England Have No Plans To Extend Borthwick’s Contract Despite Winning Streak

The Rugby Football Union has nary plans to statesman talks pinch Steve Borthwick complete extending his statement beyond 2027 “for nan foreseeable future” contempt England’s 11-match winning streak and autumn cleanable sweep.

Borthwick’s statement runs until nan extremity of 2027 but pinch England halfway done nan existent World Cup rhythm and presently 3rd successful nan world rankings, nan RFU main executive, Bill Sweeney, has nary contiguous intentions of discussing an hold successful a oversea alteration from nan union’s erstwhile approach.

During his tenure, Sweeney has made it a privilege to amended England’s succession planning, appointing Nigel Redman arsenic squad capacity director, but nan main executive has raised nan imaginable of Borthwick heading into nan 2027 World Cup unclear if he will proceed beyond nan competition. Indeed, pinch a small much than 18 months and only 17 matches earlier England statesman World Cup preparations, Sweeney is successful nary unreserved to necktie Borthwick down.

Borthwick’s predecessor, Eddie Jones, was appointed successful precocious 2015 done to nan 2019 World Cup but successful January 2018 his contract was extended done to 2021 by nan past main executive, Steve Brown. After taking England to nan World Cup last successful 2019, Jones’s statement was further extended successful early 2020 done to 2023 by Sweeney earlier he was sacked successful precocious 2022.

Before Jones, Stuart Lancaster was initially appointed connected an interim basis but was appointed full-time aft nan 2012 Six Nations connected a four-year deal. In October 2014, however, Lancaster was fixed a new semipermanent statement until 2020, only for England to explosive astatine their location World Cup successful 2015, prompting his exit.

Borthwick’s banal has ne'er been higher arsenic caput coach aft finishing 2025 pinch triumph complete Argentina past Sunday. The 46-year-old came nether unit successful 2024 aft a bid of constrictive defeats near England classed seventh successful nan world but having won each lucifer since opening 2025 pinch a conclusion successful Dublin, location is optimism he will extremity England’s five-year hold for a Six Nations title adjacent year.

“We evidently backmost this coaching group and are really happy pinch it,” said Sweeney. “We haven’t had those conversations now, and we are not readying to successful nan foreseeable future, no. His statement goes done to 2027. We are evidently delighted pinch nan guidance it is going in.

“We really saw it successful 2024. It’s easy pinch hindsight now, but those constrictive losses successful 24, we knew nan trajectory nan squad was on. Narrow nonaccomplishment to Australia, nan nonaccomplishment to New Zealand that could person gone nan different way. I deliberation what you’ve seen this twelvemonth pinch nan extent that nan squad is building, nan style of play he is developing, we are really happy pinch that. We haven’t sewage into immoderate discussions astir post-27.”

Sweeney was speaking aft nan merchandise of nan RFU’s latest yearly study which shows a nett nonaccomplishment of £1.9m for nan financial twelvemonth aft generating nan second-highest gross successful its history. The accounts show a acold much unafraid image than nan erstwhile year’s which reported losses of £42m – mostly owed to less location fixtures because of nan World Cup. Last year’s study prompted a scandal complete Sweeney’s £358,000 prize that took his net to £1.1m. The latest accounts show that Sweeney was paid £702,000, down £40,000 connected his erstwhile basal salary.

Bill Sweeney, pictured pinch Jamie George, is assured nan RFU will triumph its conflict pinch Richmond assembly complete Twickenham. Photograph: Dan Mullan/RFU/The RFU Collection/Getty Images

Sweeney, meanwhile, has expressed assurance that Richmond assembly will adjacent May assistance nan RFU support to big up to 15 concerts a year, which would alteration nan national to money a £660m revamp of Twickenham. Sweeney insisted that staying remains nan RFU’s “plan A” but again warned different options are connected nan array if Richmond assembly rules against nan union. Wembley is understood to beryllium among those options while Birmingham City person unveiled plans for a caller stadium and expressed an liking successful hosting rugby.

The RFU’s penchant is to enactment astatine Twickenham but, as revealed by nan Guardian, nan national was dealt a rustle erstwhile Richmond assembly decreed that nan limit of 3 non-sporting events – and only 1 not connected a Saturday – must remain. Licensing and readying applications are tally successful parallel and nan RFU will still make a readying exertion adjacent twelvemonth and, if successful, reapply for a caller licence.

“I met pinch Richmond a mates of weeks ago,” said Sweeney. “Good conversations, bully dialogue. Very positive. They want to support america successful position of nan guidance we’re going successful but it’s a process that’s connected track. We’ve laid retired very intelligibly for them what it intends for us. Those events are basal for america if we’re to reinvest successful nan stadium and nan stadium needs reinvestment to support gait pinch different stadiums. It’s not a grandstanding speech tactic.

“And our scheme A is to stay. We lend complete £90m to nan section system and good complete £100m to nan greater London economy. They want america to enactment present but purely from a financial validity point, it’s basal we get those other events. I’m confident. You can’t put each your eggs successful 1 basket, truthful you person to person a scheme B and moreover a scheme C and D which are viable.

“We’re assured pinch nan plans that we’ve sewage successful place. We’re assured we tin pull each nan rugby events we want present and capable intermezo events arsenic well. If we get those 15, it’s a very financially viable model.”