Shaun Wane: England men's head coach extends contract to 2025

Shaun WaneImage source, SWpix.com
Image caption,

Shaun Wane took on the England men's head coach role in 2020 but had to wait until 2021 for his first meaningful fixture

Shaun Wane will remain as England men's head coach, after the Rugby Football League extended his contract until the conclusion of the 2025 World Cup.

Former Wigan boss Wane, 58, led the nation to the semi-finals at last autumn's World Cup, where they lost to Samoa in golden-point extra time.

Stuart Barrow has succeeded Craig Richards as women's head coach after their World Cup semi-final exit.

Tom Coyd remains wheelchair head coach, having won the 2021 tournament.

"The RFL Board received and considered at length a detailed review of the performance of each of the England teams at RLWC2021," RFL chair Simon Johnson said., external

"No stone was left unturned in the review, which included submissions from coaches, players and staff alike.

"The report generated a good, robust and lengthy discussion at our February board meeting. We are confident that we have the right people in place."

Wane's England fall short in home World Cup

Media caption,

Samoa seal golden-point win to reach a historic first World Cup final

After a successful career as a club boss with Wigan, in which he won three Super League titles and a Challenge Cup, Wane spent time with Scotland's rugby union set-up, before signalling his return to league with England in February 2020.

He was succeeding Australian 'super coach' Wayne Bennett, who had taken England to a World Cup final defeat by Australia in the previous tournament down under in 2017.

The appointment of Wane was made with the aim of going a step further in 2021, with preparations to include a three-Test tour to England by Australia in the autumn of 2020 before the Covid pandemic prompted its cancellation.

It all meant that by the time Wane led England out for their first game of the delayed World Cup tournament against Samoa in October, he had only been able to coach four matches, including the warm-up fixture with Fiji a week before the campaign began.

Wane's side blew away Samoa at Newcastle in the tournament opener, then stormed past France and Greece to cruise through the group stages with ease.

He had called upon National Rugby League stars such as Newcastle winger Dom Young and Sydney Roosters back-rower Victor Radley with spectacular results, and got the best out of Warrington half-back George Williams, who he had nurtured at Wigan.

After dumping Papua New Guinea out in the quarter-finals with a dominant display in Wigan, England again faced Samoa at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in the semi-finals.

It was supposed to be England's big chance to win a home tournament, but despite a fightback against the Pacific islanders in a see-sawing thriller, a drop-goal from Stephen Crichton ended those hopes in extra time.

In terms of progress, not reaching the final was in respects a backward step, but the emergence of Samoa as another major Test threat along with Australia, New Zealand and Tonga was another new phenomenon of international rugby league.

Analysis: 'Wane has the support of leading players'

Dave Woods, BBC rugby league correspondent

Shaun Wane's position as England head coach was given a serious review after the disappointing golden-point defeat against Samoa in last year's World Cup semi-final.

But he did receive support from several of his leading players and he remains the most obvious candidate to lead the national side, albeit on a part-time basis.

A Covid-hit build up to the 2021 World Cup, played last autumn, meant that Wane had very few competitive matches to test his players ahead of that home tournament. And at the moment there is only one confirmed fixture before the 2025 World Cup in France.

England will play a Test match against France at the end of this April, and that's the only fixture he can plan for with any certainty.

There is a hope that Tonga will tour this country for a three-match Test series immediately after the Super League Grand Final this year, and Australia are pencilled in for a long-anticipated Ashes tour in 2024.

But those series remain far from certain because of the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the Australian National Rugby League and the Australian RL Players' Association, that still threatens to disrupt the NRL domestic season.

Until that is settled, no decisions will be made on the international calendar.

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