas Queen Kumagaya's sevens team.[2] She then joined Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix in 2021 and was on loan to the Brumbies Women in 2022.[2][3][4] She was chosen by her teammates for the Helen Taylor Award after an outstanding season for the Brumbies.[5][6]

She featured for Japan at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup that was held in New Zealand.[7][8]

In 2023, she was named in the Sakura XV's side for the Asia Rugby Championship in Kazakhstan.[9] She was a member of the side that narrowly beat Italy for the first time in September.[10][11] In October, she was selected for the side for the inaugural 2023 WXV 2 tournament in South Africa.[12][13]

2024 saw her make the Sakura's squad again for the Asia Rugby Championship in Hong Kong.[14][15]

References

1. "The building and blossoming of The Sakura Fifteen". rugbypass.com. 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
2. "Mana Furuta eager to help bring women's rugby into spotlight in Japan". The Japan Times. 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
3. "Five Super W 2022 stars who could light up Rugby World Cup 2021". world.rugby. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
4. "Japanese duo, Mana and Makoto prepares for rugby World Cup under the support of Brumbies Super W". SBS Language. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
5. "Alaalatoa claims third Brett Robinson Players' Player of the Year Award". Huge Rugby News. 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
6. Media, Newstime (2022-07-22). "Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa wins Players' Player". Canberra Weekly. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
7. "RWC 2022 – USA vs Japan – ARN Guide". Americas Rugby News. 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
8. "Japan Women's Rugby World Cup Squad 2022 – Japan 8-21 Italy". Rugby World. 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
9. "Japan cruise into WXV 2 as Asia women's champions". women.rugby. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
10. "Sakura Fifteen Record Historic Victory Over Italy". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
11. Perkins, Bruce (2023-10-01). "Five Down – Italy v Japan". 4 The Love Of Sport. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
12. "Sakura Fifteen Squad Announced for Inaugural WXV 2". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
13. "WXV 2: Anticipation builds for South Africa as squads named | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
14. "Sakura Fifteen's 26-member squad". Asia Rugby. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
15. "Japan Squad Announced for Asia Rugby Women's Championship 2024". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-26.