Steve Borthwick has been installed by the Rugby Football Union as England head coach following the sacking of Eddie Jones 13 days ago.
The 43-year-old former England captain has signed a five-year contract with the RFU and joins from Leicester Tigers after the governing body and the current Gallagher Premiership champions negotiated the Cumbrian’s early exit from his contract in the East Midlands.
Borthwick was favourite to take on the job after his mentor, Jones, was dismissed from his duties by the RFU’s CEO Bill Sweeney following a review of the team’s Autumn Nations Series campaign and a first losing calendar year since 2008.
Serving as an assistant coach with the England national team from 2015 and 2020, after having performed the same role under Jones with Japan, was an assistant coach on he 2017 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand and after moving on from England has excelled as the leading man with Leicester.
Taking charge of the club in 2020 as the global pandemic meant that the Cumbrian had to conclude the current season and guided them to an 11th place finish, in the two years that followed Borthwick took the side back up the league table.
Leading the side to a Challenge Cup final and then an 11th domestic title with a last-gasp win over Saracens in June, it is little wonder that the 43-year-old was at the top of the RFU’s wish list.
"I'm deeply honoured to be appointed England head coach, and I am very excited by the challenge,” Borthwick said.
"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.”
Kevin Sinfield will be following Borthwick from the East Midlands too, the rugby league legend appointed as defence coach and taking on the role from today.
First linking up with Borthwick in 2021, Sinfield is credited with plenty of Leicester’s development and success they enjoyed last term.
“It is a special moment to join England as a coach,” Sinfield said. “I know what representing your country means and to get the chance to do it as a coach is a real honour.
“There is so much player talent in England and I am really looking forward to working with the wider squad of players to see what we can achieve together, especially with such a massive year ahead of us.”
His final game in charge of Leicester was a 23-16 win over Clermont in the Heineken Champions Cup, the head coach said to have been emotional when telling his players that he was moving on from his post.
Having remained tight-lipped for much of the past two weeks when faced with questions about his future, Borthwick’s return to Twickenham sees plenty of work to be done.
With nine games standing between him and the Rugby World Cup in France, there is much work to be done with the Guinness Six Nations and a Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland coming in February.
“We are delighted to be welcoming Steve back to the RFU,” Bill Sweeney said. “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.”
