Woodward tells RFU to come and get him

England’s Rugby World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward has ruled out replacing Stuart Lancaster if he is let go but has not ruled out being in charge of England Rugby.

Woodward revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail that he has been asked three times by the RFU to apply for a Director of Rugby role and all three times he has not been appointed.

The former England coach said that on the last occassion he pulled out of the process as he felt that he was being “stitched up” and “used for another individual’s political advantage”.

Woodward is the only Northern Hemisphere coach to have won a rugby world cup and has remained in touch with rugby.

The World Cup winner said that, “Each time I have been willing to rejoin England Rugby and really excited about what I had planned.

“But I have been left wondering that if the standards off the field and at the very top of the RFU are so poor, how will they ever get it right on the field? You do not just get lucky in professional sport.”

Woodward has essentially told the Rugby Football Union that he will not go through another interview process but that he is available if they want him enough.

“I have no problem with other candidates being selected and the RFU deciding to go the other way but I would not be willing to go through such a process again,” said Woodward .

Japan coach Eddie Jones says that he would find it an interesting proposition if he were appointed to work under Woodward and the former England coach is not writing off such a partnership.

“Four years ago if I had been appointed director of rugby, I would have looked to recruit the likes of Eddie, Warren Gatland, Michael Cheika or Joe Schmidt along with any English candidate who I thought had the experience to take England to the top,” said Woodward.

“You do not ask quality people like this to apply for jobs, you go and get them.”