Gloucester head of academy Richard Whiffin will join the England Under-20s coaching staff for the next 18 months.

It is part of the coach development programme agreement between between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby and Whiffin will remain in his role with Gloucester during this period.

Whiffin is one of three coaches appointed for the 2018-19 season, which will include the 2019 Six Nations as well as next year’s World Rugby U20 Championship tournament in Argentina, and will work alongside Northampton’s Mark Hopley and James Scaysbrook, who is defence coach at Toyota Shuttles in Japan.

Whiffin was named Gloucester Rugby head of academy in July 2017.

He joined the club as academy backs coach in the summer of 2016 after spending more than 10 years with London Irish, while he’s also worked with the England Saxons and Argentina.

Whiffin said: “Having previously coached in the Premiership and the A-League and first team level here at Gloucester, this is a great opportunity to develop my coaching and work with the best young exciting talent from around the country.

Richard Whiffin (left), has been at Gloucester for two years



“I thoroughly enjoy my role as head of academy at Gloucester Rugby and this opportunity is an honour and very much recognition of the good work being put in by everyone at the club.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenges of coaching with an international representative team alongside my work with Gloucester Rugby.”

The U20 coaching team will be supported by RFU pathway performance coaches Steve Bates and Jim Mallinder while the trio will receive an individually designed coach development programme, led by head of professional coach development Gordon Lord.

It follows a successful trial in 2016-17 which saw Louis Deacon, Tom Williams and Ian Vass, who has gone on to coach at Montpellier, lead the U20s to Six Nations glory as well as into the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship.

Last season saw former Gloucester centre Anthony Allen, Richard Blaze, who was recently appointed forwards coach for England Women, and James Ponton join the programme in the second year of the agreement.

Under their guidance England U20s finished runners-up in the Six Nations, while also reaching the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship, where they were beaten by France.

England's players react after winning during the U20 World Rugby Championship semi-final



This year’s coaches will also be directly involved in preparing for, delivering and reviewing the U20’s coaching and playing programme.

The coaches will also have access to mentors and be exposed to a range of non-rugby elite performance environments that will involve visits to and interactions with coaches, support staff and athletes from a range of sports.

Head of international player development Dean Ryan said: “We’re now the third year into the programme and we’re really looking to continue supporting those coaches that have a desire to go on and work in the Premiership or a senior environment.


“The agreement started as a support programme but it’s starting to see a trajectory into those environments with the coaches who have come through it.

“This is the next group who we will want to support and give experience of coaching international rugby to help with the development of their own careers.”