Waseda University Rugby Club ushers in a new era with its first women’s team; Head Coach Former member of the Japan Rugby Sevens team

More than a century after its founding, Waseda University Rugby Club now has its first women’s team.

Team captain Kae Chigita has set the bar high. “I want to expand the foundation of women’s rugby and play while upholding the name of this historic club,” third-year student Chigita said at a press conference in Tokyo on April 18.

Waseda Rugby Club was founded in 1918 and has won the Japan University Rugby Championship 16 times. Last year, some female students expressed an interest in playing rugby for the prestigious club, just like their male peers.

According to the university, approximately 2,527 members participated in the university’s sports clubs in the past academic year. There were 877 women, or about 35%. The university decided to establish a women’s rugby team to increase opportunities for female players to participate in the sport and to inject new energy into the rugby club.

The women’s team, consisting of 11 members including a manager and a trainer, started their activities on April 1. The team members range from first-year to third-year students. Some have been playing rugby avidly since they were young, while others are total newcomers.

“It was physically exhausting at first, but now I’m starting to enjoy rugby more and more,” said Miku Okimura, a sophomore who was previously a member of the cheerleading squad.

The team is preparing for its first official rugby sevens match in May, where they will wear the same traditional red and black jerseys as the men’s team. 31-year-old head coach Chisato Yokoo, who was part of Japan’s Sevens team, has high expectations for them.

“I want the players to excel in rugby and in their studies, and I aim for them to become the best team in Japan,” Yokoo said.