Eddie Jones has been announced as England’s first ever overseas head coach after signing a four-year contract to succeed Stuart Lancaster.
The former Australia and Japan coach had travelled to London for talks with the Rugby Football Union and, with the level of compensation for his release from the Cape Town-based Stormers believed to have been negotiated, the 55-year-old’s new contract was completed on Friday morning.
He said: “The opportunity to take the reins in possibly the world’s most high-profile international rugby job doesn’t come along every day however, and I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity.
“I’m now looking forward to working with the RFU and the players to move beyond the disappointment England suffered at the World Cup and hope to build a new team that will reflect the level of talent that exists within the English game. I believe the future is bright for England.”
It is understood Jones will have free rein when it comes to choosing his coaching team, with a number of Englishmen in the frame. Among the contenders will be the forwards specialists Alex Sanderson and Steve Borthwick, both of whom have worked under Jones before, while Shaun Edwards and Paul Gustard are candidates for the role of the defence coach.
Jones’s first game in charge of England will be their opening Six Nations game, against Scotland at Murrayfield on 6 February.
The Australian has won trophies domestically and internationally, and also spent time coaching in England. His first major piece of silverware came in 2001 after leading the ACT Brumbies to their first Super 12 title and in doing so becoming the first side from outside New Zealand to win the tournament.
He took charge of the Wallabies between 2001 and 2005 and delivered Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup success. The national side reached the 2003 Rugby World Cup final on home soil, losing narrowly to England.
The RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, said: “We promised to recruit a coach with proven international experience and we have done that. Eddie is a world-class coach, with extensive experience at the highest level with Australia, South Africa and Japan. We believe that the appointment, which was unanimously approved by the RFU board, is the right one to bring England success in the short, medium and long term.
“We are confident Eddie can build on the strong foundations already laid, with this talented group of players largely remaining together through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan and beyond. We are grateful to the Stormers for their cooperation in releasing Eddie early from his contract.”
