LONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - English rugby's new performance director will not oversee the senior national team after all following a decision by the the Rugby Football Union (RFU) on Tuesday to water down the job description for the role.
The job was created after a reorganisation saw former head Rob Andrew move to a more administrative role and was initially seen as a position above England manager Martin Johnson.
However, the RFU has issued a statement saying its board had agreed to revise the job description, removing all direct influence over the senior England team and capped the new man's involvement at the second-tier Saxons set-up.
"With the rugby World Cup starting in the autumn and the positive development of the senior team so far, the RFU Board is keen not to upset the momentum established.
"It has therefore approved a change to the job description for the role," the statement said.
"The changed job description, which was sent to all short-listed candidates last week, removes the senior team, and its management, from the performance director responsibilities.
"It caps their involvement at the England Saxons level to reinforce the point that this is about talent development up through the men and women's age group teams and about defining a long term performance strategy.
"This will be reviewed after RWC2011 depending on the outcome on the field and discussions with the England team management," the statement added referring to the World Cup in New Zealand which runs from Sept. 9-Oct.23.
England's former World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward, who now works for the British Olympic Association, had been widely tipped to take on the performance director role.
However, the change to the job description will make it less appealing to Woodward, who left the RFU in 2004 after growing frustrated at not having enough control over the senior team.
The job was created after a reorganisation saw former head Rob Andrew move to a more administrative role and was initially seen as a position above England manager Martin Johnson.
However, the RFU has issued a statement saying its board had agreed to revise the job description, removing all direct influence over the senior England team and capped the new man's involvement at the second-tier Saxons set-up.
"With the rugby World Cup starting in the autumn and the positive development of the senior team so far, the RFU Board is keen not to upset the momentum established.
"It has therefore approved a change to the job description for the role," the statement said.
"The changed job description, which was sent to all short-listed candidates last week, removes the senior team, and its management, from the performance director responsibilities.
"It caps their involvement at the England Saxons level to reinforce the point that this is about talent development up through the men and women's age group teams and about defining a long term performance strategy.
"This will be reviewed after RWC2011 depending on the outcome on the field and discussions with the England team management," the statement added referring to the World Cup in New Zealand which runs from Sept. 9-Oct.23.
England's former World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward, who now works for the British Olympic Association, had been widely tipped to take on the performance director role.
However, the change to the job description will make it less appealing to Woodward, who left the RFU in 2004 after growing frustrated at not having enough control over the senior team.
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