The Japan Sevens, also known as the Tokyo Sevens, is an annual rugby sevens tournament held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. It was a part of the Sevens World Series from 2000 to 2001 and from 2012 to 2015.

Tokyo Sevens
SportRugby sevens
First season1993
No. of teams16
Most recent
champion(s)
 England  (2015)
Most titles Fiji  (5 times)

History

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South Africa vs Wales at the 2012 Tokyo Sevens

The first Tokyo Sevens was held in 1993, with a number of Japan's top university teams and company teams competing. Meiji University won the cup in the first year, and Suntory the following year, 1994.

In 1995, the international tournament was added. Initially sponsored as the Canterbury Japan International Sevens by sportswear manufacturer Canterbury of New Zealand, the national teams from Fiji and New Zealand were the finalists on all five occasions, with Fiji winning the first three cups and New Zealand the next two.

The international tournament was incorporated into IRB Sevens World Series as the Tokyo International Sevens in 2000 and 2001. A further cup win each to Fiji and New Zealand, respectively, was recorded in those two years.[1][2] The Tokyo Sevens was then effectively replaced by the Singapore Sevens on the world circuit for the 2002 season.

A decade passed before Tokyo was included in the World Sevens Series again, hosting four events from 2012 to 2015. A preparatory international sevens tournament had been planned for Tokyo in 2011 but this had to be cancelled due to the earthquake and tsunami aftermath that year.[3]

Results

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Year Venue Cup final Placings Refs
Tokyo 7s Winner Score Runner-up Cup semi-finalists Plate
III 1995 Chichibu Stadium  
Fiji
47–26  
New Zealand
 
Japan
 
South Korea
 
Chinese Taipei
[4]
[5]
IV 1996 Chichibu Stadium  
Fiji
61–5  
New Zealand
 
Argentina
 
Wales
 
Australia
[6]
[7]
V 1997 Chichibu Stadium  
Fiji
54–19  
New Zealand
 
Japan (3rd)
 
President's VII
 
Wales
[8]
[9]
VI 1998 Chichibu Stadium  
New Zealand
24–7  
Fiji
 
Australia (3rd)
 
Samoa
 
President's VII
[10]
[11]
VII 1999 Chichibu Stadium  
New Zealand
12–7  
Fiji
 
Samoa (3rd)
 
Australia
 
Canada
[12]
[13]
Tokyo 7s Winner Score Runner-up Plate Bowl Shield
VIII 2000 Chichibu Stadium  
Fiji
27–22  
Australia
 
Japan
 
Samoa
n/a [1]
IX 2001 Chichibu Stadium  
New Zealand
26–22  
Australia
 
South Africa
 
Argentina
n/a [2]
No international Tokyo Sevens tournament for men's teams played from 2002 to 2011
XX 2012 Chichibu Stadium  
Australia
28–26  
Samoa
 
Fiji
 
France
 
Scotland
XXI 2013 Chichibu Stadium  
South Africa
24–19  
Fiji
 
United States
 
England
 
Canada
XXII 2014 Chichibu Stadium  
Fiji
33–26  
South Africa
 
Australia
 
Wales
 
Argentina
XXIII 2015 Chichibu Stadium  
England
21–14  
South Africa
 
New Zealand
 
United States
 
Portugal

Key:
 Blue border on the left indicates tournaments included in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Fiji outclass All Blacks in Tokyo". ESPN Scrum. 2 April 2000. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "New Zealand back in pole position after Tokyo sevens victory". ESPN Scrum. 1 May 2001. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Back in the Game". Metropolis Japan. 23 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  4. ^ 1995-04 Japan Sevens results Emilito (in Japanese)
  5. ^ "Fiji captures Japan Sevens rugby crown". Daily Yomiuri. 18 April 1995. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Japan Sevens: 4th Japansebunzu". Takahiro Okonogi's Rugby Page (in Japanese). 1996. Archived from the original on 31 October 2000.
  7. ^ Tokyo Sevens: Tokyo, Japan. 4/13/1996 - 4/14/1996. Rugby 7.
  8. ^ "Japan Sevens: 5th Japansebunzu". Takahiro Okonogi's Rugby Page (in Japanese). 1997. Archived from the original on 29 April 1999.
  9. ^ Tokyo Sevens: Tokyo, Japan. 4/12/1997 - 4/13/1997. Rugby 7.
  10. ^ "Japan Sevens: 6th Japansebunzu". Takahiro Okonogi's Rugby Page (in Japanese). 1998. Archived from the original on 19 November 2000.
  11. ^ Japan 7s: Tokyo, Japan. 4/17/1998 - 4/19/1998. Rugby 7.
  12. ^ "Japan Sevens: 7th Japansebunzu". Takahiro Okonogi's Rugby Page (in Japanese). 1999. Archived from the original on 14 October 2000.
  13. ^ Japan 7s: Tokyo, Japan. 4/10/1999 - 4/11/1999. Rugby 7.
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