Stuart Lancaster was given an extended contract until 2020 on Wednesday, then told that failure at next year’s World Cup will not be tolerated. While some questioned the wisdom of making such a long-term commitment to England’s head coach and his assistants, RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie was defiant. ‘We want to win the World Cup,’ he said. ‘We are trying to galvanise the England coaching team and do our best to win it. There will be a review at various stages and one of those will be after the World Cup. It will be a very simple review if we win it. Anything less than that, we’ll review afterwards.
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Stuart Lancaster and coaching staff handed six-year contract extension
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Deal will take the England coach beyond the 2019 World Cup in Japan
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Graham Rowntree, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt also given extensions
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Questions were raised over signing deals year before home World Cup
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RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie says the decision can 'galvanise' England
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Lancaster is 'excited' about the 'challenge' of World Cups in 2015 and 2019
Ritchie spoke of various objectives: plotting a course for @placeholder 2019 while continuing the fine work of re-engaging with the rugby public.