Tag: Sharks

Worcester’s debts include £16.1m in Government loans from the Covid Sports Survival plan, over £5.8m to ticket holders, suppliers, businesses and banks connected to the club, £2.1m in unpaid taxes to HMRC, £6.8m in payroll and over £2m to former owners

A detailed report by administrators Begbies Traynor has revealed full Worcester Warriors debts total more than £30m, as the relegated Premiership club continue to seek a new buyer. 

Former Worcester CEO Jim O’Toole is in pole position to complete a takeover, with the report sent to the club’s creditors revealing O’Toole and James Sandford’s consortium paid a £500,000 deposit to be able to negotiate exclusively until the end of November.

The report also states that former Warriors owners Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring claim they are still owed over £2m by the club.

Other findings show that O’Toole and Sandford’s consortium have already invested more than £1m in the club, and paid off a £634,000 loan taken on land at Sixways taken by the previous owners.

WRFC Players Ltd – the company which held the contracts of Worcester Warriors’ players and some staff – was liquidated in the High Court.

WRFC Players Ltd – the company which held the contracts of Worcester Warriors’ players and some staff – was liquidated in the High Court

The winding-up petition heard concerned an unpaid tax bill of approximately £6m, and the result saw the contracts of Worcester’s players immediately terminated.

Worcester then had their suspension from the rest of the Gallagher Premiership season and enforced relegation to the Championship confirmed by the RFU.

Former owners Goldring and Whittingham were also disqualified as company directors for 12 months following a court hearing in Cardiff in October for failing to file accounts for the financial year to 28 February 2021.

In the latest report, Begbies Traynor confirm the club owe the Government £16.1m in loans from the Covid Sports Survival plan, and still owe £2.1m in unpaid taxes to HMRC.

Worcester and Wasps both entered administration and were relegated from the Premiership within a fortnight of each other

Ticket holders, suppliers, businesses and banks connected to the club are also owed more than £5.8m, while WRFC Players Ltd owed £6.8m prior to being wound up.

The administrators have also confirmed that even if the entirety of Worcester’s remaining assets were sold, the prospective funds raised would not be enough to pay off the existing debts.

Joint-administrator Palmer said in the report that money owed to the HMRC is “highly likely” to be repaid, while the debt owed to the Government would be taken on by a future buyer.

Jack van Poortvliet adds that England will be tuning in to support the Red Roses as they face New Zealand in the World Cup Final on Saturday morning.

Jack van Poortvliet insists England aim to play with freedom when they evoke the spirit of their summer tour to Australia to revive their autumn.

Eddie Jones’ side host Japan at Twickenham on Saturday with the goal of delivering an immediate response after falling 30-29 to Argentina, their first loss to the Pumas since 2009.

Knowing they are on the back foot with New Zealand and South Africa next up in the Autumn Nations Series, they have used their experiences Down Under in July as inspiration.

The tour ended with a 2-1 series victory but only once England had recovered from collapsing to defeat in the opener by producing an emphatic high-octane victory in Brisbane that had shades of the 2019 World Cup.

Van Poortvliet, the 21-year-old rookie who has replaced Leicester team-mate Ben Youngs at scrum-half, believes a fast start will help address any hesitancy.

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Scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet says the men’s rugby team are ‘incredibly proud’ of the Red Roses and that they will be tuning in to watch as they take on New Zealand in the World Cup Final.

“There has been an appreciation of the common things in both first Tests – the one against Argentina last weekend and the one against Australia. We have spoken about them and addressed them,” Van Poortvliet said.

“We have a clear focus. We want to free ourselves up, play with real excitement and make sure we are not overthinking things. We want to be excited by the challenge.

“To free yourself up you have got to be on the front foot and our challenge is how can we get on the front foot early.

“It’s a mindset and for us we want to hit the ground running and bring that real physicality and aggression.”

England’s attack failed to ignite against Argentina, a recurring shortcoming that is in urgent need of fixing with the World Cup only 12 Tests away.

Attack coach Martin Gleeson insists the greatest concern was not finishing off the chances created and rejected the notion that players operate in a straitjacket of pre-programmed instructions.

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Scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet says England’s defeat against Argentina didn’t ‘tarnish’ his debut.

“We want to attack better this week and be a little more direct, and then when the opportunities come out wide we want to take them,” Gleeson said.

“The pleasing thing is we are getting in those areas and we are causing teams problems. It’s just that last little bit of the puzzle that we’re working on.

“We’re working hard on that and I don’t think we’re too far away. The more the players play together and the more experienced they are, the better we will get.

“No one ever speaks about errors here, no one ever speaks about making mistakes. We want to be as aggressive as we can with our attack. No one says otherwise, there’s a bit of a preconception about that.

“We want the boys to play what they see and be as aggressive and full of intent as they can be.

“Of course they can go off script. We want to play a certain way, which is what we’re building from the summer, but if players see something they’ve got to take it – we want to take it.”

Ireland take on world champions South Africa in their first fixture of the Autumn Nations Series on Saturday at 5.30pm; Andy Farrell’s team will also face Fiji and Australia at the Aviva Stadium on successive weekends

Captain Johnny Sexton says Ireland must keep on evolving during the Autumn Internationals as the next Rugby World Cup comes into focus.

The in-form Irish are preparing to begin their autumn campaign against world champions South Africa, having shot to the top of the global rankings following a historic summer series win in New Zealand.

With the start of the 2023 tournament in France just over 10 months away, fly-half Sexton has credited the Irish coaching staff with increasing competition for places and not allowing established players to slide into their comfort zones.

Head coach Andy Farrell has been training with a squad of 49 in Dublin ahead of Saturday’s showdown with the Springboks, which is preceded by Friday evening’s fixture between an Ireland A team and an All Blacks XV.

“You’ve got to keep evolving, you’ve got to keep getting better,” Sexton said. “If you stay the same, other teams will pass you out.

“We need to build a real competition for places so that no one can get comfortable and that is exactly what the coaches are doing.

“They’re challenging us in how we play the game, they’re challenging us by putting all these extra fixtures in, with the Emerging Ireland tour, the Maori games, now the New Zealand A game, so all these guys are getting chances to impress the coaches and to play under the coaches, to listen and put what the coaches want out on the pitch.

“There were 50 players at training, and I was thinking to myself 20 of them are going to be left at home for the World Cup.

“And I couldn’t pick who is going to be left at home, there are going to be some good players left out.

“That’s exactly where we want to be and keep cultivating. Those are the lessons we learnt that we’re implementing.”

Ireland approach the autumn following a highly successful summer in New Zealand

Ireland and South Africa are poised to lock horns for the first time in five years before meeting again next September at the World Cup.

While the pool stage fixture in Paris adds an extra dimension to the weekend clash, Sexton insists his attention is almost exclusively on short-term matters.

“I’m just trying to focus on what is straight in front of me,” said the 37-year-old Leinster player.

“I haven’t thought too much about the bigger picture. It’s a driving factor, but it’s not something I think about this week, for example.

“We have spoken about the World Cup of course and have that as the goal so we are always building towards that.

“We don’t refer to it week on week. It is very much focused on South Africa this week.”

Eddie Jones has named Owen Farrell and Jonny May in his 36-player squad for England’s opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against Argentina on Sunday

Injury doubts Owen Farrell and Jonny May have both included in England’s squad for their opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against Argentina on Sunday.

Saracens fly-half Farrell (concussion) and Gloucester wing May (dislocated elbow) suffered injuries playing in the Premiership but head coach Eddie Jones has named both men in his 36-player squad for the visiting Pumas.

Farrell returned to the squad and will continue through the latter stages of his graduated return to play protocols in camp. There is also a return for May, despite dislocating his elbow two weeks ago.

Jamie George, Henry Arundell and Will Stuart will be continuing their rehab in camp, while Lewis Ludlam was unavailable for selection following an abdominal wall injury sustained before he joined with the squad in Jersey.

Newcastle Falcons’ Sean Robinson has also been called up to the squad.

Eddie Jones’ England squad are in Jersey for a training camp ahead of facing Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa at Twickenham over successive weekends.

More to follow…

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Portia Woodman’s two tries ended Wales’ Rugby World Cup hopes as hosts New Zealand triumphed 55-3 in their quarter-final in Whangarei; the Black Ferns now take on France, who overcame Italy 39-3, in Auckland on November 5

New Zealand eased past Wales 55-3 in Whangarei to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-final.

In a convincing victory for the reigning champions, Portia Woodman scored two tries to become the Rugby World Cup all-time top try-scorer on 20 – overtaking England’s Sue Day.

In Saturday’s earlier quarter-final, France produced a dominant second-half performance to blow Italy away 39-3, meaning they will face New Zealand in the semi-final in Auckland on November 5.

Woodman opened the scoring against Wales on 13 minutes before Ruby Tui, Sarah Hirini and Amy Rule powered the Black Ferns into a 26-3 half-time lead.

It got no better for Wales after the break, with Woodman’s second coming three minutes into the restart, and the defending champions pulled further clear as Luka Connor scored twice, Alana Bremner crossed and Ruahei Demant finished things off.

Wales, beaten 56-12 by New Zealand in the pool stages two weeks ago, were never able to get a grip on the game as the Black Ferns’ powerful pack overran them.

The opening try came from a line-out, with New Zealand quickly shifting the ball across the field and finding Woodman with the space to power over.

Sarah Hirini was one of four New Zealand try-scorers in the first half

Wales replied with a penalty from Keira Bevan but that was only a temporary reprieve, and moments later, Woodman hauled in a high cross-field kick from Demant and laid it off for Tui to do the rest.

Theresa Fitzpatrick raced through the middle of the field and, although she was stopped short of the line, Woodman laid it off for Hirini to go over in the corner.

Ayesha Leti-I’iga was stopped short of the line after a scrum but with Wales struggling to get out of their own 22, the next try was only a matter of time.

Keira Bevan, with a first-half penalty, was the only Wales player to get on the scoresheet in Whangarei

It arrived in the 39th minute when Woodman charged forward after a line-out and Rule finished it off.

After the break, New Zealand picked up where they left off, turning it over from a breakdown as Woodman crossed to break Day’s record.

Six minutes later the Black Ferns tore up a Wales scrum and replacement Connor, just on for Georgia Ponsonby, grabbed the try.

The contest was over but the hosts were out to make a statement – and they did just that as Bremner, Connor again and Demant pushed the score beyond the half-century.

Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham told ITV Sport: “There’s still a fairly big gap between Wales and the top teams in the world – the scoreboard doesn’t lie.

“The intensity and speed they (New Zealand) can play at and sustain for 80 minutes is somewhere we’ve got to try and get to.

“But I’m so proud of the girls’ efforts tonight, especially in the first half. We asked them to front up physically and I thought we really did.

“So much effort, commitment and sacrifice is made by these players. We’ve only been professional since January so I’m excited as to where this team can go over the next few years.”

Ruahei Demant rounded off the Black Ferns’ resounding victory with their final try of the game

France power past Italy to reach last four

New Zealand now take on France, who brushed aside quarter-final debutants Italy with a dominant second-half performance to triumph 39-3 in Whangarei.

Winger Joanna Grisez scored three of her side’s five tries, including a score on the overlap in the 70th minute to cap an impressive team effort.

The French, who enjoyed 61 per cent of possession, led 10-3 at the break before stepping up a gear in the second period.

Their other scores came from Laure Touye and a penalty try. Caroline Drouin registered two conversions – with Lina Queyroi adding a third – and two penalties, while the boot of Michela Sillari provided Italy’s solitary score.

Sarah Hunter is set to become England’s most-capped player when she leads the team against Australia in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Hunter will earn her 138th cap and captain the side wearing the No 8 jersey with Alex Matthews and Marlie Packer alongside her in the back-row.

It will be a milestone match too for Sarah Bern, who will earn her 50th cap having been selected to start in the front-row. Harlequins team-mates Vickii Cornborough and Amy Cokayne join Bern there.

Tatyana Heard retains her place in the starting XV at inside-centre after being named player of the match in the Roses’ victory over South Africa last weekend. Zoe Harrison starts at fly-half and vice-captain Emily Scarratt at outside-centre.

Helena Rowland, Lydia Thompson and Abby Dow form an exciting back-three, while Zoe Aldcroft and Abbie Ward are England’s lock pairing.

Bristol Bears’ Lark Davies is among the players named on the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.

England’s Red Roses have won their last 28 successive matches and have beaten Australia on each of the five occasions they have faced them.

England: 15. Helena Rowland, 14. Lydia Thompson, 13. Emily Scarratt, 12. Tatyana Heard, 11. Abby Dow, 10. Zoe Harrison, 9. Leanne Infante, 1. Vickii Cornborough, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Sarah Bern, 4. Zoe Aldcroft, 5. Abbie Ward, 6. Alex Matthews, 7. Marlie Packer, 8. Sarah Hunter (c).

Replacements: 16. Lark Davies, 17. Hannah Botterman, 18. Maud Muir, 19. Rosie Galligan, 20. Poppy Cleall, 21. Lucy Packer, 22. Holly Aitchison, 23. Ellie Kildunne.

Middleton: Hunter is a unique person and captain

“England against Australia is always a huge occasion in any sport and we are looking forward to playing against a team we don’t face very often,” head coach Simon Middleton said.

“Excitement has certainly built this week ahead of what is a massive game.

“We know the importance of a fast start on Sunday. Australia have had some very fast starts in their pool games so it is important we better their effort and set the tempo and physicality levels.

“Off the back of three strong pool games, in which I think it’s fair to say every player has put their hand up, we have gone for a 23 we believe fits the bill for this particular game.”

Hunter leads England by example and is respected by her team-mates and coaches

When captain Hunter equalled Rocky Clark’s record of caps, Middleton said she was about ‘breaking records and not equalling them’ and he would reserve his comments for her next cap. Now, he’s been effusive in his praise.

“To earn 138 caps for your country is a remarkable achievement and deserves to be celebrated,” he said.

“The way she conducts herself in everything she does both on and off the field is admirable. Her people skills, ability to lead and communicate with people from all walks of life makes her stand out. She takes pride in everything she does and does it to the best of her ability.

“I think as a sports person the one thing you hope you can do when you look back is to be able to say to yourself ‘I couldn’t have given more, I’ve been the best I could be’ – Sarah is one of the very few who will be able to unequivocally do that – she is a unique person and captain.”

Hunter: England in right place for knockouts

Hunter made her debut for England back in 2007, she has multiple World Cup campaigns behind her and believes that the Roses are on track as the competition reaches the knockout stages.

“We had a really good training day on Thursday. The whole group was in a really good place,” she said.

“Every member, whether they’re playing or not playing (stood up). I’m not sure we’ve seen as good a session as we saw for a long time, if ever.

“We’re exactly where we need to be. We’re fully respectful of Australia, the threats that they have and the statement of intent they’ve made throughout this competition. But, we control what we can control.

“I think we’ve got the right game plan; we’ve had a good training week and we’ve now got some downtime before we go in and polish things in our team run.

“From a playing point of view and where I think the team are, we’re just where we need to be in terms of going out and performing.”

Middleton agreed with his captain and simply added:

“If the players are happy and they’re thinking that, then we’re in a good place.”

The Red Roses’ potential route to World Cup glory

Victory against Australia in Sunday’s quarter-final would see England face the winners of Canada’s clash against the United States, which takes place immediately after their match in Auckland.

Canada topped Pool B after three bonus-point victories, including a 29-14 win against the USA in their final pool fixture. A semi-final fixture between Canada and England would represent a repeat of the 2014 final won by the Red Roses.

France – who finished second to England in Pool C – face an Italian side through to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. The winners will then face either tournament hosts New Zealand or Wales in the last four.

The semi-finals both take place at Eden Park on Saturday November 5, with the first match – potentially involving England – kicking off at 3.30am GMT ahead of the other fixture – likely to include New Zealand – beginning at 6.30am.

England and New Zealand have contested four of the last five World Cup finals, with the Black Ferns coming out on top each time. This year’s final takes place on Saturday November 12 (6.30am GMT).

Australia booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup on Saturday with a hard-fought 13-7 victory over Wales in Whangarei; Hosts New Zealand eased past Scotland 57-0 to make it three wins from three in Pool A

Tournament hosts New Zealand racked up their third consecutive bonus point win of the Rugby World Cup with a 57-0 thrashing of Scotland, who have been eliminated.

The Black Ferns brushed Scotland aside with a devastating first-half display with Renee Holmes notching up 22 points, including two tries and six conversions, as the defending champions ran rampant.

Holmes’ first try put New Zealand in front in the second minute and Wayne Smith’s team were never challenged by a heavily out-gunned Scotland side.

Ayesha Leti-i’iga added the second eight minutes later and further tries from Sarah Hirini, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and Theresa Fitzpatrick opened up a significant gap, before Renee Wickliffe scored twice late in the half.

Maiakawanakaulani Roos and Holmes crossed the line in the second half as the defending champions eased to victory.

Wales wait on other results after Australia loss

Australia booked their place in the quarter-finals and left Wales sweating on their future in the competition with a hard-fought 13-7 victory in Whangarei.

Two penalties from Lori Cramer were the difference between the teams, with the win ensuring the Australians finish second in Pool A behind already-qualified New Zealand.

The result leaves Wales, who picked up a losing bonus point, in third place in the standings. Ioan Cunningham’s side could still advance as one of the two best third-placed finishers, depending on the outcome other group matches.

Siwan Lillicrap and Wales can still make it through to the quarter-finals

Australians took the lead in the fifth minute when Iliseva Batibasaga gathered the ball at the back of a ruck before a dummied pass bought her the space to sprint under the posts to score, with Cramer striking a successful conversion.

Wales levelled in the 23rd minute when Sioned Harries touched down after a pick-and-go from close range, and Elinor Snowsill’s kick made it over the bar via the inside of the post.

Cramer’s sweetly struck penalty on the stroke of half-time gave the Australians a slender advantage at the interval before both teams cancelled each other out throughout the second half.

Wales were given late hope when Australian replacement Kaitlan Leaney was given a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Alex Callender with 10 minutes remaining, but Cramer’s penalty two minutes from time sealed the win.

Fiji, on four points in Pool C, need to beat France later on Saturday to have any chance of progressing. Defeat for Fiji would mean an England victory over South Africa on Sunday would be enough to see Wales through.

Officials from the RFU and Premiership Rugby are set to appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee next month, to answer questions on the problems facing Wasps and Worcester Warriors, and the wider sustainability of the game

The RFU and Gallagher Premiership will face a parliamentary committee next month to address the sport’s financial crisis.

Wasps joined Worcester Warriors in administration on Monday, making 167 members of staff, including players and coaches, redundant. Both clubs had already been suspended from the Gallagher Premiership, which now contains 11 teams after kicking off the 2022/23 season with 13.

Officials from the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby are now set to appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee next month, to answer questions on the problems facing those clubs and the wider sustainability of the game. A precise date is still to be confirmed.

“The fact that two of the country’s top clubs have now suffered the fate of falling into administration raises serious concerns about the future of the sport and its financial viability,” DCMS committee chair Julian Knight said.

“The RFU and Premiership Rugby have acknowledged the need to set a more sustainable path for club rugby.

“We will be pressing them to ensure they are putting the foundations in place to guarantee the health of the sport from the top level right down to the grassroots.”

Wasps were hit by by a winding-up order from HM Revenue and Customs for £2m in unpaid tax, and they also faced having to repay a £35m bond which had helped finance the club’s relocation to Coventry during 2014.

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Wasps CEO Stephen Vaughan confirms the club are in dialogue with the RFU over their potential relegation from the Premiership after entering administration while head coach Lee Blackett and caretaker Sam Saunders reflect on the mood at the club.

Wasps have been ever-present in the Premiership since the competition began 25 years ago, winning it in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.

They were also crowned European champions twice, in addition to achieving one European Challenge Cup triumph, and have fielded some of England’s most well-known players during rugby union’s professional era.

The RFU’s chief executive Bill Sweeney says the governing body supports a move to a 10-team Premiership from the 2024-25 season onwards to try and avoid the current overlap between domestic and international matches.

“I do see it as viable for a number of reasons, and we’ve been saying for quite some time now that less is more,” Sweeney said when asked if a reduced, 10-team Premiership could be an answer.

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2003 Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood describes Wasps’ administration as ‘enormously worrying’ and highlights whether high wage caps might be a reason for many clubs’ financial problems.

“I don’t know if 10 is the absolute number but that’s the one being used now, but in that and the central distribution around broadcast and commercial revenues, clearly there’s a financial benefit for less teams in that league.

“Clearly one of the major issues we’ve got to grapple with is the calendar and one of the things that’s held us back in England is the overlap between the international game and the club game.

“So, a reduction in the size of PRL (Premiership Rugby Limited) will help us with that.”

Blackett: Wasps administration is ‘sickening’ | Vaughan on takeover prospects

Former Wasps head coach Lee Blackett revealed the impact Tuesday’s news of the club going into administration and 167 staff being made redundant had on the squad and the non-playing staff.

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Former Wasps hooker Phil Greening says the players will be devastated with the news of the club entering administration with some players searching for jobs already.

“I’m just sad,” Blackett said, speaking outside the club’s training ground. “I think if you look at the players I’ve just seen through there, staff upset, it’s sickening

“There’s things probably ongoing [regarding a takeover]. Hopefully, it’s at some point, but there’s players and staff that wanted to play Premiership Rugby this year and unless something happens very quickly I just cannot see how that’s going to actually happen.

“I’m extremely sad because the people in this environment care massively about those guys and seeing them where they are is devastating. It’s more extreme than that – it’s so sad. We worked so hard as a group to get together. There are staff and players who have been here for a long time so to have this day, where this group have split up, it’s really sad.

“I’ve got to take a little bit of time to digest this over the next few days and see if there’s any positive news that comes out the other side. You realise it’s not just the players and staff here, there’s massive families behind them and my thoughts are with everyone.”

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England head coach Eddie Jones says the news of Wasps entering administration is ‘distressing’ to the players and that Jack Willis will get the support he needs coming into the England squad.

Wasps CEO Stephen Vaughan confirmed the club remain in dialogue with the RFU and Premiership Rugby, and offered hope of an announcement regarding a possible takeover at some point this week.

“Hard to say [how close a takeover is],” Vaughan said. “People are aware that we’ve been on the market for a long time now, so it’s not like this is a surprise to anybody.

“We are in genuine dialogue with people, we’ve got more conversations happening tomorrow and the day after, and we really hope we can get the right people involved.

“If it’s going to happen we imagine there will be a decision and announcement in the next three or four days.”

“No. Definitely not. It [2023 World Cup] won’t be [a swansong]. I can’t guarantee you that, but I don’t think it will be. I reckon there’s still a bit to do. There’s still a bit in the tank” – England head coach Eddie Jones on retirement talk

Eddie Jones is determined for his long-standing association with the World Cup to continue beyond the conclusion of his England tenure next autumn.

Jones will step down after eight years in charge once France 2023 is complete and could return to his homeland Australia having been linked with a director of rugby role with the Wallabies.

Whatever his destination, the 62-year-old does not see his fifth World Cup being his last despite previously declaring that he would retire to Barbados to watch cricket when his time with England was over.

“No. Definitely not. It won’t be. I can’t guarantee you that, but I don’t think it will be,” said Jones, who has led England and Australia to World Cup finals and also won the competition as an assistant coach with South Africa.

“I reckon there’s still a bit to do. There’s still a bit in the tank. I rang up the boss of the Barbados IPL and he’s not interested…”

England begin the countdown to the World Cup this autumn when they face Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa at Twickenham.

Once the Six Nations is complete they will play four warm-up games and the challenge facing Jones is to propel the team forwards while not revealing the details of their masterplan for the tournament.

“The one thing you want to be doing from here to the World Cup – and every coach will say the same – is improving,” he said.

Jones will lead England to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France and then depart the job, having been head coach since 2016

“You don’t want to be static and you don’t want to show everything. If you show everything then teams come up with plans to stop you doing that.

“We want to win every Test in November but we don’t want to be showing any tactical developments that maybe we’ll want to use in the World Cup.

“You don’t want to show it in the warm-up games. You want to be able to do it on the training paddock consistently then be able to do it bang at the World Cup.”

Maggie Alphonsi believes England are the team to beat as they aim for World Cup glory; the tournament gets under way on Saturday in New Zealand as South Africa face France, England come up against Fiji and Australia and New Zealand clash

When it comes to Rugby World Cup glory, no one knows the highs and lows as well as Maggie Alphonsi, and for the England legend there is only one team to beat this year: the Red Roses.

As a leader in the team that ended a 20-year drought and won the 2014 Rugby World Cup, Alphonsi knows the euphoria of claiming the biggest prize and believes the current Red Roses side have the capabilities to go all the way.

However, with England considered as firm favourites heading into the tournament – a record 25-match unbeaten run and No 1 world ranking cementing them as the ones to beat – many teams will be out to show they are the ones who can topple this side.

“They are very much expected to win,” said Alphonsi.

“The odds are in their favour, they are number one in the world, they are the reigning Six Nations champions, they are full of confidence and have the resources, the investments and the players.

“I just think these players are prepared for it and many will be saying if they don’t win it would be a failure.”

‘They don’t know how to lose’

The World Cup will certainly present some challenging clashes for the Red Roses and they will be pushed to their limit as sides look to put them in a situation they do not encounter very often: A match in which they are losing.

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England Women head coach Simon Middleton says despite his side’s No 1 ranking and record unbeaten run they cannot guarantee victory at the World Cup

Some see this as the best way to get under England’s skin, but Alphonsi believes they are well prepared for all scenarios, even ones they do not often have to face.

“They have a ‘we don’t know how to lose’ mindset because to go that many games unbeaten, they will naturally have that,” she added.

“Some will see that as a negative because they have not lost or been tested it is hard to know what to do when put in that scenario.

“But knowing (coach) Simon Middleton and the quality of players, they will have covered all bases, including those scenarios and how to deal with it.

“They were tested a few times in the Six Nations, especially first half against Wales in the set-piece.

“However, you can’t count out New Zealand, Canada and France because they are also feeling like it is their time.

“I think England will get to the final – crazy to say they won’t.

“If New Zealand get to the final as a home nation it would be great for the crowd and interest.

“But I am also excited by the fact that an outsider could do it, like France who always finish third.

“They might do something completely different, who knows. There are some dark horses.”

A record-breaking Rugby World Cup

Women’s sport is in a constant state of growth as more coverage and visibility drives its viewership and this year’s World Cup is expected to continue to boost those numbers.

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England captain Sarah Hunter says tournament experience could be a big factor going into the World Cup

With record attendances and media interest, Alphonsi thinks, if they can claim World Cup victory, we could see the Red Roses reach the heights of the Lionesses in this summer’s Euros when the tournament takes place in England in 2025.

She said: “My expectations are incredibly high.

Maggie Alphonsi believes an England vs New Zealand World Cup final on November 12 would be brilliant for rugby as it rides a wave of momentum

“This World Cup will break many records. There are over 30,000 tickets sold for the opening game so for that many people to come and watch in New Zealand is huge, that in itself Is amazing.

“It will be the most-covered World Cup in terms of television, print and radio and I think it is going to be a tournament that will captivate the world.

“It will add to the momentum of women’s sport especially over here and we get to put women’s sport back in the spotlight. We saw that in the summer with the Lionesses and that still blows my mind.

“The FA and the Lionesses set the bar high with an amazing tournament across the country and the amount of people that attended was brilliant.

“In 2010 we got to the final and we had a crowd of just under 14,000 which was significant back then.

“2025 is not that far away and women’s sport is on the crest of a wave and hopefully we can emulate what women’s football has done, making sure we can take it around the country and put out a statement.

“Then we can see the final at Twickenham with a sell-out capacity and good build-up.”

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