Schmidt and Gatland may be in running for England job

Warren Gatland and Joe Schmidt are in the frame to succeed Eddie Jones as England head coach.

The Rugby Football Union has confirmed it has begun a recruitment process to identify potential candidates, ensuring there is a proper succession plan for when Jones steps down.

The Australian signed a twoyear extension in January to stay in the role until 2021 but his contract will be terminated if England do not meet the RFU’s performance target at next year’s World Cup in Japan.

The RFU is determined to have a plan for either scenario and, significantly, Steve Brown, the governing body’s chief executive, said that the head coaches of rival home unions were ‘‘not off limits’’.

Top of the RFU’s criteria are head coaches with proven success on the international stage and Gatland and Schmidt, whose contracts expire after the World Cup, would be considered strong contenders for the position.

Schmidt coached Ireland to the Grand Slam this season while Gatland masterminded the British and Irish Lions’ drawn series against the All Blacks last year and has coached Wales to three Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams.

‘‘It’s all to do with whether they fit the profile and the criteria that we’re looking for. Whilst we would love to have an English head coach eventually, our priority is still to get the best coach for England.’’

When asked if someone such as Gatland, who also guided the Lions to a Test series victory over Australia in 2013, would come under consideration, Brown said: ‘‘We’re not precluding anyone from the list.

‘‘But what we’re not going to do is to upset another union. We are going to be respectful of those arrangements, as we would expect others to do with us.’’