Woodward Back in RFU Performance Spotlight

Sir Clive Woodward 

Sir Clive Woodward is back in the frame to return to English rugby after another Rugby Football Union U-turn over its new performance director role.An emergency board meeting voted to instruct chief executive John Steele to reverse his decision to downgrade the role to exclude any involvement with Martin Johnson's England team.


Steele's actions had been seen as a move to block Woodward's involvement. But the 2003 World Cup-winning coach will now be favourite to take the job.


The original job description for the role included a reference to responsibility for all representative teams, up to and including the senior team. 


On Tuesday, an RFU press release insisted there had been a "misunderstanding" in terms of the scope of the role, and that the job description had been changed to remove the senior team from the performance director's remit. 


The latest change in the situation sees the role reverting back to its original scope, and seemingly clearing the way for Woodward - who is understood to be on the shortlist despite not having formally applied for the position - to make a return to Twickenham.


The new performance director will now act as line manager to the England head coach after this autumn's World Cup.


Woodward out of the running.Woodward is director of elite performance at the British Olympic Association, a job he has held for the past five years following a spell working in football with Southampton.