The Rugby Football Union's response to England's disappointing Six Nations campaign has been criticised for lacking transparency. Robert Kitson argues that the RFU's statement, which effectively said 'nothing to see here', fails to address fans' concerns after England suffered four championship defeats for the first time since 1976.
Instead of a press conference with chief executive Bill Sweeney and head coach Steve Borthwick, the RFU issued an email statement that Kitson describes as 'beige'. The statement attributed underperformance to multiple issues including discipline and execution, but offered no explanation for why the entire coaching team has been retained through to the next World Cup.
Kitson suggests the RFU had no appetite for change, partly due to the cost of severance payments after sacking Eddie Jones before the 2023 World Cup. With leading candidates contracted elsewhere, the union opted for continuity ahead of upcoming Tests against South Africa, Fiji, and Argentina.
However, Kitson warns that if England perform poorly in those matches, pressure on Borthwick and his staff could intensify. He notes that the RFU statement stops short of guaranteeing Borthwick's position beyond the Australia tour, leaving some wriggle room.
The article concludes that the RFU missed an opportunity to reset the narrative. Kitson argues that if Borthwick is the right man, the RFU should say so clearly, and that the biggest problem may be the 'clunky machinery' beneath the head coach rather than the coach himself.
