The RFU’s move is designed to avoid uncertainty heading into the tournament but stops short of backing Borthwick in the long term.
Borthwick is contracted until the end of the tournament next year and the RFU’s director of performance, Conor O’Shea, has made clear that his future beyond that is dependent on how England perform in Australia.
“You don’t want them looking for a job going into [a World Cup],” O’Shea said. “Everyone knows it will be judged on the World Cup, but you can’t have a group of coaches going in with that uncertainty, especially when you look at the timing. So we will give that certainty, and that will give us time to look properly.”
O’Shea has made clear that Borthwick must target World Cup glory in Australia and, while Andy Farrell has been handed a contract with Ireland through to 2031 the RFU has not presented Borthwick with similar long-term backing.
England were thrashed by South Africa at the start of their summer tour before a comfortable victory against Fiji and a narrow win against Argentina. Borthwick’s job will come under further pressure if England disappoint in autumn fixtures against Australia, Japan, New Zealand as well as a final weekend rankings match.
“I see in Steve someone who bleeds England and wants England to succeed more than anything you can imagine,” O’Shea said. “This England team is unequivocally one of probably five teams who can win the World Cup next year. I believe this team can win a World Cup. Is the talent there? One hundred per cent. If over this next 12 months this England team shows the best version of itself, I know it can beat anyone in the world.”
The RFU, meanwhile, has announced a new money-spinning venture with England jerseys to have a sponsor emblazoned across the back for the first time. The deal with Lloyds Bank is thought to be worth £5m a year, with Sweeney claiming the arrangement gives the union “largest sponsorship revenue in world rugby”.
The Guardian revealed the RFU was on the verge of confirming the deal as the latest in a string of new sponsorships. England jerseys will feature the Lloyds logo during the Nations Championship this autumn and brings the RFU in line with rivals such as France, who have a similar arrangement with Société Générale. Under tournament rules, England will not be permitted to have sponsorship logos on jerseys during the World Cup next year, however.
As part of the multi-year deal the Lloyds black horse will feature on the jerseys of the men’s and women’s teams as well as the training jackets. The jerseys will continue to feature the O2 logo on the front while the RFU secured a kit deal with Castore in 2025.
The year ending 2027 is expected to be more prosperous with sponsorship revenues playing a key factor but the year ending 2028 will incur heavy losses because of the World Cup and the absence of autumn internationals at Twickenham.
Meanwhile, Henry Pollock is nearing a new deal with Northampton believed to be worth more than £400,000, ending speculation over the England flanker’s future. The 21-year-old’s agent, Eddie Hearn, had claimed Pollock should be earning £1m a year but the Northampton director of rugby, Phil Dowson, insisted last week that a “happy medium” must be reached.
