RFU open to extending Eddie Jones' contract beyond 2019 World Cup

Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Ian Ritchie said the board is considering to offer England coach Eddie Jones an extended run beyond the 2019 World Cup when his current contract will come to an end.

Jones is contracted with the red rose team until the 2019 World Cup but his stupendous success after taking over as England coach from Stuart Lancaster has made the RFU thinking to extend his contract beyond the mega event in Japan.

Under the former 56-year-old, England won their Grand Slam for the first time in 13 years during the 2016 Six Nations while they went on to complete a 3-0 series whitewash for the first time against Wallabies in Australia.

"That's certainly the contract and the discussion we had. I think he wanted to go and watch cricket in Barbados – I think that was the phrase he used!

"So it's up to him. That's what it is, but who can tell what happens over the next three years or so? I'm working on that assumption because that's what we did the deal on in the first place. When we get nearer to it, it depends on how he sees it; if he's changed his mind, and whether we want to ask.

"The clarity is there at least at the minute, and that's where it stands. As it moves and develops, no doubt we'll sit down and discuss it together."

Earlier, Jones urged the RFU to alllow the upcoming English coaches to have a stint with the Super Rugby clubs to help them understand the game better.

However, the union's professional rugby director Nigel Melville, stated that the suggestion given by Jones is not feasible and need to overcome a lot of hurdles to make it happen. Melville, also belives a proper plan needs to be put in place to groom the developing English coaches to gain international experience.

"We need to develop the next generation of international coaches; to put some sort of plan in place for the future. Just being a Premiership coach does not necessarily make you a good international coach," Melville said.

"If we're going to get coaches into those environments, we need to first of all get access to them.

"The question is, can you get them a job in the southern hemisphere? You try to put a coach into New Zealand, would the NZRU want us to put our next coach in there? We're quite happy up here to pay to do that. I'm not saying that's how they'd view it down there, even if we were paying.'

Ritchie also responded to the reports that All Blacks demanded half of the matchday revenue generated to play autumn internationals with England.

"When we went down there for the three Test matches in June, we got no money at all," Ritchie said.

"They get the gate money and TV money and that's the same for Lions tours as well, so I'm not sure that I get this argument.

"I didn't ask for a revenue share from Australia. And ditto from the Lions, so I don't see why there is a particularly strong case for arguing the other way.

"If we manage to sell out 82,000 at Twickenham because of our efforts and because we've invested in the stadium, that's something we've rightly invested in.

"If you look at the amount of money the RFU has spent on Twickenham since it was conceived, well then of course we should get a return on that.

"Of course they would say they want more money. There is nothing to stop Australia or New Zealand building a stadium - go and build a stadium if you want to increase your revenue growth.

"We've all been through it - Wales, Ireland and Scotland too. You incur some debt in stadium build and then you reap the benefits of that."