Japan's Sachiko Kato: 'The boys were always getting hurt trying to tackle me'

In 2021, Sachiko Kato landed in England to join Susie Appleby’s Exeter Chiefs, becoming the first Japanese player to ever feature for a Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) side.

For the front-rower, it wasn’t only a case of being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was a chance to submerge herself in the highest level of domestic rugby in the world, and in doing so she made quite an impact for her new club. The then 21-year-old started in more than a handful of games and was nominated for Chiefs Player of the Month a few times.

“I knew the Chiefs were a strong team playing in a top-level competition and I couldn’t let that opportunity pass. If I made it into the team, I was going to be the first-ever Japanese player featuring in a Premiership Women’s Rugby game.

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

“I felt the responsibility of having to perform and work as hard as I could. It was a fantastic feeling not only for having played my first game, but because I also felt that more Japanese players could achieve that level,” said the Sakura loosehead.

However, Kato admits that things could’ve turned out differently: “I wasn’t planning to play abroad, but in the end, I couldn’t refuse it. I had to take the chance of playing against some of the best players in the World. I had to play in one of the best club competitions in the world.”

Born in the Aichi Prefecture, located on Japan’s Pacific Ocean coast, Kato’s interest for rugby sprung one day after seeing her older brother play. Her mother gave just a little push, and the ten-year-old took her first steps – and bumps – into the game.

“I was well-sized and big for my age when I first started, so it was quite fun to go against the boys and bump them around. They didn’t particularly like it not because I was a girl, but because they were always getting hurt trying to tackle me. Rugby has always been fun for me.”

For a long time, Kato only played with boys as there were not enough girls to field a team so she had to wait until her teens.

“I played with boys for a long time, and although it helped me grow and develop as a player, the moment I got to play with girls it was a wonderful moment for me. It happened in my last years at Kasugaoka High School. I felt I could progress even more and perform at a higher level.”

From then on, she finally started to discover who she was as an athlete and player, getting under the spotlight due to her sheer brilliant physicality and resilience. Because of her size, Kato seemed destined to become a prop, but there were some backline escapades for a while.

“I have predominantly played as a prop, but I had a few games featuring in the centre pairing. I know that my last time playing at it was eight years ago, but it still counts! As a centre you can carry the ball with more space and run around freely. However, being part of the front-row club is my home, and I wouldn’t trade it for any other role or position.

“I have always enjoyed watching clips of props scrummaging since I was young, which helped to hone my skills. When I became a senior, I started to rewatch my own footage so I could get better at my job as a prop. But I also have to highlight Mark Bakewell’s (Australian coach) work with us. He has focused on that area, working with us to the tiniest detail to take our scrum to the next level.”

Amongst Kato’s front-row idols is a legend of the Brave Blossoms. “My first role model was Shota Horie! I didn’t have any female rugby players I wanted to emulate, as at the time there were just a few, so I had to look to the men, and Shota Horie was one of the greatest players of our country.”

If in the past there was a lack of female Japanese players to look up to, nowadays Sakura’s Iroha Nagata and Seina Sato as well as Kato herself have stepped into that role.

“I met a young girl the other day who asked me how she could overcome her fear of tackling and become a better player. There are more girls of younger ages showing a desire to join the sport and dreaming of becoming part of the Sakura family. It makes me profoundly happy.”

Japan has progressed to become a threat to top nations, with head coach Lesley McKenzie and her staff making several improvements in how the team operates, as Kato explains.

“We have been working each sector separately. The forwards have been building their confidence for the past two years, tuning our set-piece, and making our scrum and lineout become strengths. As for the backs we have been Japanesizing our way of playing under Berrick Barnes.

“We are looking to inject more speed, developing our handling and passing skills. It will come down to us to find out how much we can polish and sharpen our game before the World Cup.”

With the World Cup just four months away, Kato reveals their first and biggest goal for England 2025.

“We are working hard to beat New Zealand. It is one of our goals leading to the World Cup. We can only start talking about beating Ireland after we beat the Black Ferns. This is our mindset. If we want to entice more girls to join us, we need to get those results, so they become curious about the sport.”

Japan will also be facing Ireland and Spain in Pool C, with Kato already deeply excited to face the very best of the women’s game. When thinking about the toughest opposition she has ever faced, the Japanese front-rower picks two.

“The player I found the hardest to face in the scrum and even in open-play was England’s Sarah Bern. She is the whole package as a player. But there’s a second one: Laura ‘Bimba’ Delgado. She is a former teammate of mine, and we always had a good time together. Every time I clashed with her was great fun and it makes the Japan-Spain games more memorable.”

At rugby’s centre-piece event, the Japanese fans usually turn out to support in their numbers, and Kato hopes in England it will be no different. Before saying her goodbyes, she gives a very quick lesson on how to support the Sakura’s at the Rugby World Cup.

“Ganbare! If you want to support us, just shout as loud as you can ‘ganbare!’. It will help us, trust me. It means ‘Go for it’, but for us it is so much more.”