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Rugby: Eddie Jones says it is only a matter of time before a woman becomes international head coach

Eddie Jones says he believes it is only a matter of time before a woman becomes head coach of an international rugby union team as he welcomed moves to rid sexism from the game.

Jones insisted that diversity and inclusion has always been central to his coaching career and he has not experienced a sexist incident during his time in the game as a player and coach.

The Rugby Football Union has this week reviewed its policies and procedures to ensure its staff feel comfortable reporting inappropriate behaviour after a special investigation by Telegraph Sport revealed a culture of sexism persisted at Twickenham and in the wider game.

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Jones already has several women in senior roles working in his management team, including Charlotte Gibbons, England team operations manager, Fran Leighton, the operations manager and vision coach Sherylle Calder.

When asked if he thinks a woman will one day go on to coach a senior international side, Jones said: “Well I’m sure it can happen. I don’t decide how long I stay in my job so I don’t decide who is going to be next in the job.

The RFU must continue to evolve to shake off sexism claims
The RFU must continue to evolve to shake off sexism claims

“I’m half-Japanese, half-Australian. Diversity and inclusion have always been part of the way I’ve been educated, the way I’ve been brought up, the way I’ve led my life, the way I’ve had teams operate.

“I don’t use those words [diversity and inclusion] because to me it’s just part of how you operate. I know they’re lovely terms to use and I’m glad you’re using them. I can’t comment on rugby in general, I can only comment on the way I coach my teams.”