Steve Borthwick announced as England Rugby’s new head coach
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced Steve Borthwick as the next coach of England Rugby.
The 43-year-old will succeed Eddie Jones, who was sacked in early December following a poor year where his England side won just five of their 12 Test matches.
Former England captain Borthwick is heading to Twickenham from Leicester Tigers – where he led the East Midlands club to the Premiership title last year in just his second year at the club – with immediate effect.
The five-year contract – which saw the RFU pay Leicester a reported £1m – will see Borthwick take England into the Guinness Six Nations next spring and then into the World Cup in France next autumn.
Borthwick said: “I’m deeply honoured to be appointed England head coach, and I am very excited by the challenge.
“The English game is full of talent and I want to build a winning team which makes the most of our huge potential and inspires young people to fall in love with rugby union the way I did. I want the whole country to be proud of us and to enjoy watching us play.
“The hard work starts now and planning for the Guinness Six Nations and Rugby World Cup begins today. I will give it everything.”
Borthwick was an assistant to his predecessor Jones when the duo helped Japan beat South Africa at the 2015 World Cup – which to this day is seen as one of the most significant Test results in the history of the game.
Rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield is following Borthwick from Leicester Tigers to the England set-up, where he will be defence coach.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Steve back to the RFU. He has been part of the England team for over 15 years and he is our first-choice successor to Eddie.
“Steve and Kevin’s insight and first-hand knowledge of the players will be a great asset and everyone at the RFU is right behind them with our full support.”
Borthwick on the field
Borthwick’s playing career as a lock saw him play just shy of 250 games for Bath and 144 matches for Saracens, while he represented the country he now coaches 57 times between 2001 and 2010.
The former forward moved into coaching in 2012 at Saracens before joining Jones in Japan as a forwards coach with Jones.
He returned to the Premiership after the 2015 World Cup as a forwards coach at Bristol under former England coach Andy Robinson before moving into the English set up in the same position in December that year.
Borthwick joined Leicester in 2020 with one of the country’s great club sides in disarray. Two years later he led them to the Premiership title last season, beating Saracens in the final.