RFU backs Steve Borthwick to lead England into the 2027 Rugby World Cup after review

Steve Borthwick has been backed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to lead England into next year’s Rugby World Cup following an investigation into the recent Six Nations failure.

England finished the Championship in fifth place after managing a solitary victory against Wales in the opener, triggering an RFU review into the reasons for their subsequent collapse.

A statement released after the historic 23-18 defeat by Italy on March 7 indicated that Borthwick would be given the summer tour to save his job.

However, he will now remain head coach until Australia 2027 after the issues behind the four-Test losing run were identified.

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Improvement

“This has been a thorough and honest review and it’s clear that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said.

“Steve has engaged in this process with full openness and has clear plans in place to address these findings.

“We are all behind him and his coaching team going into the Nations Championship and the series of matches leading into the 2027 World Cup.”

Players, coaches and backroom staff were involved in the review process overseen by Sweeney and it is understood they supported Borthwick, whose contract expires after the tournament in Australia.

The precise findings of the investigation have not been disclosed because “performance confidentiality in a competitive international sporting environment limits the level of detail that can be shared publicly”.

Broad overview

However, the RFU provided a broad overview while recognising “why supporters felt frustrated and that they expected more”.

“The review concluded that, despite coming off a 12-game winning run, England’s underperformance across the Six Nations was not the result of a singular failure or issue,” a statement read.

“Instead, it highlighted a number of interconnected performance areas such as discipline, execution of opportunities and making the most of key moments, where improvement is required if England are to consistently perform at the level expected.”

Only an overtime penalty by Thomas Ramos denied England victory against champions France in the climax to the Six Nations in Paris, with a high-octane performance hinting at what might have been.

Challenge

The summer tour comprises of Tests against South Africa in Johannesburg, Fiji in Liverpool and Argentina in Santiago del Estero – a brutal travel itinerary of over 25,000 miles.

England are understood to be considering resting some of their British and Irish Lions players for the itinerary, knowing the World Cup year is approaching.

“We’ve all seen what this England side is capable of – most recently in the performance against France, and during the strong winning run before that,” Sweeney said.

“That doesn’t disappear overnight. The challenge now is delivering that level consistently and we’re confident this group can do that, supported by the insight and feedback this review has surfaced.

“This is a young England team that is still growing and developing and we understand progress in international sport is rarely linear.”

READ MORE: Mike Tindall: Steve Borthwick is still the man to lead England forward