Decorated defence coach Shaun Edwards has revealed that his offer to join England's coaching staff for the 2027 Rugby World Cup was declined by head coach Steve Borthwick.
Edwards, 60, said he had a phone conversation with Borthwick in which he expressed willingness to take any role, including assistant kit man. Borthwick responded that he was satisfied with his current backroom team, which includes Richard Wigglesworth overseeing defence, supported by Byron McGuigan and Joe El-Abd.
After leaving his post with France earlier this year and a short-term consultancy role with England's women's side, Edwards has signed with Argentina until the end of the 2027 tournament.
Edwards' coaching pedigree
Edwards is one of the most successful defence coaches in the game. He won three Six Nations Grand Slams during a 12-year spell with Wales and helped restore France as a global powerhouse, securing three Six Nations titles. At club level, he won two Champions Cups and four English titles with Wasps, initially as defence coach before becoming head coach. He also enjoyed a distinguished rugby league career with Wigan and Great Britain.
Previous links to England
The Rugby Football Union approached Edwards in 2006 and 2008, and chief executive Bill Sweeney held informal talks in 2021 but opted not to compete with France for his services.
England's recent form
England's men's team have endured fluctuating results over the past two years. A 12-Test winning streak ended with defeat to Scotland in February, followed by five successive losses. They most recently beat Fiji and Argentina, and face Australia, Japan, New Zealand and a Nations Championship play-off on successive weekends in November.
Experience with the Red Roses
Edwards' brief involvement with England's women's team included the build-up to their 26-19 victory over New Zealand at Allianz Stadium. Despite making only seven 22-metre entries compared to the Black Ferns' 15, the Red Roses completed 310 tackles and conceded just 19 points, a statistic Edwards described as the most remarkable of his career. He also noted the more relaxed pre-match atmosphere among the women's squad.
Future aspirations
Edwards, who was linked with the Fiji head coach role that went to Jake White, said he is surprised his experience has not yet led to a Test head coach position. He believed he was a strong contender for the Wales job when Warren Gatland left in 2019, but Wales appointed Wayne Pivac instead.
