The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) announced on May 11 that it has suspended national team head coach Eddie Jones for four matches and reduced his salary for verbally abusing a referee during the Japan U23 tour in Australia last month.
According to the JRFU, Jones, 65, directed insulting remarks at a match official during a game between Japan U23 and a local side in Australia. The behaviour violated the union's code of conduct.
Jones, who previously coached Australia and England, was reappointed head coach of the Japanese national team in December last year. He previously held the same position from 2012 to 2015 and led the team to a famous upset at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
A JRFU representative said: 'We hope Coach Jones will learn from this experience and improve his conduct. The suspension and pay cut are necessary measures to maintain discipline in Japanese rugby.'
Jones has not yet commented officially on the ruling. He will miss upcoming Japan U23 matches as the team prepares for the Pacific Challenge tournament in June.
