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<\/p>\nJohn Mitchell is set to lead England into a home World Cup in 2025 <\/p>\n
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New Red Roses head coach John Mitchell has affirmed his commitment to the role as he bids to lead England to home Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup glory in 2025.<\/p>\n
The former assistant to Eddie Jones and Clive Woodward was appointed head coach of England in May.<\/p>\n
It is the vastly-experienced Mitchell\u2019s first role in the women\u2019s game and comes after a long, varied career that has included two stints with England\u2019s men and a period in charge of the All Blacks.<\/p>\n
The Red Roses will hope to put last year\u2019s World Cup final heartbreak behind them as they target a triumph on home soil in less than two years\u2019 time. Mitchell\u2019s contract is believed to run beyond the 2025 tournament.<\/p>\n
And referencing his former boss \u2014 who has been appointed as Japan head coach after walking away from Australia after a disastrous men\u2019s World Cup campaign \u2014 Mitchell has insisted he is \u201cabsolutely committed\u201d to taking an \u201camazing team\u201d forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not an Eddie Jones,\u201d Mitchell said, speaking for the first time since taking the role. \u201cThat\u2019s just not going to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always owed it to myself to lead a programme again. This is an amazing team that has a winning mentality. That really excited me and the fact that they are the No 1 team in the world, how can we sustain that and stay above the rest?<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the exponential development and focus on women\u2019s sport, to me, that\u2019s a major challenge because other teams are going to get better. We need to stay above them. That\u2019s the part that really excites me.\u201d<\/p>\n
England had won 30 consecutive matches before falling narrowly short in the Eden Park final last year.<\/p>\n
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John Mitchell (left) spent three years as a defence coach with England\u2019s men under Eddie Jones <\/p>\n
The Red Roses have led the way on the path to professionalisation, and victory in the inaugural edition of WXV1 \u2013 including a win over world champions New Zealand in Auckland \u2013 has re-established their place at the top of the women\u2019s rugby pecking order.<\/p>\n
Mitchell arrived at the tournament midway through after concluding his work with Japan at the men\u2019s World Cup, but has already been instrumental in implementing aspects of a new, more open style of play which has been well received by the squad.<\/p>\n
Revealing that he had approached the RFU regarding the vacancy after Simon Middleton announced his departure, Mitchell hopes to continue to build a winning, enjoyable culture that will allow England to express themselves.<\/p>\n
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John Mitchell has enjoyed a successful, varied coaching career <\/p>\n
\u201cWatching the girls in the World Cup, then I watched them in the Six Nations,\u201d he added. \u201cI kept showing more interest in them and was wondering why I was showing more interest in them. When the opportunity became available I thought, \u2018I\u2019ll definitely go and have a coffee and see what they\u2019re looking for, where does the programme need to go next.\u2019 I thought, \u2018that excites me\u2019. And that was it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had failure and success and I\u2019ve lived with a lot of girls in my time. I wouldn\u2019t be here as a coach if I wasn\u2019t prepared to learn. That\u2019s a really good strength of mine and I\u2019m open to learning a lot about the physiological and psychological advantages that the girls have.<\/p>\n
\u201c[The Red Roses] have an identity. They have a winning mentality already. They\u2019ve created a legacy already in terms of the number of games they\u2019ve won. They\u2019ve won World Cups before, and they\u2019ve lost World Cups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have our purpose, collectively, but we need to give them the opportunity to communicate their individual why authentically as we play and progress.<\/p>\n
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The Red Roses secured victory at the inaugural edition of WXV1 <\/p>\n
\u201cTo\u00a0me, it is more about continuing what we are doing and getting better at it. Because we are not great. We are not phenomenal; we are very good. We have the opportunity to take another step, and that\u2019s going to force people to change the way they think.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will be challenged in that area, certainly by myself. I think collectively, [we want to] carry on and get better, and individually make sure we allow the girls to present themselves and their communities authentically.\u201d <\/p>\n