The Japanese Super Rugby team has "a name, but no coach," according to Bret Harris of THE AUSTRALIAN. Nor "have they revealed any of the names of the players they have purportedly signed." Yet, in just over three months the Japanese Sunwolves will enter the expanded 18-team Super Rugby competition. Australia’s five Super Rugby teams started pre-season training last week. That means the Japanese "are well behind schedule in preparing for the competition which kicks off in the last weekend of February." The Japanese were meant to supply SANZAR with their team roster in June but "were unable to do so, resulting in SANZAR drawing up contingency plans that excluded the franchise." While the Japan Super Rugby franchise is run by the Japanese Rugby Union, "the real money in Japanese rugby is with the company-owned Top League clubs." Australian Rugby Union CEO Bill Pulver "admitted SANZAR did have concerns about the Japanese franchise a few months ago," but indications were that "they are getting their act together." Pulver: "We had concerns with their state of preparation a couple of months ago, but we believe they have made an awful lot of progress." The Sunwolves' head coach was "originally meant to work under former Japan national coach Eddie Jones, who was also the director of rugby for the Super Rugby franchise." Jones announced he was quitting both of his roles in Japan prior to the recent World Cup in England to coach South African team the Stormers, "but he has now been appointed England's new head coach." The Japanese are "now looking to fill two head coaching roles." The Japanese approached Fiji head coach John McKee, "but he turned them down" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/23).
