RFU offers no guarantees over Steve Borthwick future as England coach
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney says there are no guarantees regarding Steve Borthwick’s future as England head coach until a review into their dismal Six Nations campaign concludes in April.
The national side suffered four defeats in their five tournament matches, marking their worst performance since the competition expanded in 2000.
While a post-tournament debrief is standard practice, Sweeney admitted this year’s alarming results require a much deeper dive into the unusual outcome.
Uncertainty surrounding summer fixtures
When pressed on whether the head coach would definitely remain in charge for July’s upcoming Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, Sweeney refused to give absolute backing.
“Clearly, there are some issues and we’re getting to them already to see what needs addressing,” Sweeney stated.
The RFU boss emphasised that the immediate priority is ensuring the right support mechanisms are in place to rectify recent on-field struggles.
“We’re in the middle of the review, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to start talking about specific issues right now, but we’ll get to the bottom of all of them.”
No shortcuts for World Cup preparation
Sweeney insists his final verdict on the management team will not be swayed by the looming horizon of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The current manager originally took the reins with less than a year to prepare for the previous global tournament after predecessor Eddie Jones was dismissed in December 2022.
“I’m not thinking about deadlines and all of that; we just really focused on getting to the bottom of what we need to solve,” said the chief executive.
Despite acknowledging that standard succession planning continues in the background, Sweeney firmly distanced the governing body from speculation linking Andy Farrell to the Twickenham hot seat.
“He’s under contract to 2027 and the Rugby World Cup, we are not in a dialogue and we are not in a discussion with him at present,” Sweeney confirmed regarding the successful Ireland coach.
Absolute confidence in playing squad
In stark contrast to his cautious stance on the coaching setup, Sweeney was unequivocal in his support for the players at their disposal.
“We still think this is an extremely strong squad, and we still think that it’s got the potential and capabilities to do some special things,” he noted.
The ongoing independent review is being conducted by an anonymous panel featuring figures from both inside and outside the sport.
It incorporates comprehensive interviews with both players and backroom staff to assess the root causes of the recent international slump.
Former boss Jones previously described the debrief as a tough process, noting the involvement of high-profile figures such as RFU director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea and Lions legend Ian McGeechan.
