England boost as ‘inspirational’ Kevin Sinfield signs new deal

Kevin Sinfield has agreed to stay with England but will spend less time with the national side outside of Test windows, it was announced on Monday.

Sinfield will continue his roles covering individual skills and kicking as well as acting as a squad mentor. However, his reduced “contact time” with the squad outside of the Test schedule and during match weeks will give him “greater flexibility to balance other personal and professional commitments”, according to the RFU.

Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, described the work that Sinfield does on and off the field as “invaluable to our players”. Sinfield was originally appointed as England’s defence coach when Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones, before moving into a different role after last year’s Rugby World Cup.

“Kevin is a talented coach and an inspirational figure in our set-up,” Borthwick said. “I am pleased he’ll remain part of the management team and continue to contribute towards the success of England Rugby.”

Sinfield added: “Working with Steve and the team has been an immensely rewarding experience, and I am excited to continue my involvement with the team.

“This new arrangement allows me to keep doing the thing that I’m passionate about, coaching and mentoring players, while also balancing other commitments which are important to me.”

The news is a boost for England after a testing summer and the departures of conditioning staff Aled Walters and Tom Tombleson, with defence coach Felix Jones also serving his notice period after tending his resignation. He is working remotely for England from Dublin. Joe El-Abd has since been appointed defence coach, with Dan Tobin joining England’s backroom staff from Gloucester.

Telegraph Sport revealed exclusively last week that Sinfield had agreed to remain with England until the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

As part of his mentoring role, he is expected to be given extra time with new call-ups to the squad, with one-on-one sessions on offer. The mentoring side of his job description is understood to be a key factor in his decision to stay.

The RFU noted Sinfield’s remarkable fundraising efforts in recent years for motor neurone disease (MND) research and charities, raising £10million to support his former team-mate Rob Burrow.

Sinfield’s latest fundraising effort later this year will see him complete 50km every day for a week, visiting towns and cities across Great Britain and Northern Ireland including Liverpool, Wrexham, Gloucester, Belfast, Stirling, Glasgow, Hull, Northampton, Leicester and Manchester.