Middleton has regret as he quits Red Roses role
Head coach to stand down after Women’s Six Nations World Cup final defeat still painful, admits 57-year-old
Simon Middleton, the head coach who guided England to a recordbreaking 30-match winning streak, will step down in April, following the Women’s Six Nations.
England’s winning run ended last November when they lost the World Cup final to New Zealand in Auckland. Middleton looked utterly crestfallen after the 34-31 defeat, admitting: “I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.”
In a statement released yesterday, the 57-year-old said: “Do I regret not signing off by winning the World Cup as a head coach? Yes, for sure, but I know we can all live with that because we could not have worked harder or given more, sometimes that’s just not quite enough and it wasn’t on the day.
“I know last year’s World Cup campaign was, and continues to be, celebrated and quite rightly so – the bravery and commitment of the players in that game was exceptional and is to be admired. They are an excellent group of players, but, more importantly, amazing people and I know they will continue to be successful.
“I know there is a robust process to get the right person to take over and I am naturally 100 per cent committed until we get to that point. This is definitely the right time for someone to take over with new ideas, and a different voice for players to get inspired by.
“Now our attention turns to being able to perform as well as we can with the goal of winning the Six Nations. It’s a really exciting tournament, culminating in a match against France at Twickenham in front of a huge crowd which will be an inspiring and incredible occasion for everyone.”
The World Cup final defeat at Eden Park was the second time Middleton had watched his side fall short in the showpiece event. In 2017, they lost the final in Belfast, again to New Zealand.
During his eight-year reign, England have won five Six Nations titles and four Grand Slams. He was influential in convincing the Rugby Football Union to become the first to professionalise its women’s team.
Middleton joined the RFU in 2014 and led the women’s sevens side in the World Series, as well as taking a role as assistant coach for the 2014 World Cup in France, where England were victorious.
He was awarded an MBE for services to rugby in June 2021 and, having guided the Red Roses through an unbeaten calendar year, became the first coach of a women’s side to scoop World Rugby’s coachof-the-year award.
Conor O’shea, the RFU performance director, indicated that Middleton’s successor would be announced after the Six Nations. “I know how motivated Simon is to finish his time with the Red Roses on a high with a successful Women’s Six Nations campaign,” he said.
“We will give him the send-off he
deserves but until then his focus will be on preparing the team for that first game of the Six Nations against Scotland at Kingston Park.
“Simon will be a massive influence and addition to whatever environment he goes to next and we will wish him well.”
England’s Six Nations campaign gets under way against Scotland on March 25 and concludes with the visit of France on April 29.