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Canada has their new Head Coach, and his name is Kingsley Jones. The 48-year-old leaves his post with the Welsh Rugby Union that saw him in charge of the Exiles program to instead move to North America. Jones had most recently been head coach at the Dragons of the Guinness Pro 12 (now 14), who he took over in 2014 after one year as an assistant.
Jones came to prominence as a flanker with Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Premiership, winning 10 caps for his country before signing with Gloucester in the English Premiership in 1998. He captained Wales on one occasion, against South Africa in June of 1998. After three season with the Cherry & Whites he spent one year each at Worcester and Pontypridd before taking up a player-coach role with Doncaster Knights.
After just one season in charge at Doncaster he moved to Sale Sharks to take up a position as Forwards Coach, replacing Philippe Saint-André as Director of Rugby upon the Frenchman’s departure in 2009. Jones resigned from his post at Sale in January of 2011 and after speculation that he would take over at the Dragons, he instead joined Russia as an assistant for their 2011 World Cup campaign. He replaced Nikolai Nerush as Head Coach following the tournament and stayed with Russia until leaving in 2014.
Jones takes over a Canadian team desperately short of form and for the first time forced to pursue World Cup qualification as the Americas 2 representative. Under departing coach Mark Anscombe they won just two from 14 matches – drawing once – and only one of 11 during 2015 including a whitewash at the 2015 World Cup under then-coach Kieran Crowley. During that time they have dropped to a low point of 24 on the official World Rugby Rankings.
His first match in charge will a friendly against the New Zealand Māori, to be played at BC Place in Vancouver on November 3. They will then embark on a three-match European tour with tests against Georgia, Spain, and Fiji. The all-important World Cup Qualifying series against Uruguay is to be played on January 27 and February 3.
