Japan opt to stick with Eddie Jones for 2027 Rugby World Cup

An end-of-season review has concluded in Japan, and the Japan Rugby Football Union has ultimately decided to stay the course with Eddie Jones at the helm.

The Brave Blossoms emerged from the 2025 international season with five wins from 11 Tests, a scratch better than their 2024 efforts, seeing them climb one spot in the World Rugby rankings.

Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi announced the decision on Jones’ future on Thursday, saying the executive board had met to discuss the review’s findings.

“There were various discussions, but there was a lot of praise for the way the team had grown and matured from 2024 into 2025,” he revealed.

“We confirmed that we will continue to support the current structure.

“We will support them so that they can move towards the World Cup in a good way.”

The 2025 season was Jones’ second in charge of the Brave Blossoms following a tumultuous and short-lived stint with the Wallabies.

The coach has embraced youth in his selections, but has yet to topple the Pacific Nations Cup mountain, with two consecutive final losses at the hands of Mick Byrne’s Fiji.

Before the tournament, Japan managed a drawn two-Test series against Wales in July. October’s date with the Wallabies was close to an upset, with just four points separating the two at the final whistle. Heavy losses against South Africa and Ireland followed, before a series decider with Wales in Cardiff went the hosts’ way by a margin of just two points. Japan then signed off on 2025 with a high, besting Georgia at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.

Japan’s inclusion in 2026’s inaugural Nations Championship will offer the team yet more fierce opposition, leading into the 2027 Rugby World Cup, where they will play France along with Pacific Nations Cup rivals the USA and Samoa in Pool E.