Red Roses head coach John Mitchell and his staff will remain in their roles beyond the Rugby World Cup regardless of whether they win the tournament, the RFU have confirmed.
Mitchell and his backroom staff are all under contract through June 30, 2026, and the RFU will be in no hurry to chop and change if the Red Roses fail to win this summer’s World Cup on home soil.
Mitchell’s Red Roses clinched the Six Nations championship earlier this month, beating France 43-42 at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham to secure a seventh consecutive title and fourth straight Grand Slam. Speaking to BBC Sport, the RFU’s director of rugby performance Conor O’Shea said he did not want his staff to be distracted by anxiety surrounding their contracts.
He said: “There will be no thought for anything until we get through the World Cup and [2026] Six Nations.”
A former player and experienced coach, Mitchell has been in charge of the Red Roses since 2023. He was previously the defence coach for England’s men’s side, helping them to the 2019 World Cup final in Japan.
Hosting the World Cup this year, though, England will be the popular favourites to win, a feat they last achieved in 2019. They are such a frightening prospect that New Zealand legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who has scored more World Cup tries than any other rugby player, male or female, has come out of retirement to boost the Black Ferns’ chances.
Their campaign gets underway at the Stadium of Light on August 22, facing the United States in front of what is expected to be a sellout crowd. Red Roses matches have seen a 391% increase in ticketing revenue over the past four years.
New Zealand’s Black Ferns will likely be England’s stiffest opposition in the tournament, having won six of the last seven tournaments.
O’Shea acknowledged that while England might be among the favourites, home-field advantage will only be worth so much. They were beaten by New Zealand in the finals in 2010 at Twickenham Stoop.
"Anyone that thinks you are going to go into a World Cup and roll teams over because you are the hosts is deluding themselves.
“You don't write your own script. In sport, you never do."
