England rugby boss Eddie Jones ‘wants to fulfil his lifelong dream of coaching South Sydney in the NRL’ – here’s why he has such a strong connection to the Rabbitohs
- Jones is contracted to coach the English national side until November 2023
- Report claims he would then be very keen to take over as coach of the Rabbitohs
- The 62-year-old wore Souths’ colours when he played rugby league as a boy
English rugby coach Eddie Jones reportedly wants to return to Australia to coach the NRL side he fell in love with as a boy – the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The former Wallabies coach has told his closest friends that he’d like to lead the Bunnies and follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Alan Jones, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Alan Jones coached the Balmain Tigers from 1991-93 after excelling as the leader of Australia’s national rugby side, but he had little attachment to rugby league prior to making the switch – unlike Eddie.
The 62-year-old wore the club’s famous red and green strip as a boy when he played league for La Perouse Public School in 1970, alongside union legends Mark, Glen and Gary Ella.
Jones (pictured before an England Test in March this year) proudly wore South Sydney’s strip when he played rugby league as a boy
His contract to coach England’s national side runs out in 2023 and he is reportedly keen to emulate former Wallabies mastermind Alan Jones and make the switch to top-flight league
La Perouse, located in Sydney’s south-east, is a nursery for South Sydney players and falls within the team’s catchment area for juniors.
Ian Aird, who coached Jones and the Ella brothers, described Jones as a ‘very lively kid and very chatty’.
‘As a player he was not like the Ellas but still very good. He certainly understood the game very well,’ Aird told the Herald.
That understanding led Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart to claim the ex-Wallabies mastermind could make it in the cutthroat world of NRL coaching.
‘Could he do it? I have no doubt he could if that was on his radar,’ Stuart said in 2019.
‘To transfer a coach from code to code … well, they (union and league) have never been closer, so yes, it’s doable.’
Current South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou’s side currently sit sixth on the latter on the back of four straight wins after enduring a difficult start to the season – his first with the club
Jones made headlines after England wrapped up the Test series against the Wallabies at the SCG as he got involved in a furious clash with a fan who called him a ‘traitor’ (pictured)
Jones’ contract to lead the English national side runs until November 2023 and there has been speculation that Rugby Australia wants to bring him back into the fold with the Wallabies once more.
He made headlines last weekend when he had a fiery clash with a fan after England beat Australia in the final Test of their three-match series at the SCG.
Jones was called a ‘traitor’ by fan and Channel Nine executive James Paton as he walked near the sideline just after full time, and responded by storming over and shouting, ‘What did you say? Come here and say it!’ while a ground official tried to hold him back.
Rugby Australia was later condemned by fans for seeking to ban Paton from attending games for five years over the incident.
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