Japan Rugby Head Coach Eddie Jones Suspended and Fined
Tokyo – The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) has suspended and fined Eddie Jones, head coach of the Japan national rugby union team, following an incident involving verbal abuse of match officials during a tour of Australia in April 2025.
"I accept the disciplinary action of the JRFU... I deeply regret my behaviour and words." — Eddie Jones
Disciplinary Action
The JRFU determined that Jones violated the union's ethics and disciplinary regulations. While reports differ on the exact length of the penalty, the sanctions include:
- A suspension of four games (or six weeks, per another source)
- A salary reduction
- A fine of over $10,000
Incident Details
The verbal abuse was directed at local match officials during a Japan Under-23 tour of Australia. The matches took place in Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Kempsey, and Sydney.
Rugby Australia subsequently sent a formal letter of complaint to the JRFU, citing Jones's conduct towards referees.
Matches Missed
Due to the suspension, Jones will miss the following fixtures:
- Two games between a Japan select team and Hong Kong (May 22 & 29)
- A Japan XV fixture against the Māori All Blacks (June 27)
- Japan's Nations Championship opener against Italy (July 4)
His return to coaching is scheduled for July 11 against Ireland in Newcastle, followed by a two-Test series against the Wallabies in August.
Statement from Eddie Jones
Jones accepted the disciplinary action and issued a statement:
"I accept the disciplinary action of the JRFU relating to the U23 Japan national team tour of Australia. Some inappropriate remarks that I made caused discomfort to local match officials and other related parties. I would like to offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved.
I deeply regret my behaviour and words and will make every effort to ensure that this doesn't happen again."
Background
Jones previously resigned as Wallabies coach after Australia's 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign, where they were eliminated in the pool stage. He was reappointed as Japan coach in late 2023. The JRFU reviewed Jones's position at the end of the 2025 season and decided to continue supporting him.