Kevin Sinfield has changed his role to accommodate new defense coach Felix Jones. Photo: PA/David Davis
Kevin Sinfield said he was leaving. The England squad formed in the summer for «personal reasons» but is keen to remain as a rugby union coach.
Sinfield marks Steve Borthwick's first appointment as England manager since his appointment as defense coach from Leicester Tigers in December 2022. Earlier this month, the Rugby Football Union confirmed that Sinfield would retire after the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand in July. To accommodate the arrival of Felix Jones as the new defense coach, his role at this Six Nations Championship has also been downgraded to skills coach.
An inspirational Sinfield received a CBE in the New Year honors list after raising millions for motor neurone disease research in aid of his former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow. However, Sinfield, who only moved into rugby coaching in 2021 when he joined Leicester from the Rhinos, hopes to remain in the union despite not having anything lined up immediately with his commitments due The England team will run out.
“Do I still want to coach? Yes. At this stage I’m not sure what that looks like,” Sinfield said. “I'm really excited about what's going to happen this year with England, but there are still a lot of unknowns for me and I don't know what it's going to look like in the future. I will do my best.
“I don't know where it is or what it looks like, but I really enjoyed coaching and I never felt like I really left rugby league because of my role with Rugby League Cares, the sport's charity. . I know for sure that I want to continue to support people and help them.
“When what happened with Rob [Barrow] happened, it was a big shift in my life and I felt it was right to use my experience as a player to help me support players and other people. I try to make the best of it moving forward. I won't rule anything out at this stage because I think it would be stupid. I think it is unlikely that I will return to rugby league, but I will never say no.
I think you can see that my main focus this week is on the team. I don't want anything to interfere with our performance. These are personal reasons and I think they should remain private for that. I think it's important that my reasons remain secret for now.»
Sinfield admits it has been an eye-opening experience moving from club coaching to international coaching, where the time spent with players is of absolute value. Under Sinfield, England's defense improved markedly at the World Cup, where they finished third, but he believes Borthwick can take them to even greater heights in 2027.
«The World Cup was a great experience,» Sinfield added. “Getting a medal at the end, given where we were in the summer, means I'm definitely leaving with fond memories of last year. I enjoy spending time with the players, I enjoy the connections I have been able to build, the friendships I have with the coaching team. I have made lifelong friends with some members of the management team who I will keep in touch with forever.
“I will keep in touch with the staff and coaching team, I want England to win and although I will be part This four year cycle is only for a short period of time, it doesn't change what I want to see in 2027. It's been too long since we won the World Cup. Full stop. I want the team to grow and I want them to win silverware.”
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