<
>

England's Borthwick named Leicester Tigers head coach

England skills coach Steve Borthwick will join as Leicester Tigers head coach after the Six Nations. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

England skills coach Steve Borthwick will join Leicester Tigers as head coach after the 2020 Six Nations.

Borthwick served as forwards coach to the England squad that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final before being made skills coach, and has been replaced by Melbourne Storm assistant Jason Ryle, who will join at the end of the 2020 NRL season.

Borthwick succeeds former Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy, who will move into the director of rugby role at the club.

"The club has enjoyed many of its greatest successes with a blend of the Tigers DNA alongside fresh, innovative ideas from outside, both among the players and the coaching staff, and we look forward to Geordan and Steve leading that in their respective new roles," Tigers chairman Peter Tom CBE said in a statement.

"He [Borthwick] has a wealth of knowledge and experience at the very highest level as player and now as a coach, and has a clear vision of where he wants to take the team. We look forward to welcoming him on board."

Borthwick was capped 57 times by England as a player between 2001 and 2010, and joined the national setup as a coach in 2015.

"The last four-and-a-half years working with the England team has been an incredible journey," Jones said. "I have worked with some brilliant players and staff.In particular I would like thank Eddie Jones. To have worked with one the greatest head coaches in the world for so long has been an unbelievable experience.

"The Tigers have such a long and successful history, and are one of the greatest rugby clubs in the game. Welford Road, with the special atmosphere created by the club's incredible supporters roaring their team forward, is a very special place to be."