No Assurances Given on Borthwick's Future by RFU Chief

Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney has hinted that England head coach Steve Borthwick will be given the opportunity to turn things around after the team's worst-ever Six Nations campaign. Following a fifth-place finish and four consecutive defeats, England is set to face South Africa, Fiji, and Argentina in July. An anonymous panel is currently reviewing England's performance, with Sweeney suggesting that Borthwick, whose contract expires in 2027, will be granted more time to make improvements. Sweeney emphasized the need to separate emotion from the equation and focus on addressing the issues that led to the poor performance. He stated, "We're in the middle of the review, so it wouldn't be appropriate to start talking about that right now, but we'll get to the bottom of all of them." England had previously enjoyed a 12-match winning streak under Borthwick before suffering a surprise loss to Scotland, which marked the beginning of their Six Nations downfall. The campaign also included a historic defeat to Italy and a thrilling 48-46 loss to France. Sweeney expressed his focus on seeing progress and consistent performances, rather than targeting a specific number of wins. He also highlighted the squad's potential, saying, "We still think this is an extremely strong squad that has got the potential and capability to do some really good things." Furthermore, Sweeney denied any contact with Andy Farrell regarding the possibility of taking over as head coach after the 2027 World Cup, stating that Farrell is under contract until 2027 and that there are currently no discussions with him.