Japan expertly managed the gold medal game against Australia for a 9-5 victory at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Women’s Lacrosse Championship on Saturday evening at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland.
The win continued Japan’s uninterrupted reign at the Asia-Pacific Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which Japan has claimed six times in six editions, dating back to 2009. The first three editions were won by junior age group teams.
Australia claimed its fifth silver medal in the championship. Both teams, along with the Philippines and Chinese Taipei, will represent the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union at the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Japan. Australia and Japan will enter the 16-team field ranked fourth and fifth in the world.
The Philippines claimed the bronze medal earlier in the day with an 18-6 win.
After rain throughout the day, conditions were set for a lower-scoring defensive affair between the two standout teams of the week in Queensland. The opening frame was tight and nervy, as Japan hung on to a 1-0 lead.
But Japan tightened the screws throughout the second quarter to lead 4-1, thanks to a momentous finish from Suzuno Hosoda with 1:20 to play in the half.
Japan kept Australia at arm’s length throughout the third period and extended the lead to 7-2 early in the fourth quarter, when the Aussies finally roared back.
Australia produced a late run to make it 7-4 and ultimately 8-5 with 4:30 to play, but Japan professionally closed out the final moments to claim the trophy once more.
In a remarkably balanced effort for Japan, eight players scored the team’s nine goals, with only Megan Kitagawa tallying twice.
Goalkeeper Hina Uchida was named the player of the match for keeping the Australian attack at bay throughout the evening.
“It was a great game and our group’s first time winning against Australia, which really meant a lot to us,” Uchida remarked after the match. “This is the moment we have been working so hard with all of our meetings and practices. We’re glad we won and this is the moment we wanted.”
New Zealand finished in fifth place, while Hong Kong, China was in sixth. China took seventh and Korea placed eighth.
Eleven spots of the 16-team field for the 2026 Women’s Championship have now been filled with four Asia-Pacific teams joining the seven teams that qualified from Europe in July of 2024: Czechia, England, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Scotland and Wales.
Four more spots will be determined at the 2025 Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship in June in Florida, and one spot will be determined in a qualifier held by the Africa Association of Lacrosse.
Additionally, Japan’s win secured its spot in the eight-team women’s sixes competition at The World Games 2025 in August in Chengdu, China. Japan joins Australia, Canada, Great Britain, the United States and the host, with the final two spots to be determined in European sixes competition in March in Portugal.
