Steve Borthwick appointed new Leicester head coach

As first reported by RugbyPass in October, Leicester have confirmed that Steve Borthwick is to join Tigers as head coach with Geordan Murphy appointed to the role of director of rugby.

Forwards coach to the England squad that reached the 2019 World Cup final after a highly decorated playing career with club and country, Borthwick is now skills coach with the national set-up under Eddie Jones preparing for the 2020 Six Nations and will join Tigers at the end of his international commitments.

Murphy’s move into the director of rugby role follows a year as head coach at the club where he won eight Premiership titles and back-to-back European Cups as a player.

Tigers chairman Peter Tom said: “The appointment of Steve Borthwick as head coach and Geordan Murphy in the role of director of rugby provides an exciting combination of leadership, expertise and experience to drive the club forward in its desire to challenge for major honours again.

“The club has enjoyed many of its greatest successes with a blend of the Tigers DNA alongside fresh, innovative ideas from outside, both among the players and the coaching staff, and we look forward to Geordan and Steve leading that in their respective new roles.

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“At the end of last season Pat Howard was commissioned to conduct a detailed review of operations at the club and one of the key findings was the need for stability in the coaching and playing structures to encourage development in line with the high standards and expectations of its board, management, players and supporters.

“Geordan’s new role provides that stability as he knows the Tigers as well as anyone and has played a key part in the club’s successes, working with many world-class players and staff in his time here. He appreciates what makes the Leicester Tigers the club it is and will continue to drive those requirements and standards within the playing squad and backroom team.”

Welcoming former England captain Borthwick to the club, he added: “We are delighted to confirm that Steve will be joining us as head coach. He is regarded among the brightest and most astute young coaches in the game and he played a prominent part in the coaching team which led England to the World Cup final last year.

“He has a wealth of knowledge and experience at the very highest level as player and now as a coach, and has a clear vision of where he wants to take the team. We look forward to welcoming him on board.”

Borthwick said: “The last four-and-a-half years working with the England team has been an incredible journey. I have worked with some brilliant players and staff. In particular, I would like to thank Eddie Jones. To have worked with one of the greatest head coaches in the world for so long has been an unbelievable experience.

“I’m delighted to be joining Leicester Tigers as head coach. The Tigers have such a long and successful history and are one of the greatest rugby clubs in the game. Welford Road, with the special atmosphere created by the club's incredible supporters roaring their team forward, is a very special place to be.

“We must now work to build upon that great history and create our future to get this club to the top of European rugby. It is a brilliant challenge and I am excited to start working with the players and everybody associated with the team. Geordan provides a link with the club’s greatest teams and we will be working together to ensure that there are many successful days ahead for this club, and for our supporters to enjoy."

Murphy’s playing career with the club began in 1997 and he joined the coaching staff in 2013, becoming head coach during the early part of the 2018/19 season. He said: “The players and staff have all been working incredibly hard to get the club back on a pathway to where we all want to be, at the top of the professional game.

“We have been building a lot of the foundations around recruitment and retention of the playing squad and the success of our academy structure, and we look forward to Steve’s arrival to drive the playing squad onwards. Steve is a world-class coach with the skills and determination to get the best out of everyone around him.”

WATCH: RugbyPass takes a look behind the scenes at the Leicester Tigers' player academy