Woodward stays on as England boss ... for now

CLIVE WOODWARD’S reign as England head coach is set to continue for at least one more day following a four-hour meeting with rugby union officials last night.

Woodward arrived for the talks at 4pm declaring he was ready to hand in his resignation but a frustrated England boss emerged from Rugby House in Twickenham hours later.

He said: “My lawyers are still discussing things with RFU chief executive Francis Baron and chairman Graeme Cattermole. As far as I am concerned I am still England coach. I have not handed in my resignation.”

When asked about the length of the talks, Woodward replied: “I’m getting frustrated how long everything is taking.”

A statement from the RFU last night said: “The RFU can confirm that discussions between chairman of the RFU Management Board Graeme Cattermole, chief executive Francis Baron, Sir Clive Woodward and his legal representative will now re-convene tomorrow morning.

“Clive has not formally tendered his written resignation and therefore contrary to media reports we have not refused to accept it. Clive’s position will be discussed further on Thursday.”

Woodward, who steered England to World Cup glory, is contracted to defend the Webb Ellis Trophy in France 2007 - but he is understood to be disillusioned with his position.

A series of meetings began yesterday morning to thrash out the 48-year-old’s future following reports that he was considering a shock switch of sport to football.

Southampton have emerged as a possible destination - he is good friends with chairman Rupert Lowe - while the FA are ready to fast-track him through their coaching scheme.

Woodward appears to have his heart set on a move away from rugby and when he left Twickenham last night his lawyer was still locked in talks with Cattermole and Baron, who departed Rugby House 30 minutes later.

Lawrence Dallaglio, meanwhile, has voiced his concerns about England ever repeating their World Cup win due to the season’s structure.

“I’m unsure whether we have the right structure to allow our players to be successful,” said Dallaglio, who yesterday announced his retirement from international rugby.

“The World Cup was a bit of a one-off because Clive fought so hard to get the necessary working days, and the timing of the tournament was perfect.

“Playing internationals while trying to run a domestic competition, and the way the season runs until May before some players then have to go on tour, are not conducive to career longevity. We are already seeing a number of injuries to high-profile players as a result of the number of games they are playing. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed,” he added.