Rugby School Japan plans to open as a Y7-13 (ages 11-17) co-educational day and boarding school
in Kashiwanoha, Chiba Prefecture in Autumn 2023.
On July 27 2022, the Governor of Chiba Prefecture (Toshihito Kumagai) formally approved the establishment plan for Rugby School Japan [Approval in Progress] (RSJ), the first ever British boarding school in the Greater Tokyo area.
BIG NEWS
Unveiling the Rugby School Japan
Campus
Tony Darby
Founding Principal, RSJ
After graduating with a degree in Politics and Economics from the University of Durham in 1992, Tony completed a hugely enjoyable year teaching English in the Czech Republic.
A period as an accountant with PWC in the West Midlands was followed by him completing his PGCE teaching qualification in Business and IT at Staffordshire University, and then on to heading up the Politics and Economics Departments at Queen’s College, Taunton in 1996.
This was subsequently followed by a move to Rugby School in 2003, where he became the Head of Economics & Business and helped to set up the EPQ qualification, alongside his role as Assistant Housemaster in Stanley, the 6th Form girls’ boarding house.
In 2011 he became the Housemaster of Town House, the boys’ day House, and in 2014 he also became a member of the Senior Management Team at Rugby in his role as Senior Housemaster. Since 2017, Tony has been the Sub-Warden of St Edward’s School in Oxford, which, like Rugby School Japan, is a city-based, co-educational day and boarding school where he and colleagues have brought about significant growth in recent years. Throughout his career he has been an enthusiastic sportsman, having coached many school teams including rugby, football, cricket, hockey and Rugby Fives.
In his younger days he was a keen footballer, and still enjoys a range of outdoor pursuits. He also has a keen interest in developing and promoting entrepreneurship in schools, having set up an Entrepreneurs’ Club at Rugby, and more recently at St. Edward’s successfully taking groups through the Chartered Institute For Securities and Investment examination, to develop their understanding of financial services, and prepare them for a career in the City.
Tony is married to Leah, and they have two teenage children, Bella and Lewis.
Rugby is the UK's leading independent school for boys and girls, with 450 years of history
of academic and co-curricular excellence.
