Japan Retains Eddie Jones as Head Coach

Japan has completed its end of season evaluation, and the Japan Rugby Football Union has confirmed that Eddie Jones will remain in charge of the national team. The Brave Blossoms finished their 2025 international campaign with five wins from eleven Tests, a slight improvement on the previous year that lifted them one position in the World Rugby rankings.

JRFU chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi delivered the announcement on Thursday after the executive board reviewed the findings. He said that although opinions differed, there was strong appreciation for how much the team had progressed from 2024 to 2025. He added that the union agreed to continue supporting the current coaching and management structure as preparations for the next World Cup intensify.

The 2025 season was Jones’s second year back with Japan following his brief and turbulent spell with Australia. He has continued to select emerging players and build long term depth, although Japan is still chasing success in the Pacific Nations Cup after consecutive final defeats to Mick Byrne’s Fiji.

Earlier in the year, Japan drew a two match series against Wales in July. In October they came close to upsetting the Wallabies, finishing only four points behind. Heavy defeats to South Africa and Ireland followed before a tight series decider in Cardiff that Wales edged by two points. Japan ended their year on a positive note with a convincing victory over Georgia in Tbilisi.

The introduction of the Nations Championship in 2026 will bring even tougher opposition and serve as another important step toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Japan is set to face France, the United States and Samoa in Pool E as the team continues its development under Jones.