Eddie Jones: in conversation

Japan Society members only:
Due to expected demand, only one guest per person or two places per corporate member.

This event is fully booked, but please use this booking form if you would like to be added to the waiting list.

 

We are delighted to welcome Eddie Jones for a special event in which he will discuss rugby, and his involvement with both the England and Japan national teams, in conversation with Andrew Fraser.

 

While the 2015 Rugby World Cup was a sobering experience for fans of English rugby, it was widely regarded as the best tournament to date. Japan’s monumental last minute win against South Africa in the first round caught the imagination of fans from around the world, setting the tone for a global tournament that lost no momentum even once England were unceremoniously dumped out of their own event.

 

Eddie Jones was the coach behind Japan’s shock victory over South Africa, their first World Cup win in eighteen matches. Having taken on the Japan role in 2012, he took them from second-tier nation to a team capable of beating the best. It was no surprise when the RFU turned to Jones with a view to transforming the fortunes of an England team that has underperformed since dominating the game in the early 2000s.

 

This informal conversation-style event will allow Japan Society members to hear from Jones about the differences between the sporting cultures in Japan and the UK, in particular with regard to player management, the media, and public expectation. He may well wish to reflect on a Six Nations campaign in which a resurgent England secured a first Grand Slam since 2003. Three tests against Australia in June 2016 will provide the next test for a developing team.

 

This event also looks forward to the 2019 World Cup in Japan. Significantly, Japan’s game against Samoa was watched by a fifth of the Japanese population, making it the biggest national viewing audience in rugby history, allaying fears that the 2019 event would struggle to attract a domestic audience.

 

The conversation will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

 

As a coach, Eddie Jones is known for maximising the talent available to him. After life as a player, Jones began his coaching career in 1994 with Australian club Randwick’s reserve team. Following spells with Tokai University and Suntory Sungoliath, he became forwards coach of the Japan national team. He won the Trinations title with Australia in 2001, and subsequently guided them to the RWC final in 2003, where they were narrowly beaten by Sir Clive Woodward’s England team. He went on to play a key role in reinvigorating South Africa ahead of their 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph.

 

After a brief period with Saracens in 2008, Jones returned to Japan in 2009, joining Suntory Sungoliath, coaching them to win the Top League title in 2012. Following this success, he was appointed head coach of Japan in 2012. Prior to the 2015 world cup, Jones’ Japan team achieved a series draw against Wales in 2013 and, in 2014, won the Pacific Nations Cup. Ten consecutive wins took them to 9th in the world rankings – their highest ever position.

 

He is the first foreign coach for England.

 

The Japan Society is grateful to Clifford Chance, one of its key corporate members, for hosting this event.

 

This event is fully booked. To be added to the waiting list, please call the Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.