Jamie Joseph

ROLE Head Coach

TEAM Highlanders

IN CHARGE SINCE Jan 2025

AGE 56

NATIONALITY New Zealander

MATCHES 28

Jamie Joseph is the head coach of the Highlanders, the man who delivered their only title in 2015 and took Japan to a home World Cup quarter-final.

AS A PLAYER Loose forward. Otago from 1989, capped by the All Blacks between 1992 and 1995, and later qualified for and played for Japan from 1999.

Tenure record

as of 23 May 2026

28PLAYED

8WON

0DRAWN

20LOST

28.6%WIN RATE

659 points scored · 846 conceded · -187 difference

RECENT LHurricanes28–45 LGallagher Chiefs12–42 WNSW Waratahs31–26 LFijian Drua14–24 WMoana Pasifika27–17 LBlues40–47

By competition

Super Rugby Pacific 28P · 8W · 0D · 20L

OPPONENT H/A SCORE RESULT

Hurricanes 23 May 2026 A 28–45 L Gallagher Chiefs 15 May 2026 A 12–42 L NSW Waratahs 9 May 2026 H 31–26 W Fijian Drua 2 May 2026 A 14–24 L Moana Pasifika 26 Apr 2026 H 27–17 W Blues 17 Apr 2026 A 40–47 L Brumbies 10 Apr 2026 H 10–14 L Moana Pasifika 27 Mar 2026 A 39–19 W Hurricanes 20 Mar 2026 H 7–50 L Crusaders 14 Mar 2026 A 18–29 L Western Force 7 Mar 2026 H 39–31 W Queensland Reds 27 Feb 2026 A 14–31 L Gallagher Chiefs 21 Feb 2026 H 23–26 L Crusaders 13 Feb 2026 H 25–23 W Gallagher Chiefs 30 May 2025 H 24–41 L Crusaders 23 May 2025 A 12–15 L Hurricanes 16 May 2025 A 20–24 L Moana Pasifika 4 May 2025 H 29–34 L Crusaders 26 Apr 2025 H 10–43 L Gallagher Chiefs 19 Apr 2025 A 10–46 L Fijian Drua 12 Apr 2025 H 43–20 W Western Force 5 Apr 2025 A 20–29 L Brumbies 28 Mar 2025 A 27–34 L Queensland Reds 22 Mar 2025 H 23–29 L Hurricanes 14 Mar 2025 H 18–20 L Moana Pasifika 28 Feb 2025 A 31–29 W Blues 22 Feb 2025 H 29–21 W NSW Waratahs 14 Feb 2025 A 36–37 L

DATA NOTES

Jamie Joseph has overseen 28 completed Highlanders matches in our database since February 2025 — 8 won, 0 drawn, 20 lost. That is a 28.6% win rate, with 659 points scored and 846 conceded.

Records are computed from the WeTalkRugby match database and cover matches we hold data for within this tenure. They are not an official all-time record.

Coaching career

2011-2016 Highlanders Head Coach
2016-2023 Japan Head Coach
2025- Highlanders Head Coach

Honours

2015 Super Rugby (Highlanders)
2019 Pacific Nations Cup (Japan)
2017 Asia Rugby Championship (Japan)

Players under Jamie Joseph

Full squad →

Angus Ta'avao Forward Andrew Knewstubb Back Daniel Lienert-Brown Forward Caleb Tangitau Back Henry Bell Forward Cameron Millar Back Hugh Renton Forward Dylan Pledger Back Jack Taylor Forward Finn Hurley Back Josh Bartlett Forward Folau Fakatava Back

About Jamie Joseph

Jamie Joseph is the head coach of the Highlanders, back in the seat since 2025 after returning to the franchise as head of rugby in 2024. He also holds the All Blacks XV head coach role.

Born in Blenheim in November 1969, he was a loose forward for Otago who won All Blacks caps between 1992 and 1995 and later qualified for and played for Japan from 1999 — a rare dual-international.

Two spells, one title

He coached Wellington and the Māori All Blacks before his first Highlanders spell from 2011 to 2016, delivering the franchise’s only Super Rugby title in 2015. He then took charge of Japan through to 2023, running the Sunwolves concurrently, and masterminded Japan’s run to the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals on home soil — one of the great tournament stories.

The second spell

It has been harder. The Highlanders finished ninth in 2026 with five wins from fourteen and missed the play-offs again.

Style

He builds tightly drilled, high-work-rate defensive systems and has a long record of getting outsized results from limited playing resources — though that has yet to translate into a play-off berth this time around.