THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 1, 2019 at 12:15 JST
Jamie Joseph, head coach of the Japanese national rugby team, after their win against Russia at Tokyo Stadium on Sept. 20 (Shiro Nishihata)
Jamie Joseph, head coach of the Japanese rugby team that pulled off a spectacular upset of Ireland at the World Cup, has basically agreed to accept a two-year contract extension, several sources said.
His current contract with the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) expires at the end of December. An official decision on the contract extension will be made at the JRFU’s board meeting on Oct. 16.
According to sources, union officials offered Joseph, 49, the contract extension before the Rugby World Cup 2019 kicked off in Japan.
Some officials had suggested holding off on the contract offer to first analyze Japan’s performances at the World Cup.
However, Katsuyuki Kiyomiya, vice president of the union, and others voiced concerns that delaying the contract extension could end up hurting the development of the team.
“If we look for the next head coach after seeing the outcome of the World Cup, we could have two blank years before picking someone,” Kiyomiya said.
Joseph and the team have already erased any worries about a poor performance.
The Brave Blossoms defeated Russia 30-10 in their opening match on Sept. 20, and then stunned the rugby world by defeating powerhouse Ireland 19-12 on Sept. 28.
“If the team lost all four games, there would be opposition (to extending Joseph’s contract), but it has already won two games,” a JRFU official said.
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