Rassie Erasmus has thrown his support behind Eddie Jones, the outspoken Japan coach who recently called out Ireland's rugby leadership for allegedly manipulating World Rugby to get a more favorable schedule in the Nations Championship. This contentious issue arose when Japan was scheduled to play what should have been a home game against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia, instead of Tokyo, sparking a fiery debate on international rugby politics.
During an episode of the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones didn't mince words about the situation.
"You know why we’re playing Ireland in Newcastle, right? Ireland have all the power at World Rugby, so we have to play our home game, which should be in Tokyo, in Australia to make sure Ireland don’t have to travel too much."
He continued to describe the power dynamics at play, "Ireland say: ‘We’re not going from New Zealand to Japan and then back to Australia, we’re not doing that’. Japan, you want to be in the Nations Cup? Yes, of course we do, but you’ve got to use one of your home games to play in Australia. It’s simple mate, it’s not complicated."
Jones later toned down his rhetoric, acknowledging the privilege of participating in the inaugural tournament, yet he underscored that such scheduling disparities were part of the international rugby landscape. This candid admission caught the attention of South Africa's Rassie Erasmus, who praised Jones' straightforward approach.
Erasmus, renowned for his own direct style, took to social media to commend the Australian coach, stating,
"We don't always agree, but really admire this honesty and no fear mentality."
This exchange highlights the ongoing dialogue and occasional tensions between national coaches in the high-stakes world of international rugby.
With Japan and Fiji being the only teams in the Nations Championship compelled to relocate their home fixtures, this incident has sparked broader discussions about fairness and influence within World Rugby, propelling the sport into a new era of transparency and debate.
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Rassie Erasmus has thrown his support behind Eddie Jones, the outspoken Japan coach who recently called out Ireland's rugby leadership for allegedly manipulating World Rugby to get a more favorable schedule in the Nations Championship. This contentious issue arose when Japan was scheduled to play what should have been a home game against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia, instead of Tokyo, sparking a fiery debate on international rugby politics.
During an episode of the Rugby Unity podcast, Jones didn't mince words about the situation.
"You know why we’re playing Ireland in Newcastle, right? Ireland have all the power at World Rugby, so we have to play our home game, which should be in Tokyo, in Australia to make sure Ireland don’t have to travel too much."
He continued to describe the power dynamics at play, "Ireland say: ‘We’re not going from New Zealand to Japan and then back to Australia, we’re not doing that’. Japan, you want to be in the Nations Cup? Yes, of course we do, but you’ve got to use one of your home games to play in Australia. It’s simple mate, it’s not complicated."Jones later toned down his rhetoric, acknowledging the privilege of participating in the inaugural tournament, yet he underscored that such scheduling disparities were part of the international rugby landscape. This candid admission caught the attention of South Africa's Rassie Erasmus, who praised Jones' straightforward approach.
Erasmus, renowned for his own direct style, took to social media to commend the Australian coach, stating,
"We don't always agree, but really admire this honesty and no fear mentality."
This exchange highlights the ongoing dialogue and occasional tensions between national coaches in the high-stakes world of international rugby.With Japan and Fiji being the only teams in the Nations Championship compelled to relocate their home fixtures, this incident has sparked broader discussions about fairness and influence within World Rugby, propelling the sport into a new era of transparency and debate.