He might not dare ask about their role in Eddie Jones’ resignation, but Phil Waugh insists Rugby Australia has a “good relationship” with the Japan Rugby Football Union and says the two nations will meet over the next 24 months in what shapes as a mouthwatering match with plenty of spice.
Six weeks after resigning from Rugby Australia, reports out of Japan over the week revealed Jones had edged out Frans Ludeke and would return to the Brave Blossoms head coaching role. An announcement is expected on Wednesday following a JFRU board meeting.
Jones’ return comes after he denied on more than a dozen occasions that he interviewed for the role with the JFRU on the eve of the 2023 tournament.
Phil Waugh says Rugby Australia wants to move on from Eddie Jones’ year in charge of the Wallabies. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
All along, Waugh refused to ask the JFRU is they had spoken to Jones, who oversaw the Wallabies’ World Cup disaster less than 12 months after returning to the role following Dave Rennie’s brutal sacking, about the coach taking over from Jamie Joseph.
Waugh said he took Jones’ word that there was nothing to the story.
Asked what his reaction was to Jones’ return to the JFRU, Waugh acknowledged the move was yet to be confirmed but said RA was moving forward.
“Eddie finished with Rugby Australia on the 25th November,” said Waugh, who was appointed RA chief executive midway through the year.
“We’re moving forward with hopefully announcing the new head coach of the Wallaroos this week, full-time, new director of high-performance and then in the market for a new head coach of the Wallabies.
“I made my comments at the World Cup. I still stand by those comments and we’re moving forward. There’s not a lot to do comment on that.”
Probed on whether he thought Jones was telling the truth and whether he viewed the Australian’s actions as an act of betrayal, Waugh said he wanted the Wallabies and the game at large to be one built on integrity.
“As I said back at the time, I took Eddie on his word,” Waugh said.
“We want to be a game of integrity and a team of integrity, and we took Eddie on his word.”
Eddie Jones is expected to be unveiled as Japan coach later this week. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Should Jones indeed be unveiled over the coming days, it would come months after RA and the JFRU signed a “landmark” Memorandum of Understanding until the end of 2029.
The MOU would commit to “building a stronger relationship between the two Unions, developing national teams, competitions, players, staff, and the sport of Rugby itself in each nation.”
Despite Jones’ expected defection to Japan, Waugh said he wouldn’t address the coach’s move with his ally and added that RA looked forward to the Wallabies meeting the Brave Blossoms in the coming years.
“No, we’ve got a good relationship with all national unions,” Waugh said.
“We’ll play a lot of Test matches against Japan and we look forward to continuing that strong partnership.
“I’m not going to buy into speculation of what may have occurred. We’re looking forward and looking forward to putting all those new appointments in place and building a really strong culture for the Wallabies going forward.”
Waugh indicated Australia A would play Japan next year, with a Test between the two nations to follow in 2025.
“Maybe Australia A,” he said.
“I’m not sure in the Test scheduling whether there’ll be the opportunity to play Japan in a Test match. But, certainly, looking forward to 2025 there’ll be a lot of internationals between the Wallabies and Japan and we look forward to those contests as we do every Test match.”
Waugh was speaking alongside his New Zealand Rugby counterpart Mark Robinson and Super Rugby Pacific interim Chair Kevin Molloy following meetings in Auckland on Monday aimed at addressing the flagging interest in the domestic competition.
With the competition a shell of its former self following years of tinkering and a player drain to cashed-up competitions in the northern hemisphere, a Super Rugby Commission has recently been launched to look at ways to help give the game a “level of focus it hasn’t before”.
“This gives it a different agenda. We’re now looking at Super Rugby in a fans lens and where we’re going to take the game and what it might look like in 2030 and 2035 so we can reignite the passion,” Molloy said.
In From The Side
Roar Rookie
All fair points but the issue to me is if Super rugby goes, what replaces it? Would any other competition be any different? I agree on the need to look at the games and I’d certainly make some changes. TMO try/no try and deliberate foul play only. Accidental contact not picked up by referee or AR to be for citing commission only. Retain the bunker but have a better level of referee in it. Ball at back of scrum - use immediately or lose it to a free kick. No scrum option for free kicks. Accept referees make mistakes and move on
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yep sure.... Everything is just a matter of time tho JN. How much time tho eh? My life time? My childrens lifetime or my great grand childrens life time?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
It’s clear you see it as a development comp only and not a proper comp in its own right. haha thats thru your eyes. Not mine. I see SR as a great comp that also provides NZR with some very talented test players. Like most comps really. England comp does that, French, Irish, Japanese, Italian, etc etc etc. Thats what lower tier comps do Scrum.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
You seem to think that its "make millions" or its a fail. Making 2 mil is better than not making 2 mil. Thats the talk around the games v Japan sides.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yes it definately depends on what conversations you listen too. I heard a radio conversation today praising the Qld premier jsut as she has resigned. She never deserved any praise but there you are. You hear all sorts of opinions on radio.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
SR is also very successful in its own right. No NH comps make money Scrum. They are all about rich benefactors. A recipe for disaster as we have seen.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Sign them at 18. 23 is a great age to start your test career. Or just have a selection criteria that gets around the 5 year residency rule with parents grandparents etc.
scrum
Roar Rookie
The problem is its declining popularity more in Aussie for obvious reasons but also in NZ. Even NZR has recognised this. It’s nowhere near what it was in the early days and there is becoming a serious disconnect with many, especially the casual sports viewers who switch allegiances. Rugby is professional, it needs to attract broadcast rights , sponsorship and match attendance. It’s on a downhill slide. Even some of the rusted - on are not that enamoured anymore. It needs to increase its public appeal. I spend time in NZ and there is resentment over the amount of games the ABs are rested and rotated. I understand why this happens but at times it seems excessive. I am not suggesting that is the only problem, the biggest issue is Aussies inability to compete, hopefully RA can address that. The other big issue to me is scrum management. The intense scrutiny on scrum infringements has lead to teams scrumming for PKs and that IMO is a real blight on the game as a spectacle. I did notice a more relaxed approach in the World Cup. I hope that trend continues and increases. The comp needs to be more orientated toward involving more of the general public, both NZR and RA need SR to be making profits not a loss making exercise.
In From The Side
Roar Rookie
Why should Super rugby not be primarily a development comp for the ABs? TBH I’m not sure that even if it was a stand alone showcase - which I think it is, it’s still the level where players demonstrate they are good enough, or not, to step up to the ABs. It’s not like there’s another comp that will do that so of course that becomes part of the competition. I don’t see what the problem is
Uncle Fester
Roar Rookie
Good Lord! Common sense on The Roar Rugby, who would have thought it??
scrum
Roar Rookie
And I should have added that unless you have grandparents/ parents from a country there is a 5 year residential requirement to represent another country.
scrum
Roar Rookie
Yes but they , well not England at the moment, have competitions which are very successful in their own right. SR is teetering on the edge of becoming irrelevant to a lot of people especially the casual sporting eyeballs which Rugby needs to attract.
scrum
Roar Rookie
I think not- actually by coincidence just heard a conversation on NZ radio today decrying the decline of SR.
scrum
Roar Rookie
Well SR is going backwards - the status quo is clearly not working. I doubt there will be a flood of Kiwis coming to Aussie. They do that in ordinary life but I think not in Rugby. It will be interesting to see the direction the Commission takes but I suspect it will have very strict guidelines. I doubt things like jazzing up match day will achieve much. It’s clear you see it as a development comp only and not a proper comp in its own right.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Astronomically we may well be Northern Hemisphere . :stoked: You guys may be too Jacko....But glad you corrected yourself or I might have to do it for you :laughing: But more seriously as Ive said to you previously I would love to see the Cheetahs in Superugby but it aint gonna happen ..Travel costs etc just a bridge too far ... But eventually we will all go global..All of us ..Its happening already ..Would hate to see the end of the Rugby Championship but its on the cards ..Beaumont cant be that long left in the job ..Watch this space ..6 Nations will also disappear ..Just a matter of time.
Vlad
Roar Rookie
I think Wallabies cannot play SR at all. The only money spinner is internationals and they have to get out there and make that money. Look at its summer brother, cricket. Sheffield Shield is famous for its lack of audience and top players do not play in the local comp. Money comes from a test series and a One Day round robin series against two nations. Rugby could have a test against a European nation and then play a Pacific Island, an American and Asian. Build the game and attract migrants like Indians or Chinese. The largest football crowd in Australia was Australia vs Greece. Reach out people.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
They are a NH country now apparently so they can go jump.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Sorry thats ignorant. If you look at history SR is constantly reviewed and changed. How many times have we had different formats? This SRP is only 2 years old.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Nope... Its you.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Yes in the southern hemisphere we play rugby in Autum/Winter. Isnt that what your nation does? Your comps drain their players with too much rugby and never win WCs.