Tigers.

England coach Steve Borthwick will become Leicester Tigers’ head coach when he leaves his role with the national side in November.

The RFU confirmed yesterday that the former Saracens and Bath lock would leave his role with England at the end of the season with a move to Leicester seemingly in the works for some time.

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.

Geordan Murphy meanwhile has been appointed to the role of director of rugby. 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.

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 am 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.”