By Mitch Phillips
LONDON (Reuters) – England coach Steve Borthwick has secured the services of Phil Morrow as head of performance from the end of the season, having had a job share arrangement with Saracens vetoed by the Premiership’s clubs last October, the RFU said on Monday.
England have had a hole in their strength and conditioning coaching team since Aled Walters surprisingly left last summer.
Borthwick was keen to get Morrow on board before the November internationals, but the clubs voted 7-3 against, citing a potential conflict of interest as he would have access to the records of players who might be lining up against Saracens.
“Phil is widely recognised as one of the most accomplished and respected figures in the game,” Borthwick said after the deal was struck for him to come on board at the end of the current Premiership season.
“His track record of success with Saracens speaks for itself. Phil has dedicated his career to helping players maximise their physical performance and is known for his relentless drive and ability to push standards to the highest level.”
Morrow joined Saracens in 2011 as head of strength and conditioning, before being appointed to performance director two years later and has played a key role in their run of success that included five Premiership titles and three Champions Cup victories.
He was also part of the S&C team for the British & Irish Lions in New Zealand in 2017 and previously spent several years working with Ireland.
“I’m incredibly proud to be joining England Rugby,” Morrow said.
“I’ve worked in the Premiership for a long time and, week in, week out, I see the quality of the players we have in England. The clubs do an outstanding job of developing these players, and I look forward to working with them to help them reach their full potential.
“Under Steve, the England team is in an exciting phase of growth and development, and I cannot wait to start contributing to the team’s future success.
“I want to express my gratitude to Saracens’ ownership for making this opportunity possible. I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mark McCall. Having worked with Mark on and off for 20 years, he has been both an incredible colleague and a close friend. His support in this decision means a great deal to me.”
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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