By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Rugby Australia has accepted the resignation of head coach Eddie Jones just 10 months into a five-year contract after the Wallabies’ pool-stage World Cup exit.
Jones returned for a second spell in charge of his home nation in January this year, replacing Dave Rennie.
In a statement, Rugby Australia thanked Jones, 63, for his “commitment to the Wallabies in 2023” and wished him “the best in his future endeavours”.
The statement added an announcement over the future of Australia’s coaching staff would be made “in due course”.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is set to hold a media conference on Tuesday to address the fall-out from Jones’ upcoming departure.
Rugby Australia can confirm that it has accepted the resignation of Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, and he will depart the position on 25 November.
We thank Eddie for his commitment to the Wallabies in 2023, and wish him the best in his future endeavours. pic.twitter.com/CJEaktccdf
— Rugby Australia (@RugbyAU) October 30, 2023
Jones, whose mother and wife are Japanese, has been linked with the Japan head coach job since Australian media reported he had interviewed for it a couple of days before the Wallabies’ final World Cup warm-up.
However, Jones still hopes to coach “one more international team, one more cycle” in the future, but says he doesn’t currently have a job to go to.
Jones had led England to three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2016 and the World Cup final in 2019.
The 63-year-old coached Australia between 2001 and 2005 in which he also led them to the 2003 World Cup final where they were beaten by England in Sydney.
The Wallabies won only two of their nine Tests this year, against Georgia and Portugal but then suffered back-to-back World Cup defeats to Fiji and Wales.