JRFU Announces Brave Blossom’s New Head Coach
The Japan Rugby Football Union is delighted to announce the appointment of Eddie Jones as the new Head Coach of the Japan National Team, the Brave Blossoms. Eddie Jones will officially commence his duties from 1 January 2024.
Commenting on his appointment, Brave Blossoms Head Coach, Eddie Jones said:
“I’m very honoured and privileged to be announced as Japan’s Head Coach. Having left here in 2015 and seeing the development of rugby in Japan, it’s such an exciting opportunity. Coming back and watching the development of League One, the health of Japanese university rugby and the general feel of how important rugby is to Japanese society now.
“When I coached Japan in 2015, we were a team that hadn’t won a game at the World Cup for 24 years and it wasn’t a team that the Japanese public loved. Now we have a team that’s loved, and rugby is a major player in society. To be part of the push for Japan to be in the top eight, or even top four of the world is an exciting opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to the task of creating a Japanese side that has real identity and a point of difference. Any great team in sport, no matter what jersey they wear, you can see the team that they are. I think that’s what we need to develop with Japan and that will be the major focuses going forward. We need to develop talent in Japan to play this sort of rugby. Because we are a small team, we need to play the game faster – faster with our feet and faster with our heads. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it and taking Japan forward.”
Eddie Jones Profile
Born: Australia (Burnie, Tasmania)
Date of birth: 30 January 1960
Playing Position: Hooker
Coaching history:
1994 Randwick (Assistant Coach)
1995-1996 Tokai University (Assistant Coach)
1996 Japan National Team (Assistant Coach)
1997 Suntory (Assistant Coach)
1998-2001 Brumbies (Head Coach)
2001-2005 Australia National Team (Head Coach)
2006 Saracens (Technical Adviser)
2007 Queensland Reds (Head Coach)
2007 South Africa (Technical Advisor)
2007-2009 Saracens (Technical Adviser)
2009-2012 Suntory (Head Coach)
2012-2015 Japan National Team (Head Coach)
2015-2022 England National Team (Head Coach)
2023 Australia National Team (Head Coach)