Japan's rugby governing body says Eddie Jones will return as head coach of its national team. In that role, he helped the Brave Blossoms achieve a historic upset win over South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.

The board of the Japan Rugby Football Union approved the appointment of the 63-year-old Australian at a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The union apparently decided that Jones has what it takes to lead Japan to the World Cup title. He will speak at a news conference on Thursday before his new duties start on January 1. His tenure is until the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

After helming the Brave Blossoms from 2012 to 2015, Jones took over as England's head coach and led the team to the runner-up spot at the 2019 World Cup. But he was fired in December 2022 following a run of poor results.

Jones assumed the post of Australia's head coach the following month. His tenure was supposed to continue until the 2027 World Cup.

But Jones stepped down after the Wallabies failed to reach the knockout stage at this year's World Cup for the first time.

The Brave Blossoms, with Jamie Joseph as head coach, advanced to the last eight at the 2019 World Cup, their best-ever result. But they were eliminated in the pool stage of the 2023 World Cup, failing to accomplish their goal of reaching the semifinals. Joseph later quit as head coach.