England call for Rowntree

Graham Rowntree has joined the Rugby Football Union as a National Academy Coach from Leicester Tigers.

Rowntree will start work on Monday with the England senior team as a specialist coach for the Rugby World Cup in France.

The 54-cap former England prop, who replaces fellow ex-Tiger Dorian West - appointed Northampton Saints assistant coach last Friday - will assist John Wells, starting with the training camp in the Algarve, Portugal later this month.

Double World Cup veteran (1995 and 1999) Rowntree, who finishes as Leicester Tigers assistant forwards coach today, said: "I am sad to leave Tigers and part of me will always be Leicester but this was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. The chance to work with John Wells, one of the finest coaches I have ever known, and the senior England set-up is very exciting. Hopefully I can make a valuable contribution as well as learn."

Rowntree will join Jon Callard, Nigel Redman, Mark Mapletoft, Ben Ryan and Simon Hardy as National Academy Coaches and he added: "I find coaching and mentoring young players very fulfilling and I am looking forward to my role in developing England's future players."

RFU Director of Elite Rugby Rob Andrew said: "We are delighted to have recruited someone of Graham's calibre. He has played at the highest level and made a big impression at Leicester Tigers this season. He is another example of the development of a quality English coach. He will be a valuable addition to the RFU National Academy structure and more immediately to the England coaching team.We are grateful to Leicester Tigers for releasing Graham immediately."

Richard Cockerill, Leicester Tigers’ acting head coach, said: “Graham has been a fantastic servant at Leicester Tigers and was a very popular player here over a number of years. We were happy that he took his first steps on the coaching ladder at the club he served so well as a player and we valued his contribution working with the squad.”

Cockerill, a former playing colleague of Rowntree with club and country, added: “We are obviously sad to see him leave. However, this is a fantastic opportunity for him to further his coaching career in the national set-up and everyone at Welford Road wishes him well.”   

Graham Rowntree
Born: 18.4.71, Stockton-on-Tees

Graham Rowntree made his England debut as a replacement against Scotland in the 1995 Five Nations tournament and won his final caps against Australia in June 2006. He has played in two Rugby World Cups (1995 and 1999) and in two Lions’ Tests in 2005, eight years after touring with them to South Africa.

Educated at Hastings High School and John Cleveland College in Hinckley, Graham played for Nuneaton’s age group teams and England Schools.

He joined Leicester Tigers  in 1988 and made his first team debut in October 1990, becoming the youngest member of Tigers’ domestic cup-winning side of 1993.

In a 16-year senior career he went on to make 398  first team appearances for the club, placing him sixth on Tigers’ all-time list. He also played for the Midlands, England A and the Barbarians.

After retiring from playing he joined the Leicester Tigers coaching staff last season as assistant forwards coach.

International Record:
England 54 caps; British Lions 2 caps
England: 1995 S(R) World Cup - It, Sam, Sam, 1996 F, W, S, I, It, Arg 1997 S, I, F, W,A 1998 A, NZ (1,2), SA, N(R), It(R), 1999 USA, C, It (R) World Cup - Tg, Fj (R) 2001 C (1,2), USA, I (R), A, R, SA, 2002 S, I, F, W, It 2003 F(R),W, It, S, I, NZ, F, C, SA, A 2005 W, F, I, It 2006 A (1,2)

Lions: 2005 NZ (2R, 3R)

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