“Our Director of Rugby, Mr Gert Smal, always promised that he would deliver the best and in Eddie Jones I am more than satisfied that we have appointed the best coach to take over the reins of the DHL Stormers,” said WPRFU President, Mr Thelo Wakefield.
“Eddie is no stranger to South African Rugby and we look forward to making him feel welcome and ensuring that he brings more silverware to DHL Newlands.”
Having guided the ACT Brumbies to Super Rugby success back in 2001, Jones coached the Wallabies between 2001 and 2005 – delivering Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup success, as well as taking them to the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final on home soil.
The 55-year-old will best be remembered by South African fans for his role in the Springboks’ 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph, whilst he has also previously held coaching roles with the Queensland Reds (in Australia), English club Saracens and Japanese outfit, Suntory Sungoliath.
And just this weekend, Jones gave the rugby world a reminder of his abilities and tactical appreciation by guiding Japan to a shock 34-32 win over the Springboks in 2015 Rugby World Cup action in Brighton.
Speaking about Jones’s appointment, Gert Smal said: “As I said from the start (of our search for a coach), this has been a thorough process, which saw me look both internally and externally.
“Eddie was always on my mind in terms of potential external candidates and it’s a massive coup that we have signed a coach of his ability – really, his coaching credentials and achievements do speak for themselves.
“I really enjoyed our interactions and working with Eddie during the 2007 World Cup, he can add even more value here – both in terms of pushing for trophies and, importantly, in helping the continued development of our coaches and players.”
Jones commented: “I am a coach that enjoys a challenge and I see this job as a huge challenge, but one that excites me tremendously.
“Having worked with the Springboks in 2007, and in the process working closely with people like Gert Smal, Allister Coetzee, Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger, it gave me a brief taste of what Stormers rugby and Western Cape rugby is all about.
“I am well aware of the responsibilities that come with this job, one of the biggest franchise jobs in world rugby, but I am also excited about the talent available in the DHL Stormers squad and the potential of this playing squad. This is a challenge I am looking forward to.”
Jones will arrive in Cape Town at the conclusion of his 2015 Rugby World Cup commitments with Japan’s national team.
