James Whitinui Joseph, commonly known as Jamie Joseph, is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. He was born on November 21, 1969, in Blenheim, New Zealand. Joseph played as a flanker and represented various teams throughout his career.
Joseph's rugby journey began in New Zealand, where he played for Otago at the provincial level. He made his debut for Otago in 1989 and quickly established himself as a consistent starter for the team. His athleticism and line-out ability caught the attention of selectors, and he received a call-up to the New Zealand Maori squad, where he played 10 times between 1991 and 1994.
In 1992, Joseph was promoted to the All Black trials and earned a spot in the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. He made his international debut off the bench against a World XV side in April 1992 and later started his first test against Ireland. Joseph went on to represent the All Blacks until 1995, including being part of the squad that reached the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which they lost to South Africa.
Following the World Cup, Joseph moved to Japan to play for Fukuoka Sanix Blues. He played for the Japanese club for six years and was selected to represent the Japanese national team in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Joseph made his debut for Japan on May 1, 1999, against Canada in Tokyo.
After retiring from playing rugby in 2001, Joseph transitioned into coaching. He started his coaching career as the skills coach for the Wellington Lions in 2003 and eventually became the assistant coach. In 2008, he was appointed as the head coach of the Wellington Lions and led the team to the final of the Air New Zealand Cup in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, Joseph took on the role of head coach for the Highlanders in Super Rugby. Under his leadership, the Highlanders made significant strides, reaching the playoffs and eventually winning the Super Rugby title in 2015, their first-ever championship.
In 2016, Joseph began his tenure as the head coach of the Japanese national rugby team. He guided Japan through the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where they made history with impressive victories over Ireland and Scotland. Japan reached the quarterfinals for the first time in their history but were defeated by eventual champions South Africa.
Joseph's coaching abilities and his team's performances at the World Cup earned him widespread praise and recognition. In November 2019, he signed a new contract to continue coaching the Japanese national team until the end of 2023, covering another World Cup cycle.
Aside from his coaching roles, Joseph has also been involved with the Māori All Blacks and coached the invitational team, the Barbarians, in 2015. He has made significant contributions to both New Zealand and Japanese rugby, leaving a lasting impact on the sport.
KG(02/07/2023)
Career
 |
Japan Head Coach |
2017 - present |
 |
Munakata Sanix Blues Openside Flanker |
1995 - 2001 |
 |
Sunwolves Coach |
2018 - 2018 |
