England Women’s Head Coach Simon Middleton is set to end his eight years in charge of the Red Roses this Saturday, as England hope to secure a fifth consecutive Women’s Six Nations title. Middleton has been the Head Coach since 2015, and a victory over France would be the perfect send off at Twickenham Stadium.
Red Roses legend Sarah Hunter, and current Captain Marlie Packer praised ‘Midds’ for all the work he has done for the Red Roses. England Rugby posted a video to their Twitter account, showing Hunter and Packer sharing memories of their coach, and thanking him for all of his support throughout the years.
Middleton has long been involved with England Women’s rugby before he took the Head Coach role. in 2014, He joined up with England, and led the way for the England Women Sevens, on the World Series. Also, he was appointed as Gary Street’s right-hand man, in his Assistant Coach role for the 2014 Rugby World Cup.
This saw England climb to the very top, and finish the competition as World Champions. A famous 21-9 win over Canada, saw the Red Roses etch their name in the history books. Middleton continued to expand his reach, and took charge of Team GB’s Women’s Rugby Sevens side for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Just missing out on the medals, Middleton’s side finished fourth in Brazil.
Upon his return, the 57-year-old fully dedicated his focus to the England Women’s XVs, and is on the cusp of securing his fifth Grand Slam, and sixth overall title. The Red Roses won the Grand Slam in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022, and could be set for yet another triumph infront of a record-breaking attendance for a Women’s rugby match. Over 50,000 fans have already bought tickets for the 2023 Women’s instalment of ‘Le Crunch’, and what will be Middleton’s swansong.