Eddie Jones has urged his fellow Australians to support Japan when his side faces Ireland in July, as part of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The New South Wales city of Newcastle will host the event on July 11, as Japan look to reignite their global presence ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Hoping to make Newcastle a home from home for his side, Jones spoke to reporters outside the stadium on Thursday, saying: “It’s a great experience for us to play here, get used to the environment, maybe become the team in Newcastle.

“You know, when we play up here in the World Cup, we want all the Newcastle people to support Japan.”

Japan have not played since defeating Georgia at the back end of 2025, but before that, they had undergone five straight defeats to Tier One nations.

Jones is hoping to create some familiarity around the area for his side ahead of the World Cup – in particular, their opening match against Samoa.

“We’ll be up here for a week for the Samoa game. So it’s how you can maximise your preparation for that week,” he said.

“It’s really important because we’ll have a relatively young team for the World Cup. And you talk to players about their experience of a World Cup, particularly young players, and they can’t remember anything, right, because it becomes a blur?

“So, having had the experience of playing in this ground, just that little bit of familiarity will definitely be a potential advantage.”

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“Ireland’s a great example”

The 66-year-old coach paid compliment to his upcoming rivals, adding that Ireland’s growth within the game can inspire smaller nations.

“Ireland’s a great example of what you can do with a small population. Five million people have become a top-four team in the world by really maximising the talent they’ve got,” he said.

“That’s a challenge for Japan, as it is for Australia at the moment, to do the same sort of thing. So they’re a good team, tough team, smart team, so we’re looking forward to playing against them.”

The Nations Championship is expected to draw huge numbers this summer, as it pits the best in the northern hemisphere against the best in the southern hemisphere.

“I think it’s a good innovation by World Rugby,” claimed the former England and Wallabies boss.

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