Known as the 2025 Lipovitan-D Challenge Cup () in Japan for sponsorship reasons, the Wales rugby union team toured Japan in July 2025, as part of the 2025 mid-year rugby union tests. The first Test against the Japan national team took place at the Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu on 5 July, followed by the second Test at the Noevir Stadium Kobe on 12 July.
Background It was Wales' third tour to Japan and their first since 2013, having cancelled a tour to Japan and New Zealand in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That 2013 tour saw Japan record their only win over Wales in fourteen previous meetings, including ten Tests. The most recent meeting finished in a 33–30 win for Wales in Cardiff in November 2016. Before the series, a Japan XV played a match against the Māori All Blacks. Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt was named as coach for the tour, resuming the role he filled for the last three games of the 2025 Six Nations Championship, following the resignation of Warren Gatland.
Going into the series, Wales had been on a 17-match loss streak, a record for a tier one team. Their most recent win was in October 2023 against Georgia in the 2023 Rugby World Cup pool stage. During this time they hit an all-time low of 12th in the Rugby World Rankings.
Schedule Date and time Venue Home Score Away 28 June 2025, 18:00 JST (UTC+09) Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo 20–53 5 July 2025, 14:00 JST (UTC+09) Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu 24–19 12 July 2025, 14:50 JST (UTC+09) Noevir Stadium, Kobe 22–31
Venues Kitakyushu Mikuni World Stadium Capacity: 15,460 Kobe Noevir Stadium Capacity: 30,132
Squads Wales Wales were still without a permanent coach following the resignation of Warren Gatland during the 2025 Six Nations Championship. Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt was appointed for the final three games of that tournament, and retained the role for the tour to Japan. Cardiff defence coach Gethin Jenkins was also appointed as an assistant, along with Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson and his assistant Adam Jones, and Gloucester's T. Rhys Thomas. Sherratt named a squad of 33 for the tour, including six uncapped players, and named Dewi Lake as captain with Jac Morgan (alongside scrum-half Tomos Williams) being included in the British & Irish Lions' squad for their tour to Australia. Lock Dafydd Jenkins was ruled out of the tour in order to undergo surgery, while fellow locks Adam Beard and Will Rowlands were rested. Prop Henry Thomas was also ruled out while he seeks a specialist opinion on a long-term injury. Also omitted from the squad were wing Ellis Mee, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, centres Max Llewellyn and Nick Tompkins, flanker James Botham and hooker Evan Lloyd. Lock Ben Carter, fly-half Sam Costelow and prop Archie Griffin were recalled after missing the Six Nations due to injury, while scrum-half Kieran Hardy, back-rowers Alex Mann, Josh Macleod and James Ratti, centre Johnny Williams and full-back Cameron Winnett also made a return to the squad.
Caps and ages are as of the first match of the tour (5 July 2025).
Japan On 12 June, Eddie Jones named a wider squad of 37 players to prepare for their matches against the Māori All Blacks (as Japan XV), and their test series against Wales. On 18 June, Shuntaro Kitamura and Asahi Doei were called up as additional cover ahead of the Japan XV game against the Māori All Blacks, and on 29 June, Japan finalised their squad for their two-test series against Wales, following their Japan XV match, which saw some trail players form the Japan XV squad remain with the senior team of the series.30 June - Japan National Team Miyazaki Training Camp Participants Announcement
Caps and ages are as of the first match of the tour (5 July 2025).
Matches Warm-up match
FB 15Jingo TakenoshitaRW 14Taira Main OC 13Siosaia Fifita IC 12Charlie LawrenceLW 11Kazuma UedaFH 10Sam GreeneSH 9 Kenta Fukuda N8 8 Akito Okui OF 7 Kanji Shimokawa (c)BF 6 Vueti Tupou RL 5 Waisake RaratubuaLL 4 Epineri UluivitiTP 3 Shuhei Takeuchi HK 2 Hayate Era LP 1 Kenta Kobayashi Substitutions:HK 16Kenji Sato PR 17Sena Kimura PR 18Sanshiro Kihara LK 19Shu Yamamoto FL 20Taishiro Kido SH 21Shuntaro Kitamura FH 22Nakakusu Ichigo FB 23Halatoa Vailea Coach:Neal Hatley FB 15Zarn Sullivan RW 14Cole ForbesOC 13Bailyn Sullivan IC 12Gideon WramplingLW 11Jonah LoweFH 10Rivez ReihanaSH 9 Sam Nock N8 8 Cullen GraceOF 7 Jahrome BrownBF 6 TK Howden RL 5 Laghlan McWhannell LL 4 Isaia Walker-LeawereTP 3 Kershawl Sykes-Martin HK 2 Kurt Eklund (c) LP 1 Jared Proffit Substitutions:HK 16Jacob Devery PR 17Pouri Rakete-Stones PR 18Benet Kumeroa LK 19Zach Gallagher FL 20Caleb Delany SH 21Kemara Hauiti-Parapara FH 22Kaleb Trask CE 23Xavi Taele Coach:Ross Filipo Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England) Damian Schneider (Argentina) Television match official: Ian Tempest (England)
First Test
FB 15Takurō Matsunaga RW 14Kippei IshidaOC 13Dylan RileyIC 12Shōgo NakanoLW 11Malo Tuitama FH 10Lee Seung-sinSH 9 Shinobu Fujiwara N8 8 Amato Fakatava OF 7 Jack CornelsenBF 6 Michael Leitch (c)RL 5 Warner DearnsLL 4 Epineri Uluiviti TP 3 Shuhei TakeuchiHK 2 Mamoru HaradaLP 1 Yota KamimoriSubstitutions:HK 16Hayate EraPR 17Sena KimuraPR 18Keijiro TamefusaLK 19Waisake Raratubua FL 20Ben Gunter SH 21Shuntaro Kitamura FH 22Ichigo Nakakusu FB 23Halatoa Vailea Coach:Eddie Jones FB 15Blair MurrayRW 14Tom RogersOC 13Johnny Williams IC 12Ben ThomasLW 11Josh AdamsFH 10Sam CostelowSH 9 Kieran HardyN8 8 Taulupe Faletau OF 7 Josh Macleod BF 6 Alex MannRL 5 Teddy WilliamsLL 4 Ben Carter TP 3 Keiron Assiratti HK 2 Dewi Lake (c) LP 1 Nicky Smith Substitutions:HK 16Liam Belcher PR 17Gareth Thomas PR 18Archie Griffin FL 19James Ratti FL 20Aaron Wainwright FL 21Tommy Reffell SH 22Rhodri WilliamsCE 23Joe Roberts Coach:Matt Sherratt Player of the Match: Mamoru Harada (Japan)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England) Luke Pearce (England) Television match official: Ian Tempest (England) Foul play review officer: Glenn Newman (New Zealand) Notes: Ichigo Nakakusu, Kippei Ishida, Yota Kamimori, Shuntaro Kitamura, Waisake Raratubua, Halatoa Vailea (all Japan) and Liam Belcher (Wales) made their international debuts. This was Japan's first win over a fellow tier one side since 2019, when they defeated Scotland 28–21 at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. With this loss, Wales dropped to 14th on the World Rugby Rankings, their lowest position since the rankings were introduced in September 2003. This was Eddie Jones' 56th Test match in charge of Japan, a new record for a Japan coach.
Second Test
FB 15Ichigo Nakakusu RW 14Kippei IshidaOC 13Dylan RileyIC 12Shōgo NakanoLW 11Halatoa VaileaFH 10Lee Seung-sinSH 9 Naoto Saitō N8 8 Faulua Makisi OF 7 Jack CornelsenBF 6 Michael Leitch (c)RL 5 Warner DearnsLL 4 Epineri Uluiviti TP 3 Keijiro Tamefusa HK 2 Mamoru Harada LP 1 Yota Kamimori Substitutions:HK 16Hayate Era PR 17Sena Kimura PR 18Shuhei Takeuchi LK 19Waisake Raratubua FL 20Ben Gunter SH 21Shinobu Fujiwara FH 22Sam Greene WG 23Kazuma UedaCoach:Eddie Jones FB 15Blair MurrayRW 14Tom RogersOC 13Johnny Williams IC 12Ben ThomasLW 11Josh Adams FH 10Dan EdwardsSH 9 Kieran HardyN8 8 Aaron WainwrightOF 7 Josh Macleod BF 6 Alex Mann RL 5 Teddy WilliamsLL 4 Freddie Thomas TP 3 Archie Griffin HK 2 Dewi Lake (c) LP 1 Nicky Smith Substitutions:HK 16Liam Belcher PR 17Gareth Thomas PR 18Christian Coleman FL 19James Ratti N8 20Taine Plumtree FL 21Tommy Reffell SH 22Reuben Morgan-Williams WG 23Keelan Giles Coach:Matt Sherratt Player of the Match: Warner Dearns (Japan)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England) Damian Schneider (Argentina) Television match official: Glenn Newman (New Zealand) Foul play review officer: Ian Tempest (England) Notes: Hayate Era, Sam Greene, Sena Kimura (all Japan), Christian Coleman, Keelan Giles and Reuben Morgan-Williams (all Wales) made their international debuts. Wales ended their 18-match losing streak, winning a Test match for the first time since their 43–19 win over Georgia during the 2023 Rugby World Cup (644 days).
See also 2025 mid-year rugby union tests 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia 2025 England rugby union tour of Argentina 2025 France rugby union tour of New Zealand 2025 Italy rugby union tour of Namibia and South Africa
References