James Whitinui Joseph (born 21 November 1969) is a New Zealand-born Japanese former

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

, from 1992 to 1995, before representing

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.

Early life and family

Joseph was born in

Blenheim, New Zealand Blenheim ( ; ) is the most populous town in the regions of New Zealand, region of Marlborough Region, Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand. It has an estimated population of as of The surrounding Marlborough wi ...

. His father, Jim Joseph, was a prop for the

Marlborough Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to: Places Australia * Marlborough, Queensland * Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993 * Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...

rugby team from 1963 to 1977 and also played for New Zealand Māori. His mother Maude (née MacDonald) is the sister of Iwi and Mugwi MacDonald, the daughter of Manny MacDonald, granddaughter of Jack MacDonald and aunt of Hoani MacDonald, all of whom represented New Zealand Māori. Joseph affiliates to Ngāti Maniapoto through his father and

Rangitāne Rangitāne is a Māori iwi (tribe). Their rohe (territory) is in the Manawatū, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Marlborough areas of New Zealand. The iwi was formed as one of two divisions (aside from Muaūpoko) of the expedition team led by Wh ...

and Ngāti Rārua through his mother. He was educated at Church College and the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, where he completed a Bachelor of Physical Education majoring in psychology.

Playing career

Joseph made his debut for Otago in 1989, playing mainly at

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

, which was the position he was selected for when playing for the New Zealand Colts in his debut season. By 1991, Joseph was a consistent starter for his province and was moved to number six where his athleticism and line-out ability saw him gain a call-up to the

New Zealand Maori New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

squad where he played 10 times between 1991 and 1994. In that same year, he was part of Otago's

National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to: * National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides * National Provincial Championship (2006–present) The National Provincial Championship (NP ...

winning side. In 1992, Joseph was quickly promoted to the All Black trials and gained a place in the centenary series. On 22 April 1992, Joseph made his All Blacks international debut against a World XV side off the bench. Later that year, he started his first test, playing at 6 against

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. When playing for the All Blacks against England in 1993, Joseph stomped on Kyran Bracken's ankle causing a significant injury. Joseph remained as a regular starter for the All Blacks and was part of the

1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup (), was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in ...

squad that famously lost to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in the final. After the World Cup, Joseph moved to

where he played for Fukuoka Sanix Blues. He played for the newly formed side for six years, which saw him be selected for the Japanese national side ahead of the

1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup () was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's History of rugby union#The professional era, professional era. Four a ...

. He made his debut on 1 May 1999 against

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Honours as player

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

Webb Ellis Cup The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the men's Rugby World Cup, the premier competition in men's international rugby union. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as being the inventor of rugby foot ...

**Runners-up:

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

* Bledisloe Cup **Winners: 1993 * British Lions Tour **Winners:

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

**Winners: 1991

Coaching career

2003–2007

After retiring from playing rugby in early 2001, Joseph returned home to New Zealand. In 2003, he was appointed as the

Wellington Lions The Wellington Rugby Football Union (known as the Wellington Lions for competition reasons) are a New Zealand governing body of rugby union in the New Zealand province of Wellington Region. The main stadium is Sky Stadium (formerly named Wes ...

skills coach before being promoted to assistant coach by Aussie Mclean ahead of the

2007 Air New Zealand Cup The 2007 National Provincial Championship was the second season of the National Provincial Championship (known as the Air New Zealand Cup for sponsorship reasons), a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Match ...

. In that year, Wellington made the final, only to lose to

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

23–14. In 2006, he was assistant coach to Donny Stevenson for the

Māori All Blacks The Māori All Blacks, previously called the New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Maoris and New Zealand Natives, are a rugby union team from New Zealand. They are a representative team of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and a prerequisite for playing is ...

during the 2006 Churchill Cup, which saw the Māori team win the title after beating Scotland A 52–17 in the final.

2008–2010

In November 2007, Joseph was later named as the new head coach of Wellington Lions with Aussie Mclean stepping down from his role to coach Super 14 side

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

. In his first match in charge, Wellington convincingly defeated

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...

30–6. A further eight victories saw the Lions finish top seed ahead of the Knockout stage of the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup. After beating

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

and Southland in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Joseph led Wellington to a narrow loss to

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

in the final, losing 7–6. For a further two seasons, Wellington made the play-offs, including a third consecutive final in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

, again like in 2008, losing narrowly to Canterbury 28–20. In May 2010, Joseph was named the Māori All Blacks head coach for their matches against Ireland and

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, both of which was won by the Māori side; 31–28 and 35–28 respectively. The 2010 ITM Cup would be Joseph's last season in charge of the provincial side, with Joseph being named the new Highlanders head coach ahead of the

2011 Super Rugby season The 2011 Super Rugby season was the first season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition, which involved teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Including its past iterations as Super 12 and Super 14, this was the 16t ...

in July 2010. The 2010 ITM Cup saw Wellington be knocked out at the semifinals stage, losing to Canterbury 57–41.

2011–2016

In his first season in charge of a franchise side, Joseph's saw mixed results with the Highlanders only winning half of their games (8 won, 8 lost) to finish eighth on the table. In

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

the side dropped one place, but won more than half of their games during the season. This later saw Joseph resign with the franchise as head coach. In November 2012, Joseph retained his role as the Māori All Blacks head coach for their tour of the United Kingdom, which saw the side win two of their three game; defeating a RFU Championship XV side 52–21 and Canada 32–19. Their loss coming against

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...

32–24 in their opening match of the tour. In 2013, Joseph's side dropped to their worst positioning since

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, only winning three games from sixteen. That same year, he stood down from his role as Māori All Blacks head coach. The 2014 Super Rugby season saw the Highlanders make the play-off for the first time since

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, however was knocked out by the

Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

in the qualifiers, losing 31–27. For a second consecutive year, the Highlanders made the play-offs, and after beating the Chiefs in the qualifiers and then 2014 premiers the Waratahs, the Highlanders found themselves in their first final since

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. In an all-New Zealand Grand Final, the Highlanders won their first ever premiership, after beating the Hurricanes 21–14. In August 2015, Joseph coached the famous invitational team the

Barbarians A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice. A "barbarian" may ...

in a 2015 RWC warm-up match for

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

. He coached the side to a close 27–24 victory over the Test side. In January 2016, Joseph announced that he would be stepping down as the Highlanders head coach after the

2016 Super Rugby season The 2016 Super Rugby season was the 21st season of Super Rugby and the first season featuring an expanded 18-team format. It was also the first season that teams outside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa featured, with the Jaguares from Ar ...

so that he could coach the Japanese national side through to the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

. In his absence until he could formally start his duties with the Brave Blossoms, Ryuji Nakatake and

Mark Hammett Mark Garry 'Hammer' Hammett (born 13 July 1972) is a New Zealand rugby union coach (sport), coach and former player. Having represented Canterbury Rugby Football Union, Canterbury provincially 76 times, and the Crusaders (rugby union), Crusaders ...

acted as interim head coaches during the 2016 Asia Rugby Championship and 2016 June Tests. The 2016 Super Rugby season again saw the Highlanders make the play-offs but was defeated by the Lions in the semifinals, losing 42–30.

Move to Japan (2016)

Head coach of Japan

Joseph's first test in charge of Japan was a home game against

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, which saw the Japan debut 13 players in a game that was won by the Pumas 54–20. Joseph's first victory came a week later against

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, winning 28–22, this was followed by a narrow loss to

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

– a 79th minute drop goal from Sam Davies sealing the Welsh a victory 33–30. Japan's final match on their November tour saw

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

claim a 38–25 win at a neutral venue in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In May 2017, Japan sealed their twelfth consecutive

Asia Rugby Championship The Asia Rugby Championship, or ARC, is an annual rugby union competition held amongst national rugby sides within the Asia Rugby region. The competition was originally known as the Asian Rugby Football Tournament when founded in 1969, and was ca ...

winning all four games. They later went onto defeat

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

33–21 during the June internationals. Despite this, Japan lost to

2–0, during their first test series since 2005, losing the first test 50–22 and the second 35–13. In November 2017, Joseph led his side to a single win and a draw in four games. They started their End-of-year series with two consecutive home losses, a 27–47 loss to a World XV side and a 30–63 loss to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Japan's first win came against

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

39–6 in

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

, before going on to draw with

23–23, which was the first time that these two nations had drawn with one another. During the 2018 June tests, Joseph led Japan to a 1-all series draw with

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, winning the first test 34–17, and losing the second 25–22. The team then beat Georgia 28–0 at the Toyota Stadium. The 2018 November test window saw Japan come away with just a single victory – against

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

32–27. However, Japan did lead

at half time, before eventually losing 35–15. The start of their 2019 international season, ahead of their home World Cup, Japan won the 2019 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup after winning all three of their games; including a win over Fiji for the first time since 2011.

=Honours as Japanese coach

= *

**Winners: 2017 *

World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup The Pacific Nations Cup is an international rugby union competition held between Fiji national rugby union team, Fiji, Samoa national rugby union team, Samoa, Tonga national rugby union team, Tonga, Canada national rugby union team, Canada, Japa ...

**Winners: 2019

Sunwolves

On 29 September 2017, following an unconvincing first two seasons in the Super Rugby, the Sunwolves went under a review in conjunction with the

Japan Rugby Football Union The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU; ) is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed 30 November 1926, and organises matches for the Japan national rugby union team, Japan national team. The JRFU is currently one of only two fede ...

and

SANZAAR SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby; previously known as SANZAR) is the body which oversees Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship competitions in rugby union. SANZAAR meets annually and is composed of the CEOs fr ...

. The review concluded with the team undergoing a restructure which sees the side move from the JRFU to a new organisation, the Japan Super Rugby Association (JSRA). One of the main changes saw the national team's head coach Joseph replace

Filo Tiatia Filogia Ian "Filo" Tiatia (born 4 June 1971) is a New Zealand former international rugby union player and current coach. He is best known for his time as back-row forward and occasional lock for the Ospreys (rugby union), Ospreys. He is currently ...

as head coach, doubling up his duties with the national team. In his first game in charge the Sunwolves narrowly lost to the

Brumbies The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005 to 2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inh ...

32–25 in

. For the first 12 rounds, the Sunwolves managed just two points, picking up minimal bonus points throughout the season; one of which was a losing bonus point to the 2017 runners-up the Lions in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

(40–38). It wasn't until rounds 13 and 14 where the Sunwolves gained their first victories, gaining back-to-back victories by knocking over the

Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team based in Brisbane for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union ...

63–28, and the

Stormers The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) and the academic team DHL Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a tra ...

26–23 in Tokyo. In round 17, Joseph led his side to a Super Rugby best, winning a third game for the first time, beating the Bulls 42–37. Despite finishing bottom of the combined Super Rugby table, the Sunwolves experienced their best season, winning three games and earning 14 points. On 20 September 2018, Joseph stood down as head coach at the Sunwolves to fully concentrate on the preparations of the national team ahead of the

.Jamie Joseph standing down as Sunwolves coach
/ref>

Other honours as coach

Churchill Cup The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's (and formerly women's) teams from Canada national rugby union team, Canada, England Saxons, England, the United States national rugby union te ...

**Winners: 2006 ''(as Asst. Coach)''

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

Air New Zealand Cup An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...

**Runners-up: 2007 ''(as Asst. Coach)'' – 2008, 2009 ''(as Head Coach)'' Highlanders *

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

**Winners: 2015

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Jamie 1969 births Living people Ngāti Maniapoto people Rangitāne people Rugby union players from Blenheim, New Zealand Otago rugby union players Munakata Sanix Blues players New Zealand international rugby union players New Zealand rugby union players Māori All Blacks players Rugby union flankers Rugby union locks Japanese rugby union players Japan international rugby union players Japan national rugby team coaches New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Japan New Zealand rugby union coaches People educated at the Church College of New Zealand University of Otago alumni Ngāti Rārua people 1995 Rugby World Cup players 1999 Rugby World Cup players Naturalized citizens of Japan Naturalised rugby union players MacDonald family (New Zealand)