RFU boss Bill Sweeney prefers English coach to succeed Eddie Jones

Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney believes an English coach will be an ideal successor to Eddie Jones when his contract comes to an end post 2023 World Cup.

Jones took over the England coaching role post the 2015 World Cup from Stuart Lancaster and has guided them to three Six Nations titles apart from reaching the final of the 2019 World Cup.

England's performances in the last two Six Nations competitions where they lost three out of their five matches in both the editions has sparked criticism on the Australian but the England board went on to provide full backing to Jones.

With talks of Rassie Erasmus or Warren Gatland being discussed in reports as a possible replacement for Jones, Sweeney reckons an English successor will be ideal.

"We believe we've got such a wealth of English coaches in the game," Sweeney told.

"As a leading rugby nation, we should be developing English coaches and an English style of play.

"That should be long-term and therefore the preference would be to have an English set-up as far as I'm concerned."

Meanwhile, RFU director of performance rugby Conor O'Shea revealed that the England board is aiming to announce Jones' successor in the 2023 summer.