Harlequins working with Gareth Southgate's close advisor and culture guru

Harlequins have revealed they turned to Owen Eastwood, a close associate of Gareth Southgate who overhauled the culture of the England football team, for guidance on all aspects of the club, including the selection of a successor to head of rugby Paul Gustard, who left his position last week.

It is understood that Eastwood has been working with Quins since towards the end last season and will conclude his work in about a month, with far-reaching recommendations on the direction the club should take.

Billy Millard, Harlequins’ general manager, made it clear that Eastwood had no say in Gustard’s departure but had been tasked with examining all areas of the business, including commercial areas such as identifying who Harlequins’ “tribe” of potential new supporters could be in the crowded London sporting marketplace.

“Owen’s approach is to eek out a unique identity of a club,” said Millard, who coached with the Cardiff Blues, Connacht, Melbourne Rebels and Australia Sevens.

“I am really happy we got him because a lot of clubs and organisations were chasing him and I think he knows the rich history Harlequins have and he knows there is a great story and identity.

“It is about underpinning everything we do with a deep sense of purpose and identity, which falls into all our decision-making around what type of people we need to make our environment thrive. What is our playing identity? And who are our tribe?

“Owen talks a lot about who we represent and I think a lot of clubs flow along and roughly know the answer to these things, but he is working with the owners to give this traction and it will outlast all of us.

“It will certainly help all the staff and playing group attach to something bigger than what we have got now. We all believe Quins has something pretty strong to attach to.”

New Zealander Eastwood has an impressive pedigree in working on the cultures of organisations, and many credit him with having a direct impact on the England footballers’ run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, while strengthening their connection with supporters.

A solicitor by trade, Eastwood also spent nine years as a consultant with the South African cricket team from 2010-19, as well as shorter stints with organisations as diverse as Manchester City, the Scottish Rugby Union, the Command Group of Nato and the Royal Ballet School.

Eastwood has a previous connection to Quins, as he acted as solicitor to former player Tom Williams in the fallout after the “Bloodgate” scandal of 2009.

Millard, whose general manager role sits above that of a traditional director of rugby, will oversee the team but leave much of the day-to-day decision making to assistants Jerry Flannery, Nick Evans and Adam Jones.

He has indicated that a new head coach could be appointed before the end of this season, but the club were in no rush. “I am certainly not going to be going in waving my hands around and changing stuff, because these guys worked really hard under Paul Gustard,” he said.

“To support them I am going to be in most meetings, on the training paddock, so I can give them some feedback. If there are any tough decisions to be made they will come to me. They have been involved in selections and recruitment right from the get go.”