Moe Tsukui

Tsukui Moe (born 28 March 2000) is a Japanese rugby union player. She plays for Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars and for the Japanese national team.[1][2] She competed for Japan at the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup's.

Moe Tsukui
Date of birth (2000-03-28) March 28, 2000
Place of birthTakasaki, Gunma, Japan
Height1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)
Weight54 kg (119 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–Present  Japan 22 (0)

Biography

Tsukui was born in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. She started playing rugby union at the age of 5 under the influence of her older brother, who was a year older than her, and she began attending Takasaki Rugby School. When she was in junior high school, she joined the track and field club.

Tsukui went to Tokyo University of Agriculture Second High School where she played with the boys. In the spring of 2016, she spent three months studying abroad in New Zealand, improving her passing accuracy and her judgment as a scrum half.[3][4]

Rugby career

In September 2016, the head coach of the Japanese national team, Takeshi Arimizu, saw Tsukui's play and selected her. She started the World Cup 2017 Asia-Oceania qualifier against Fiji in December of the same year, making her the youngest debut for Japan at the age of 16 years and 8 months.

Tsukui competed at the 2017 Asia Rugby Women's Championship. She was then selected in Japan's squad for the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland.[5] She started in all five games at the World Cup as the ninth scrum-half. She became the youngest player in World Cup history, male or female.

In 2022, Tsukui was selected in Japan's squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[6][7]

References
  1. JRFU. "女子日本代表 太陽生命JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2022 8月20日アイルランド代表戦試合登録メンバーのお知らせ｜日本ラグビーフットボール協会｜RUGBY：FOR ALL「ノーサイドの精神」を、日本へ、世界へ。". www.rugby-japan.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  2. "津久井 萌 | ラグビー女子日本代表注目選手 | J SPORTS【公式】". www.jsports.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  3. "まさかの「世界ベスト15人」入り。女子高生ラガー、津久井萌とは何者か｜ラグビー｜集英社 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva". 集英社のスポーツ総合雑誌 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  4. Ealey, Mark. "Moe Tsukui wins the individual player award for rugby in the Japan's 67th Sports Awards". Burnside High School. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  5. "Japan misses out on Women's Rugby World Cup semi spot". The Japan Times. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  6. "Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup Squad Announced". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  7. Mockford, Sarah (2022-10-09). "Japan Women's Rugby World Cup Squad 2022 – Japan 5-41 Canada". Rugby World. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
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