Reports: Kevin Sinfield to be named England Rugby Union coach alongside Steve Borthwick

Kevin Sinfield is set to be a part of the new England Rugby Union coaching setup.

That’s according to Mail Online who report that current boss Eddie Jones will be sacked tomorrow and replaced by the Leicester Tigers ‘dream team’ – made up of Head Coach Steve Borthwick, Defence Coach Sinfield and Head of Physical Performance Aled Walters.

Sinfield joined the Tigers as Defence Coach in 2021 after leaving his position as Director of Rugby at Leeds Rhinos following the conclusion of the Super League season that year.

He has since overseen a dramatic improvement at Leicester that ended with them winning the 2022 Gallagher Premiership in June after a last-gasp win over Saracens at Twickenham.

Despite a shacky start to this season, which has seen them win just four of their nine league games, the Rugby Football Union have approached the Tigers about taking the trio to the national team to replace Jones and his backroom staff.

England have endured a tough 2022 and have won just five of their 13 games, and that form has caused for the RFU board to sack Jones just 10 months out from the Rugby World Cup in France.

For Sinfield it is a meteoric rise in the 15-man game as he follows in the footsteps of fellow rugby league greats Andy Farrell and Shaun Edwards who have enjoyed superb coaching careers since switching codes.

The 42-year-old has been in the headlines more recently for his heroics in raising millions for best friend and MND sufferer Rob Burrow through his mammoth running challenge – the latest seeing him run seven ultra-marathons in seven days across Britain.

Now though Sinfield will make the headlines again and will be at the forefront of the Red Roses new era and charge towards the World Cup in an unexpected move by the RFU.

Meanwhile the departing Jones could be heading in the opposite direction, with the Australian strongly linked with rugby league and a coaching gig in the NRL for the 2023 season.

Sources suggest Jones will receive an £800,000 pay-out by England, while the arrival of Borthwick, Sinfield and Walters will see the RFU pay Leicester £200,000 in compensation with all three under contract at the Premiership club.