Japan Women and Wales Women are playing their second WXV Global Series Test at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The confirmed kickoff was 4:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+09:00), equivalent to 07:00 UTC and 7:00 a.m. in Wales on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00). The Japan Rugby Football Union's official match record shows Wales leading 19–5 at halftime. During the latest verification, that record was still marked as a match in progress; the halftime score is not the final result.
This is an update to the same October 31 fixture, not a report of a new game. The federations' confirmed team selections, the first-half scoring sequence and the available viewing information are set out below. For any second-half changes or a confirmed final score, consult the Japan Rugby Football Union's official match record or the World Rugby match center rather than treating an earlier live snapshot as current.
| Detail | Official information |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2026 WXV Global Series, women's rugby union; also marketed in Japan as the Taiyo Life Japan Rugby Challenge Match 2026 |
| Match date | Saturday, October 31, 2026 |
| Venue | Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya Sports Culture Park, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan |
| Kickoff in Japan | 4:00 p.m. JST (UTC+09:00), October 31 |
| Kickoff in UTC | 07:00 UTC, October 31 |
| Kickoff in Wales | 7:00 a.m. GMT (UTC+00:00), October 31 |
| Verified halftime score | Japan 5–19 Wales |
| Status at verification | In progress on the Japanese federation's live page; no final score confirmed in this update |
Japan does not observe daylight saving time. Wales had returned to GMT before October 31, so the three kickoff times represent the same moment. The Japanese federation's matchday guide confirms the local kickoff, and World Rugby's fixture page identifies the Kumagaya venue. A broadcast start time of 3:45 p.m. JST should not be mistaken for kickoff.
According to the Japanese federation's official event-by-event match log, Nel Metcalfe scored a try for Wales in the seventh minute and Lleucu George converted it a minute later. Japan responded with a try from Moe Nagaoka in the 15th minute, reducing Wales' advantage to 7–5. The match log records an unsuccessful conversion attempt by Komachi Imakugi, so Japan remained two points behind.
Kelsey Jones crossed for Wales in the 25th minute, with George adding the conversion to make it 14–5. Amy Williams then scored in the 39th minute; the ensuing conversion attempt was unsuccessful. Those events produced the verified 19–5 halftime score. This timeline comes from the October 31 official match log, not from the October 24 meeting between the teams.
The federation's page also displayed second-half events while the match was underway. Because scores can change rapidly during live play, this article does not label an interim lead as a victory or assert an unverified final margin. The match record is the appropriate source for the latest score, substitutions and postgame confirmation.
The Japan Rugby Football Union named the matchday 23 on October 29, with scrum-half Moe Tsukui as captain. The starting XV was confirmed by the federation and appears on its match record. The list below represents the announced starters, not an assertion that every player remained on the field throughout the match.
Japan's named replacements: Asuka Kuge, Manami Mine, Juka Fuji, Mio Nishimura, Sakurako Korai, Anan Seo, Chihiro Ito and Sora Nishimura. These selections are documented in the Japan Rugby Football Union's October 29 announcement. Matchday substitutions are recorded separately in the federation's live timeline and should not be confused with pregame selection changes.
Wales head coach Sean Lynn made five changes to the starting lineup, including one positional switch, from the first Test. Forwards Alex Callender and Kate Williams were named co-captains, while Seren Lockwood and Lleucu George formed the starting halfback pairing. Courtney Keight was selected at center alongside Carys Cox.
The Welsh Rugby Union said Freya Bell was ruled out with a knee injury and Keight came into the starting lineup. That official announcement establishes Bell's absence but does not provide a confirmed recovery date or justify a more specific diagnosis. The Wales side published for the Kumagaya Test was:
Wales' named replacements: Molly Reardon, Maisie Davies, Elan Jones, Jorja Aiono, Georgia Evans, Bryonie King, Keira Bevan and Jenna De Vera. The Welsh Rugby Union's official team announcement is the source for the selection changes, captains and Bell's availability. Names in the original lineup are retained for historical accuracy even when the official match timeline later records substitutions.
The teams also met on October 24, 2026, at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo, where Wales defeated Japan 17–0. Wales led 7–0 at halftime in that earlier game. Seren Lockwood scored twice for Wales, while Kelsey Jones added a try and Freya Bell a conversion. That was a completed first Test at a different stadium, and 17–0 must not be presented as the October 31 result.
The Kumagaya game is the second Test of the WXV Global Series matchup. For Japan, the rematch offered an immediate opportunity to register points after the shutout in Tokyo; the federation's October 31 live log confirms that Nagaoka did score in the first half. For Wales, it was an opportunity to build on the preceding win and give the adjusted team combination a further Test. These are separate international matches, not two halves of a single aggregate-score tie.
In Japan, the federation lists J SPORTS 1 for live television and J SPORTS On Demand for live streaming. Its published coverage start was 3:45 p.m. JST (UTC+09:00) on October 31, 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff. Streaming subscriptions and geographic rights may apply; the Japanese listing does not independently establish broadcast availability in Wales, the United States or other territories.
For score verification, use Japan's match timeline for event-by-event scoring and substitutions, alongside World Rugby's official WXV fixture for match details. A number shown during live play is provisional until the source marks the contest completed. Viewers checking results later should use the finished match record rather than a cached preview or the previous week's score.
The stadium is in Kumagaya Sports Culture Park in Saitama Prefecture. The Japanese federation scheduled outdoor booths from 2:00 p.m. JST and stadium gates to open at 3:00 p.m. JST on October 31. Its matchday guide also covers access and ticketing. These times are organizer schedules, distinct from the match kickoff and from the 3:45 p.m. broadcast opening.
World Rugby identifies Julianne Zussman as referee, with Sunny Lee and Hibiki Ikeda as assistant referees, Matt Rodden as television match official and Koki Yamauchi as foul-play review officer. Their appointments appear on World Rugby's match page.
The confirmed new development is Wales' 19–5 halftime lead on October 31. Japan's Moe Nagaoka scored in the opening half after early Wales points from Nel Metcalfe; Kelsey Jones and Amy Williams also scored first-half tries for Wales. Both unions had already published their starting sides, including the change that followed Freya Bell's knee injury. At the time of this update, the Japanese federation's page indicated the contest was still in progress. A final result, if not explicitly confirmed by the official live record, must not be inferred from the halftime margin. Check the live match page for the score after full time.
Japan Women host Wales Women at Kumagaya on October 31, 2026. Check confirmed WXV kickoff times, team sheets, match officials and viewing information.
Japan Women vs Wales Women on Oct. 31, 2026: Wales led 19–5 at halftime in Kumagaya. See the official scoring timeline, confirmed teams and coverage.
South Africa Women face Ireland Women in Cape Town on Oct. 31, 2026, at 3 p.m. SAST (13:00 UTC). Check team selections, viewing options and match context.
Black Ferns beat France 36–7 in the October 31 WXV Test, according to postgame reports. See Christchurch kickoff times, scoring recap and confirmed team changes.
Black Ferns vs France Women on October 31, 2026: verified 7:10 p.m. NZDT kickoff in Christchurch, team sheets, match officials and WXV context.
England beat the USA 55–12 in the WXV Global Series on October 30, 2026, in Harrison, New Jersey. See the confirmed result, scorers, kickoff and lineups.
USA Women host England Women in WXV on Oct. 30, 2026, at 5:15 p.m. EDT (21:15 UTC). See confirmed squads, referee details, venue and match context.
South Africa and Ireland meet at Athlone Sports Stadium on October 31. See the confirmed teams, series stakes, kickoff in Cape Town and UTC, and first-Test context.
See the confirmed South Africa and Ireland lineups, Cape Town kickoff time, and what is at stake after Ireland’s 40–27 first-Test win.
Japan Women host Wales Women in Kumagaya on October 31, 2026, at 4 p.m. JST (7 a.m. UTC). See confirmed lineups, the Tokyo result, and what to watch.
