ラグビー日本代表、ジョセフＨＣに続投を要請へ

【東京ＡＦＰ＝時事】日本ラグビー協会の森重隆会長は24日、W杯日本大会で日本代表を8強に導いたジェイミー・ジョセフヘッドコーチ（HC）を続投させる意向を示した。（写真はジェイミー・ジョセフHC、左）
　森会長は短い発表文の中で「Ｗ杯日本大会での戦績に鑑み、ＨＣの要請をすることを選考委員会として決めた。今後、具体的な交渉に入る」と述べた。
　ニュージーランド出身のジョセフＨＣの下、日本は大方の予想を覆すと、アジア初にしてラグビー伝統国以外での開催となったラグビーＷ杯を盛り上げた。
　日本はプールステージでアイルランドに１９－１２、スコットランドに２８－２１で勝利して組首位に立つと、世界ランキングでは史上最高の６位にまで浮上。準々決勝では南アフリカに３－２６で敗れたものの、勇敢な戦いぶりは日本全国のファンのハートをつかみ、ラグビー人気が高まった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2019/10/25-11:38）

Japan's Rugby Football Union will seek to keep Jamie Joseph as coach after he took the Brave Blossoms to a historic World Cup quarter-final at home, its president said Thursday.
The selection committee has decided to ask him to serve as the head coach in light of results of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, JRFU President Shigetaka Mori said in a short statement.
We will enter into more concrete negotiations going forward, Mori said.
Kiwi Joseph oversaw a campaign by Japan that exceeded all expectations and lit up the World Cup -- the first one held in Asia and outside the traditional rugby heartlands.
Japan beat Ireland 19-12 and Scotland 28-21 to top their pool and lift their world ranking to an all-time high of sixth.
They eventually met their match in the quarter-finals against South Africa, who produced a bruising defensive effort combined with dominance at the set-piece to run out 26-3 winners.
But their brave performances have captured the hearts of fans across the nation and raised the profile of rugby in a baseball-mad country.
World Rugby chief Bill Beaumont said that their style of rugby had made the rest of the world sit up and take notice and that they deserved to be counted at the top table of the global game.