Eddie Jones extends England contract until August 2021

By Danny Gallagher

Eddie Jones says his focus is on winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and is excited to help bring through the next England coach when his contract expires.

Eddie Jones has extended his contract to remain England head coach until August 2021.

Jones' existing contract was due to end after the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. The new deal contains a performance-based break clause based on England's performance at the tournament.

The RFU also announced that it has agreed a process for appointing Jones' successor, with a view to naming a new head coach by the end of the 2019/20 season who will work alongside the Australian until the summer of 2021 before leading the team to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Eddie Jones says he will not give up 'ultimate say' to his replacement until he leaves his post as England head coach.

"Coaching England is a dream job for me, and I was delighted to be asked to stay on after Rugby World Cup 2019," Jones said.

"I have been completely focussed on developing a team capable of being the number one rugby team in the world and winning the World Cup in 2019.

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"I never take my role as England head coach for granted and did not presume I would be asked to stay on, but, once the conversations started very recently, it was not a difficult decision to make.

"These are exciting times for English Rugby, with a focussed and committed squad who are full of potential and determined to win. I will continue to work as hard as I can to make England the world's best rugby team."

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Jones will name his England squad for the Six Nations on Thursday. They begin the defence of their title against Italy on February 4 in Rome.

England have won 22 of their 23 Test matches under Jones since he replaced Stuart Lancaster as head coach following their exit at the group stage of the 2015 Rugby World Cup on home soil.

Image: England have won 22 of their 23 Test matches under Jones and have been Six Nations champions the past two years

Upon the signing of the new deal, RFU CEO Steve Brown noted the impact Jones has had during his time in charge.

"Eddie's results as England head coach speak for themselves," Brown said.

"Under Eddie's leadership, we have risen from eight to second in the world - and Eddie won't be satisfied until we are number one.

"He has a 95 per cent win rate at the helm, and has been a galvanizing force for the RFU, bringing focus, clarity and extraordinary commitment to the role.

"We now have a robust succession planning process in place which will avoid the historically disruptive pattern of resetting the coaching team and performance system every four years. Eddie will be a big part of this process, and wants to ensure a smooth handover to his successor."

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