Club information
PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHMENT Purpose of Establishment
Women's rugby has seen a significant increase since 2016, when Sevens (7-a-side) became an official event at the Olympics and National Sports Festivals.
Efforts to rapidly promote and strengthen its use have begun to be carried out throughout the country.
The 15-a-side version has also participated in the World Cup since the very first tournament (1991).
The Japanese women's national team has seen a remarkable improvement in the level of women's rugby in recent years, to the point where they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's top teams.
Against this backdrop, we adopted the slogan "From Mie to the World!" and aimed to become the best in Japan at domestic competitions.
Aiming to develop players who can succeed on the world stage,
I established MIE WOMEN'S RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB PEARLS, and we started operations in 2016.
CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY Philosophy
Through rugby, we give courage, inspiration, and energy.Leading all those connected to PEARLS to happiness
Our most fundamental principle is to lead everyone connected to PEARLS to happiness.
I believe in the power of the sport of rugby.
Through activities both on and off the field, we aim to bring about positive change in society.
MISSION OUR MISSION
Based on its core philosophy and in order to move towards the future envisioned by its vision, PEARLS has established three pillars of mission.
With this mission in mind, we will create a wave of transformation from Mie Prefecture to the world and to the society of the future.
PEARLS
Make them feel better
Always striving to be the best in Japan,
Aiming for the world from Mie
Promotion of
PEARLS' activities give courage and energy to women living in the world and promote women's advancement in society.
VISION Vision
To bring about social change (innovation) that goes beyond sports,Leading the world of women's rugby
Our vision for achieving this mission is to contribute to society beyond the realm of women's rugby. From Mie to the world,
As an innovator who creates new values and systems, we will lead the transformation of women's sports, and ultimately, society as a whole.
CORE VALUES Core Values
These are the values that the club PEARLS, and each and every person who gathers here, cherish the most.
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- To care for and support one another, like one big family.
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- A strong bond that will not yield to any rough seas, connecting us to one another.
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- Enjoying time with friends, new challenges, and everyday life.
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- Don't set limits for yourself, and keep evolving with a desire for improvement.
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- Always remember to be grateful and express it.
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- Sometimes strict, but always kind; acknowledging each other's differences and loving them completely.
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- To fully engage with people, things, and dreams, and to maintain a passionate spirit.
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- Always act with integrity and believe in yourself, your family, your colleagues, and your friends.
Club overview
- Team name
- PEARLS
- Formal name
- MIE WOMEN'S RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB PEARLS
- Corporate name
- PEARLS, a general incorporated association
- Establishment
- January 2016
- Secretary
- 10-19 Jushichiken-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture 510-0063
- Contact
- TEL & FAX 059-351-1818
- Adviser
- Katsuyuki Ichimi (Governor of Mie Prefecture), Tomohiro Mori (Mayor of Yokkaichi City), Noriko Suematsu (Mayor of Suzuka City)
- Representative Director
- Akihiko Nakaoka (Honorary Chairman, Mie Prefecture Rugby Football Association)
- Director
- Hidekazu Higashi, Atsushi Kushimoto, Kazuki Inada (Vice Chairman, Mie Prefecture Rugby Football Association)
- Director/GM
- Hisashi Saito (Chairman of the Strengthening Committee, Mie Prefecture Rugby Football Association)
- Team Director
- Akira Tomikawa
- Club Manager
- Ken Sato
- Staff
- Momoka Matsui
Facilities
Activity ground
Weight training room
club house
Club History
We've captured the feelings and experiences we've accumulated throughout the seasons in these past posters.
Clicking on the visual for each year will allow you to see a detailed account of the year's events and story.
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2016 - 2017
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2017 - 2018
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2018 - 2019
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2019 - 2020
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2020 - 2021
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2021 - 2022
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2022 - 2023
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2023 - 2024
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2024 - 2025
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2025 - 2026
2016 - 2017
| April | PEARLS, a general incorporated association, was established. |
| April | PEARLS launch press conference and founding anniversary party |
| April | National Sports Festival Tokai Block Tournament: First-time victory |
| April | First appearance at the Kiboukyo Iwate National Sports Festival, placing 5th. |
| April | 19th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament - First-ever victory |
| April | Runner-up in the 3th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2017 - 2018
| April | Sena Saito, Yuki Sue, and Minori Yamamoto will represent Japan in the 15-a-side women's rugby at the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland. |
| April | Ehime National Sports Festival: 5th Place |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2017 In the 4th round, the Gotemba tournament at the foot of Mt. Fuji, we made our debut as an invited team and won the championship. |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2017 They finished first in the playoffs and were promoted to the core team. |
| April | Winners of the 20th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (2th consecutive victory) |
| April | Runner-up in the 4th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2018 - 2019
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2018, Round 2, Akita Tournament - Winner |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2018 Third Round - Gotemba Tournament at the Foot of Mt. Fuji: Winner |
| April | Fukui Shiawase Genki National Sports Festival: 5th Place |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2018 The fourth race, held at Suzuka, recorded a record-breaking attendance of 3,500 spectators. Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2018: 2nd place overall (First time participating as a core team) |
| April | Winners of the 21th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (3th consecutive victory) |
| April | Runner-up in the 5th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2019 - 2020
| April | The team embarked on its first overseas tour to New Zealand and Malaysia. |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2019, Round 2, Tokyo Tournament - Winner |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2019: 3rd place overall |
| April | We have signed a comprehensive hometown partnership agreement with Yokkaichi City. |
| April | Sena Saito has been selected for the Barbarians (World Select Team). Played in the match against Wales |
| April | Winners of the 22th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (4th consecutive victory) |
2020 - 2021
| April | The cancellation of all tournaments in the Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2020 has been announced. Don't let COVID-19 get you down! PEARLS Relay Cheer now available on social media. |
| April | The Kagoshima National Sports Festival was postponed from its planned date this year, and in September, it was announced that it would be held in 2023. |
| April | PEARLS Junior placed 5th and won the Plate Tournament at the 3rd All-Japan U18 Women's Sevens Rugby Football Tournament. |
| April | Sena Saito, Minori Yamamoto, Kie Tamai, Yuki Sue, Kotomi Taniguchi, Ria Iori, and Yuki Ito will participate in the "Lipovitan D presents JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE 2020" Women's Japan National Team Challenge Match. |
| April | Due to the impact of the new coronavirus, the 23rd Kansai Women's Rugby Football Tournament has been officially canceled. |
| April | Winner of the 7th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2021 - 2022
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2021, Round 2, Shizuoka Ecopa Tournament - Winner |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2021: 3rd place overall |
| April | The cancellation of the Mie Tokowaka National Sports Festival has been officially announced due to the impact of the coronavirus. |
| April | Sena Saito, Kie Tamai, Ria Io, Yuki Ito, Minori Yamamoto, Kazuko Kitano, and Mateitonga Bogidulaumainadawe have been selected for the Japan Women's 15-a-side National Team's European Tour. |
| April | Winners of the 24th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (5th consecutive victory) |
| April | Seventeen players have been identified as close contacts of someone infected with COVID-17. Withdrew from the 8th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2022 - 2023
| April | Ichigo Ichie Tochigi National Sports Festival Champions |
| April | Sena Saito, Kie Tamai, Kotomi Taniguchi, Ria Iori, Yuki Ito, Minori Yamamoto, Kazuko Kitano, and Kyoko Hosokawa will represent Japan in the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. |
| April | PEARLS Junior - 4rd Place, 5th All-Japan U18 Women's Sevens Rugby Football Tournament |
| April | Winners of the 25th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (6th consecutive victory) |
| April-December | Sayo Yasui and Mio Yamanaka will compete in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. |
2023 - 2024
| April | Kagoshima National Sports Festival: 3rd Place |
| April | PEARLS Junior - 3rd Place, 6th All-Japan U18 Women's Sevens Rugby Football Tournament |
| April | Sena Saito and Sora Nishimura will compete in WXV2. |
| April | Winners of the 26th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (7th consecutive victory) |
| April-December | Mio Yamanaka will compete in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2024. |
| April | Runner-up in the 10th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2024 - 2025
| April-December | Niho Nagata will compete in BLUES and participate in Super Rugby Aupiki 2024. |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2024 Overall Runner-up |
| April | Ayano Murata competes in the 2024 World University Championships and wins. |
| April | Mizuki Furuya will participate in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024. |
| April | SAGA National Sports Festival - 3rd Place |
| April | Sena Saito, Kazuko Kitano, Kyoko Hosokawa, Sora Nishimura, and Niho Nagata will compete in WXV2. |
| April | Winners of the 27th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (8th consecutive victory) |
| April-December | Iori Okusato will compete in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2025. |
| April | Runner-up in the 11th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship |
2025 - 2026
| April | 10th anniversary of PEARLS |
| April | We held our first ever sponsored tournament, the PEARLS 10th ANNIVERSARY CUP 2025, and won. |
| April-December | Women's Asia Rugby Emirates Championship 2025 Mio Yamanaka, Kyoko Hosokawa, Sora Nishimura, Saya Nakamura, and Natsuki Ouchida will be competing. |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2025, Round 1, Kumagaya Tournament - Winner |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2025, Round 3, Hanazono Tournament: Champions |
| April | Taiyo Life Women's Sevens Series 2025 Grand Final Sapporo Tournament - Overall Runner-up |
| April-December | Sena Saito, Kazuko Kitano, Kyoko Hosokawa will be playing in the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 in England. Aoi Nishimura and Niho Nagata will participate. |
| April | Tomoyo Suda and Natsuki Ouchida competed in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2025 China tournament and won the championship. |
| April | Wata SHIGA Shining Country Sports Para Sports 2025: 3rd Place Overall |
| April | PEARLS Junior wins first championship at the 8th All-Japan U18 Women's Sevens Rugby Football Tournament. |
| April | Tomoyo Suda and Natsuki Ouchida will compete in the World Rugby Sevens Series 2026, having placed 3rd in the Dubai tournament (the highest ranking achieved in the World Sevens Series). |
| April | The 28th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (home game in Yokkaichi) recorded a record-breaking attendance of 1,800 people. |
| April | Winners of the 28th Kansai Women's Rugby Tournament (9th consecutive victory) |
| April | 12th All Japan Women's Rugby Football Championship - Top 4 |
ACTIVITIES PEARLS' initiative
PEARLS aims to be a club that transcends the boundaries of rugby and walks hand in hand with the local community.
Through diverse initiatives such as promoting SDGs, holding seminars, and engaging in exchange activities in our hometown, we aim to create a positive cycle in society.
We will pass on our aspirations to the next generation who will shape the future.