FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union – Six Nations Championship – England Press Conference – Pennyhill Park Hotel, Bagshot, Britain – March 8, 2019 England forwards coach Steve Borthwick during a press conference Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
January 21, 2020
LONDON (Reuters) – England assistant coach Steve Borthwick will take over as Leicester head coach at the end of the international season, the club announced on Tuesday.
Geordan Murphy will take on a new role as director of rugby at the Tigers, who would be bottom of the Premiership but for Saracens’ 35 point deduction for breaching the salary cap regulations.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced on Monday that Borthwick would be leaving his position, with Melbourne Storm coach Jason Ryles set to join Eddie Jones’ backroom staff in November.
Borthwick, 40, is changing roles from forwards coach to skills coach for England’s Six Nations campaign starting against France on Feb. 2.
Leicester Chairman Peter Tom said the appointments provided “an exciting combination of leadership, expertise and experience to drive the club forward in its desire to challenge for major honours again.”
Borthwick described his four and a half years with 2019 World Cup finalists England as “an incredible journey”, and thanked Jones for the experience.
The former international said the target now was to build on Leicester’s history and take the club to the top of European rugby.
“It is a brilliant challenge and I am excited to start working with the players and everybody associated with the team,” he added.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Jon Boyle)
