Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones has enjoyed a long and successful international career as a rugby union coach, having coached the England national rugby union team, the Australian national team and the Japanese national team.

A successful player in his own right, he began playing rugby at Matraville High School alongside future greats David Knox and the Ella brothers. A small and mobile hooker, he represented Randwick, New South Wales, and the Australian Barbarians before hanging up his boots and concentrating on his career as a teacher and school Principal.

Eddie Jones began his coaching career at his much loved Randwick Rugby Club in Sydney before being recognised as a coaching talent by the Japanese Rugby Union in 1996 and taking control of their national team. Eddie went on to become head coach at the Suntory Organisation in the Japanese Company Championship.

With success in Japan behind him, Eddie accepted an offer to join the ACT Brumbies for the 1998 season. Eddie coached the Brumbies for four years, winning the Super 12 in 2001. He coached the Australian Barbarians in 1999 and coached Australia ‘A’ to a historic victory over the British Lions in 2001. He was appointed National Coach of the Qantas Wallabies in 2001, a role he held until 2005.

Under Jones, Australia won the 2001 Tri Nations. Australia entered their home World Cup in 2003 as third favourites behind New Zealand and England. They managed to upset the All Blacks in the semi final before losing to England in the final in extra time through a last minute drop goal. After the World Cup, Jones was awarded a contract to lead Australia through to the 2007 Rugby World Cup, however his contract was terminated in 2005 at which point he was appointed head coach of Queensland Reds.

In 2007 Eddie Jones was appointed the technical advisor of the South African rugby union team, which went on to win the World Cup. Having rejoined Suntory Songaliath Japan, Jones led Japan to their sixth and seventh consecutive championship win in the Asian Five Nations in 2013 and 2014. After the completing his duties at the helm of the Japan national rugby union team at the Rugby World Cup 2015, Eddie Jones joined The Stormers in Cape Town. Eight days later he was signed as the first foreign head coach of England Rugby, replacing Stuart Lancaster and became one of the highest paid head coaches in world rugby. He was signed for four years to take England to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.