England to extend head coach Borthwick's contract

England head coach Steve Borthwick will have his contract extended past the 2028 Six Nations in a bid to avoid uncertainty over his future before and during next year’s Rugby World Cup.

As it did with Red Roses boss John Mitchell before the 2025 World Cup, the Rugby Football Union has moved to ensure Borthwick and his staff have some clarity over their positions going into the global showpiece.

According to RFU performance director Conor O’Shea, extending Borthwick’s deal into the middle of 2028 will allow time to decide who leads the team in the longer-term.

“You don’t want them looking for a job going into [a World Cup],” O’Shea explained.

“Everyone knows it will be judged on the World Cup, but you can’t have a group of coaches going in with that uncertainty, especially when you look at the timing.

“So we will give that certainty, and that will give us time to look properly.”

Following a review into England’s “horrendous” Six Nations earlier this year, Borthwick has been backed to lead the team through to the World Cup, with O’Shea adding he can’t see a scenario where Borthwick isn’t in charge in Australia.

In the July leg of the Nations Championship, England recovered from a bruising defeat by South Africa in Johannesburg to vanquish Fiji in Liverpool and edge out Argentina to finish the campaign with two wins from three.

However at this stage the RFU has stopped short of committing to Borthwick on a long-term basis, unlike Ireland, who have signed their head coach Andy Farrell up to 2031.

“I see in Steve someone who bleeds England, and wants England to succeed more than anything you can imagine,” O’Shea said.

“This England team is unequivocally one of probably five teams who can win the World Cup next year. I believe this team can win a World Cup.

“Is the talent there? 100%,” he added.

“If over this next 12 months this England team shows the best version of itself, I know it can beat anyone in the world.”

O’Shea (r) was previously head coach of Italy and director of rugby at Harlequins and London Irish [Getty Images]

As was the case for a number of his predecessors, Borthwick is only able to select players based in the English Prem, meaning the likes of Toulouse flanker Jack Willis – one of the outstanding performers in the French Top 14 – is ineligible for his country.

Cap centurion Courtney Lawes, who has returned to English rugby with Sale after two seasons at Brive, believes the RFU should review the policy to ensure the best players are available.

But O’Shea is adamant the ruling is what works for English rugby as a whole, and has warned against the impact of loosening the policy.

“It is something done not just for England, but for English rugby,” O’Shea said.

“As of now, if all the best players were picked by England and went abroad, and we had less of the top players in our league, the unintended consequence towards investment into that from some of our owners… why would you invest in the pathways if the best players are going to be taken away?

“I get it completely, the life experiences are great. But for the English game, it is absolutely the right thing.”

Since joining the RFU in January 2020, O’Shea has overseen England women’s global dominance, aided by the establishment and development of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).

And while the resources and player numbers at England dwarf those at many of their rivals, O’Shea rejects the notion that the Red Roses can ever be too strong.

The world champion Roses are unbeaten in four years and have won every Six Nations since 2018.

Conversely in the men’s game, no nation has won three Six Nations in a row in the professional era.

“Does competitive tension create greater commercialisation and broadcast? I get all that,” O’Shea said.

“But I do think when you look at the PWR, and what we have done in terms of allowing a lot of players to come over here and allow them the platform to develop as players, England plays a huge role in driving that.

“Was it bad when you had a dominant Tiger Woods, or Serena Williams? What about celebrating what they are. They have been the standard bearer.”