Rinka Matsuda (born 5 December 2001) is a Japanese rugby union and sevens player. She competed for Japan at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup and for the Japanese women's sevens team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
| Date of birth | 5 December 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Tokyo, Japan[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby career
editSevens
editIn 2019, Matsuda was just a 17 year old third-year high school student when she made her international sevens debut.[2][3] It was at the Japan leg of the 2018–19 Women's Sevens Series in Kitakyushu, she started in all three of Japan's matches.[2][3]
She was initially expected to make her Olympic debut in her home city for the 2020 Olympics, but was replaced a week before the Games due to injury.[4][5][6]
In 2023, She was a member of the side that won a silver medal at the delayed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.[5] She competed for Japan at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[7][8]
XVs
editIn 2022, She scored a try in Japan's historic 29–10 win over Ireland ahead of the World Cup.[9][10] She competed for Japan at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[11][12]
Personal life
editHer father is former Japanese international, Tsutomu Matsuda, who represented Japan in fifteens and sevens.[2][5]
References
edit- ^ "MATSUDA Rinka". Olympic Games (Official Site). Retrieved 2024-11-09.
- ^ a b c Shimizu, Ayano (2019-04-20). "Rugby: Japanese teenager shines in Sevens series debut". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b "Sakura Sevens lose three times in Kitakyushu event". The Japan Times. 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Rugby Sevens National Teams Selected for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ a b c "MATSUDA Rinka – Paris 2024". olympics.com. 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Olympics: Japan's Sevens teams hoping to build on momentum from Rio, RWC 2019". Kyodo News+. 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Japan's Olympic Sevens Teams Revealed Alongside New National Sevens Jersey". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ^ "Japan - Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Paris 2024". www.world.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
- ^ "Rugby: Japan's Sakura 15 earn historic win over Ireland". Kyodo News+. 2022-08-27. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen earn historic win over Ireland". The Japan Times. 2022-08-28. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup Squad Announced". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ Cantillon, Michael (2022-10-07). "Women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand - Teams Guide for Pools A, B, and C as Red Roses seek glory". www.skysports.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.