Australia is ranked second in the world behind the United States, while Japan is 15^th.

The game at the Minerdome on Friday, July 31, will be the finale to a two-day training camp for the national women’s team in Ballarat.

Basketball Australia women’s national teams manager Tamara Sheppard confirmed the visit on Thursday.

The Opals last visited Ballarat in July, 2013, for a training camp.

Basketball Ballarat chief executive officer Peter Eddy said this was fantastic news for the city.

“We have been working closely on this project since April when Basketball Australia officials were in the city for the national championships.

“It’s a huge coup for Ballarat to get this game,” he said.

The Ballarat camp and encounter with Japan is a final lead-up for the Opals to the Oceania Championships, in which Australia and New Zealand will do battle for the right to represent the region in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

The opening leg of championships is a double-header at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on August 15, when the Boomers will also face NZ.

The Ballarat visit continues a demanding schedule for the 12-strong Opals squad.

The has not long returned from a tour of  Europe, playing Serbia, Italy and world championship silver medalist Spain, as well as Venezuela.

Head coach Brendan Joyce said the Opals were “pretty balanced”.

“We’re trying to build on our style of play which was successful at the world championships and build on the Opals’ culture that we’ve established in the past two years. We want to continue to improve not only as a team, but also as individuals so that we can challenge for a gold medal at the Olympic Games,” Joyce said.

Opals squad:  Suzy Batkovic, Sara Blicavs, Natalie Burton, Katie Rae Ebzery, Madeleine Garrick, Laura Hodges, Alice Kunek, Tessa Lavey, Elyse Penaluna, Belinda Snell, Stephanie Talbot, Kelly Wilson.