Matt Proudfoot leaves England set-up following Eddie Jones’ departure

Matt Proudfoot has left his role as England forwards coach less than a month after Eddie Jones’ exit as head coach.

Jones was sacked by the Rugby Football Union after a disappointing 2022, with Steve Borthwick hired as his successor as England look for a good performance in the Six Nations and then the World Cup later this year.

Proudfoot, a South Africa-born former Scotland international, took on the forwards coach role in January 2020 after Neal Hatley’s departure to Bath, having served as an assistant for the Springboks in their 2019 World Cup victory.

RFU executive director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea said: “We are very grateful to Matt for all he has done for England and wish him every success in his next career move.”

Proudfoot said it had been a “privilege” to work with the England set-up. The RFU also announced Brett Hodgson and Danny Kerry had left the England coaching team.

Borthwick’s appointment as England head coach was confirmed on December 19. He had long been seen as Jones’ successor after the World Cup, but that process was brought forward after some poor results for England in 2022, including defeats to Argentina and Scotland.

“There’s a lot of potential in the players we have and I want to produce a team that delivers,” Borthwick said three days after his appointment.

“I’m going to devote myself wholeheartedly to try to help this team deliver and be a team that we can all be proud of.

“Ultimately on that first game of the Six Nations are we going to be perfect? No. Is it going to be exactly how the team is going to play? No.

“It is going to be the start but what is absolutely clear is the team needs to go out there and it needs to fight.

“It needs to compete so when they walk out, I want this crowd roaring. I want that Twickenham roar. Our job is to play in a manner, fight in a manner and compete in a manner that keeps them roaring.”