Woodward apologises for outburst

Clive Woodward has apologised for his outspoken attack on Zurich Premiership club chiefs during Friday’s press conference when he explained his reasons for resigning as England coach.

The World Cup-winning coach had claimed his struggle with international player release was one of the major reasons for him quitting, and said: “It’s not easy dealing with some very strange characters who run the rugby clubs.”

Woodward, who will be aware he needs to maintain a decent relationship with the clubs if he is to preserve his role as Lions coach next summer, said today: “I lost my temper in one part. I am sorry if it came across badly.

“Club owners like Chris Wright, Keith Barwell and Nigel Wray have done an awesome job for rugby and I have never before been critical of the directors of rugby either.

“I know that we can can all work together for the good of the Lions.”

He told the Sunday Times: “There is obviously a problem with the competing demands but I understand the directors are under pressure to deliver and that all coaches are anxious to get their hands on their players.”

During Friday’s press conference – during which Woodward and Graeme Cattermole, chairman of the Rugby Football Union’s management board exchanged barbed comments – Woodward singled out Warren Gatland at Wasps and John Connolly of Bath for criticism.

He also claimed: “There’s been a lot of apathy since we came back (from the World Cup).

“Control of the players is everything but you can’t do that through 12 directors of rugby, three quarters of whom are not English and the others probably want your job.

“It’s like running a business without a workforce.”

He added: “They are supposed to be working with me but there’s no-one in this organisation (the RFU) with the teeth to sort these people out. When directors of rugby sound off there’s only one person who cops it and that’s me.

“I’ve had little or no support from the people I was representing. It’s not easy dealing with some very strange characters who run the rugby clubs.”

Wasps owner Wright led the clubs’ response immediately after the press conference, claiming he was “utterly fed up” with the criticism and the perception that there was a lack of support from the clubs.

“Club owners are the ones that have invested their resources in rugby,” he said on Friday. “Clive has had as much player release as he would expect to have. He has more than the England football team.”

Harlequins director of rugby Mark Evans added: “After the World Cup, Clive said what a great job the clubs had done and how professional we are but not to say that it is all about directors of rugby does not make sense to me at all.”