Newcastle boss Rob Andrew was on Friday named as England’s first director of elite rugby.
The former England flyhalf was chosen over some high-profile candidates including England’s World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward.
The position was created following the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) review of this year’s Six Nations where England finished a lowly fourth.
It is designed to manage all levels of English representative rugby, bridge the impasse between the union and the clubs and ease the pressure on national coach Andy Robinson.
Andrew, capped 71 times by England, will start his new job on September 1 after spending 11 years at Newcastle as rugby director, a reign which included one Premiership title and two English knock-out cup triumphs.
”Rob is the best person for the job,” said RFU chief executive Francis Baron, who was joined on the interview panel by RFU management board chairperson Martyn Thomas, Club England chairperson John Spencer and England’s International Rugby Board representative Bill Beaumont.
Baron added: ”The fact that he came through a very competitive field, with some superb candidates competing for the elite rugby director role, says much about the way he impressed the interview panel with his vision and ideas.
”Following the decisions resulting from the Six Nations review in April 2006, we set ourselves the target of appointing a new England coaching team prior to the June tour to Australia, and a new elite rugby director by the start of the 2006/07 season.
”Both objectives have been met.”
Andrew said it was a job he simply couldn’t refuse.
”Moving away from Newcastle Falcons has of course been a difficult decision for me to make, but the challenge offered by the elite rugby director role was one I couldn’t turn down,” the 43-year-old commented.
Andrew’s appointment ends an exhaustive search by the RFU, who were also looking at Woodward and former Australian coach Eddie Jones but Andrew’s credentials found most favour.
His role will be to head up a department that includes all England representative teams from the senior side through to the under-18s, plus national and regional academies, elite referees, sports science and medicine.
Andrew’s elevation to the English rugby hierarchy comes at Woodward’s expense.
Woodward, director of football at Southampton, was in the frame for a Twickenham return almost two years after he quit as England head coach.
Andrew though, ticked all the right boxes, especially with England’s 12 Guinness Premiership clubs, who will relish working alongside him.
Andrew is succeeded as Newcastle chief by the club’s academy boss John Fletcher with immediate effect.
Andrew said: I would like to thank Newcastle for giving me 11 very memorable years of club rugby.
”We achieved a lot during my time at the club, developed a lot of exciting players and the support I had from the board, players and supporters was invaluable throughout my time. — Sapa-AFP