Sakurako Korai

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Sakurako Korai (born 9 April 2003) is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a loose forward for the Japan women's national team. She has represented Japan since 2022, earning 23 caps and scoring 25 points. She is 168 cm tall and weighs 73 kg.

Early life
Korai started playing rugby at age three after following her older sister, beginning at Niigata Nakajo Rugby School. She attended Nakajo Junior High in Tainai, then Kanto Gakuin Mutsuura High School, and later Nippon Sport Science University.

Rugby career
Korai made her international debut on 24 July 2022, coming off the bench against South Africa. She was part of Japan’s squad for the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. In May 2025, she captained Japan in the opening match of the Asia Rugby Women's Championship against Kazakhstan and scored a hat-trick. She led the team in their two-test series against Spain ahead of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England and was named in Japan’s squad for the tournament.