England confirm Lee Blackett move, clarify new Richard Wigglesworth role

England have confirmed the appointment of Lee Blackett as attack coach and outlined a new defensive remit for Richard Wigglesworth following a restructure of Steve Borthwick’s coaching team ahead of the 2025 Quilter Nations Series.

The move, first flagged by RugbyPass earlier this week, sees Blackett arrive from Bath Rugby, while Wigglesworth, who has overseen England’s attack for the past three years, will now switch to defence.

Head coach Steve Borthwick said: “I am pleased to announce these changes, which I believe will leave us even better placed to continue our development. They allow us to build on the momentum of recent strong results and put the team in the best possible position for the challenges ahead.

“Lee brings great experience and has, for several years, been widely regarded as one of the country’s top attack coaches. His teams play fast, exciting rugby that consistently look to score tries.

“His work with England over the summer further demonstrated his ability to drive the development of our attack in the manner and style already built by Richard Wigglesworth.

“Richard has done an excellent job over the past three years shaping our attack from where it was to where it is now. His selection to coach the British & Irish Lions this summer is testament to that.

“He and I had previously had a general discussion about whether he could switch his focus to the critical area of defence. After the summer tours, it made sense for him to move into that role – provided Lee could join full-time to run the attack.

“Just as we expect the playing group to improve and evolve over time, the same applies to the coaches. We have made excellent progress over the past 12 months, and there is so much more to be done.”

Blackett, who contributed to England’s unbeaten summer tour of Argentina and the USA and to ‘A’ team wins over Australia and Ireland earlier this season, said: “It’s a huge honour to join the England coaching team.

“The current England squad is full of talent and enthusiasm, with quality and depth from 1 to 15. I can’t wait to work with these players, and to see what we can achieve.

“I have greatly enjoyed my time at Bath and am grateful to Bruce Craig and Johann van Graan for allowing me to pursue my ambition of coaching at international level. There is never an ideal time to leave, but I am sure the club will continue to thrive.”

Blackett will formally begin his role at the end of September but will link up with the squad at next week’s three-day training camp.

Bath’s Head of Rugby Johann van Graan said: “Lee has been such an important part of our journey since his arrival at Bath and we’ve all created amazing memories together. On behalf of the players, staff and everyone involved in the Blue, Black and White, we wish Lee the very best as he moves into coaching at international level.”