Eddie Jones on the ‘fantastic opportunity’ Rugby World Cup 2027 presents

TOWNSVILLE: Japan coach Eddie Jones has looked ahead to the “fantastic opportunity” Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 will have to inspire the next generation, with the expanded 24-team tournament taking games to eight venues across seven cities.

The Brave Blossoms have already played two Tests on Australian soil in 2026, having faced Ireland in Newcastle on July 11. McDonald Jones Stadium will host four matches during next year’s World Cup pool stage, including a Pool E clash between Japan and Samoa.

Townsville is another city that’s experiencing a bit of a rugby boom, with the World Cup heading to North Queensland in 14 months. It’s part of an unprecedented slate of Tests for the region, with the Wallabies set to take three Tests there between 2027 and 2030.

Georgia will face the Wallabies at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in 2029, but will first get the chance to play at the venue next October. Georgia take on World Cup regulars Romania in the first of four World Cup pool matches in The Ville.

World Cup debutants Hong Kong China and Chile meet in a decisive Pool A matchup on October 9, before Tonga face Zimbabwe the following Friday. Townsville’s final World Cup match sees Spain play Canada on October 16.

“The World Cup’s that opportunity for rugby to be on the front page,” Jones told reporters.

“It gives it that opportunity on the front page and when kids see that, it encourages them to want to play rugby. It’s a fantastic opportunity.

“Games in Newcastle and Townsville help spread the gospel.”

Japan have made it beyond the group stage at one Men’s Rugby World Cup, qualifying for the quarters at their home event in 2019. The Brave Blossoms defeated Ireland and Scotland, but were beaten by eventual champions the Springboks in the knockouts.

With the World Cup expanding, the all-new round of 16 will see more teams than ever before go beyond pool play. Japan have been drawn in Pool E along with reigning Six Nations champions France, the USA and Samoa.

The Brave Blossoms will play in Newcastle, Brisbane and Adelaide, as they chase a spot in the next round. Whoever finishes top in that pool will take on either Ireland, Scotland, Uruguay or Portugal for a spot in the quarter-finals.

But Japan’s immediate focus will be the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup, which follows two tough defeats to the Wallabies. Japan lost a thriller 35-32 in Osaka, before the Wallabies piled on 42 unanswered points in a 56-17 demolition in Townsville.

“It became more significant when they got the weight of possession. We’re now defending for long periods of time. That’s where the collision dominance came through for the Wallabies,” Jones told reporters,” Jones said.

“We’re not a team that can win a game of rugby with 43 per cent of possession. We need 50-plus possession to win and then we become a really dangerous team. We weren’t able to do that today.

“The weight of possession went against us and then we were defending for long periods.

“[Taniela] Tupou, he must have thought there was a free pizza every time he scored a try today. I’ll have to go see him after the game. I might take him a pizza in.”