Jim Mallinder to fill the vacancy in Scotland left by Scott Johnson's exit
Jim Mallinder is to leave the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to join Scottish Rugby as its new performance director following Scott Johnson’s departure in April this year.
Mallinder has worked throughout the English club game at the highest level and led teams at senior age-grade and England Saxons, alongside roles in the English national academy. He most recently worked as the performance pathway coach with the RFU and led an England XV to victory against the Barbarians in June this year.
The former Northampton and Sale Sharks head coach will lead Scottish rugby’s performance department from the newly created Super6 competition for semi-professional club teams through to the Scotland men’s national team, with his remit also including developing the player pathway, Scotland Sevens and Scotland Women.
Mallinder said: “I’m sad to be leaving the RFU as I’ve really enjoyed my time here, in particular getting to work with some fantastic people in a wide range of roles within the men’s pathway. I will miss working with them all but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse.
“It’s a chance to lead a long-term programme, work with talented people, and I’m looking forward to moving up to Scotland and getting started.”
Jim Mallinder to leave the RFU and join @Scotlandteam as performance director.
Full story ? https://t.co/5RHZixTwdI pic.twitter.com/DzTOVdC3Gi
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) August 23, 2019
RFU professional rugby director Nigel Melville added: “I’d like to thank Jim for all the work he’s done within the player pathway over the past year and, on behalf of everyone at the RFU, wish him all the best for his new role with Scottish Rugby.”
Mallinder began his coaching career with Sale Sharks in 2001 which he led to its first Heineken Cup qualification in his opening season and first European silverware the following year. In 2004 he moved to the RFU’s National Academy and coached the England U21 side to the 2006 Six Nations title. This led to him also taking on the England Saxons coaching role and he oversaw an impressive record of 15 wins from 16 matches.
He was soon back in demand at club level and joined Northampton Saints in June 2007, winning them promotion back into the Guinness Premiership at the first time of asking with an unbeaten first season in charge. Success was achieved over many years at the midlands club with a European Challenge Cup win in 2008/09 season followed by the Anglo-Welsh Cup the following year.
FULL STORY | Jim Mallinder appointed as new Performance Director.https://t.co/mLoBwO9PbV
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) August 23, 2019
In 2010/11 Mallinder became the first coach to take a team to the Heineken Cup Final unbeaten through the pool stages, losing the final to Leinster eventually. The club reached the Premiership Final in 2012/13 losing to local rivals Leicester Tigers but went one better the following year and secured the English game’s top prize, the Premiership title, by beating Saracens in the 2013/14 final.
The club had won the Amlin Challenge Cup against Bath the previous week to cap a memorable double-winning season. He left the club in December 2017 and became the England player pathway coach in June 2018. Following Mallinder’s departure, and Steve Bates last month, the RFU will now be recruiting for the England U18 head coach and England U20 head coach roles.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Foxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
2 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
2 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
90 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
2 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
90 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
90 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
90 Go to comments