England statement: Steve Borthwick recruits Gloucester's Dan Tobin

England have recruited Irishman Dan Tobin as a strength and conditioning coach ahead of the Autumn Nations Series which begins with the November 2 Allianz Stadium fixture versus New Zealand in London.

The appointment of Tobin follows the recent departures of head of strength and conditioning Aled Walters, who has joined Andy Farrell’s Ireland as their new head of athletic performance, and Tom Tombleson, the national team strength and conditioning coordinator who is now a rehab performance coach at Manchester City FC.

Walters, a 2019 Rugby World Cup winner with the Springboks who also helped Borthwick’s Leicester to Gallagher Premiership title glory in 2022, first joined England for the build-up to the 2023 World Cup and he is now serving out his notice. Tombleson, meanwhile, had given a decade of service, stretching back to Stuart Lancaster’s time in charge.

There had been concern in the lead-up to the November games about Borthwick suddenly being short staffed, especially with the new professional game partnership giving him the final say on sports science and medical issues regarding upwards of 25 England players in an enhanced elite players squad. However, this anxiety will be alleviated by next month’s arrival of Tobin.

An RFU statement read: “England men’s head coach Steve Borthwick has appointed Dan Tobin to his coaching team as a strength and conditioning coach. The 40-year-old joins the England men’s set-up in October from Gloucester where he worked as head of performance for the last eight years.

“Prior to his time at Kingsholm, Tobin spent a decade as a strength and conditioning coach at Leinster, and several years at the Dublin GAA senior football team. Tobin, a former Irish international sprinter, will be tasked with optimising the physical performance of the England squad and ensuring the players are physically prepared to meet the demands of Test match rugby.”

Borthwick said: “We are very pleased to be welcoming Dan to the coaching team and excited to see the impact he will make. Dan is an outstanding S&C coach, who has a wealth of rugby experience and a proven track record in maximising the physical performance of his players and helping them reach their full potential.”

Tobin added: “I feel honoured to be joining England and to be working with such a talented group of players and coaches. I’m excited by the progress the team has made over the last 12 months and I look forward to contributing to its success.”