Former England captain Will Carling is to join Eddie Jones’ backroom team in a mentorship role ahead of the autumn internationals.
Carling, who captained England from 1988 to 1996, will offer leadership advice and guidance to England’s current squad, who are training in Portugal to prepare for the November Tests.
He will work alongside Jones on a part-time basis when England are in camp. Speaking to reporters in Portugal about the appointment, Jones said he wanted someone to “join England’s past to the present”.
Jones said: “He’s a bit of a specialist in leadership. He understands English rugby, he understands what made English rugby great, so combining the skill of leadership with the knowledge of English history is a nice resource for us to have.
“I met a number of people but I felt Will is the best equipped to handle it. This is not a coaching job. In a lot of ways it has got to do specifically with English rugby.”
Carling, 52, was named England captain at the age of just 22. He led the country to three Grand Slams during his career, as well as the final of the Rugby World Cup on home soil in 1991.
England face South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Australia across consecutive weekends in November, starting with the clash against the Springboks at Twickenham on Nov. 3.