England now favourites to land Shaun Edwards ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup

Wednesday, 09 September 2026 at 10:07

byRugby Rucker

England have emerged as the favourites to land Shaun Edwards following his departure from France, with calls growing for the RFU to bring the legendary defence coach into Steve Borthwick’s set-up.

Edwards is available after his hugely successful spell with France came to an end earlier this year, immediately sparking speculation over where one of the most respected coaches in world rugby could end up next.

Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.

France officially confirmed Edwards' departure in June, bringing an end to a six-year spell which included three Six Nations titles.

England are now the favourites in RUCK's assessment of his possible next destination – but there is competition, with Fiji emerging as a particularly intriguing option ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

England move makes sense

Borthwick does not currently have a dedicated specialist defence coach within his backroom team.

Senior assistant Richard Wigglesworth oversees England's defence after moving across from his previous attacking responsibilities, while Lee Blackett was brought in to take charge of the attack.

That potentially leaves room for another specialist appointment – and few coaches come with a better defensive reputation than Edwards.

The 59-year-old enjoyed huge success during more than a decade with Wales before joining France in 2020, establishing himself as one of the most influential coaches of the professional era.

England have also looked at Edwards before, with the Wigan-born coach having previously held discussions with the RFU.

England urged to make their move

Former England internationals have already backed the RFU to act.

James Haskell recently revealed he had a "very, very small intuition" that Edwards could eventually find himself in the England set-up.

Mike Tindall has also backed the possibility, while former England fly-half Stuart Barnes has urged the RFU to bring Edwards into Borthwick's coaching team.

With Borthwick remaining firmly backed by the RFU, an Edwards appointment would not necessarily threaten the England boss.

Instead, bringing one of rugby's most decorated defensive minds into the existing set-up could represent a major statement ahead of Australia 2027.

RUCK VERDICT: Where will Shaun Edwards go next?

With Edwards now available, we've assessed the most likely destinations for his next coaching role and priced them up with our own hypothetical odds.

England – 6/4

England are our clear favourites.

Borthwick does not have a dedicated specialist defence coach, Edwards has previously held discussions with the RFU and several former England internationals have already called for the move.

Adding Edwards for the final year before the World Cup could be a major coup.

Wales – 4/1

Never rule out a return.

Edwards spent 12 hugely successful years with Wales and remains enormously respected within Welsh rugby.

A return would certainly be one of the biggest coaching stories of the year.

Fiji – 6/1

Perhaps the most intriguing option on the list.

Unlike several of the other contenders, Fiji actually have a job available right now – and they are actively accepting applications.

It would also give Edwards the opportunity to take charge of a Test nation as head coach and lead them into a World Cup.

South Africa – 15/2

A fascinating wildcard.

Edwards has previously spoken about wanting to experience the Rugby Championship, although there is currently no obvious vacancy within Rassie Erasmus' Springbok operation.

New Zealand – 9/1

Another possible route into southern hemisphere rugby and one of the few international environments that could potentially tempt Edwards away from Europe.

Again, though, there is no current vacancy.

PREM Rugby club – 12/1

A return to the weekly club environment cannot be completely ruled out.

However, given Edwards' international pedigree and the proximity of the World Cup, another Test role feels considerably more likely.

Top 14 club – 16/1

Edwards knows French rugby extremely well after six years working with Les Bleus and there would undoubtedly be clubs capable of putting together an attractive package.

For now, though, we make a return to club rugby the outsider.

Odds above are RUCK's hypothetical prices based on our assessment of Edwards' most likely next destination and are not bookmaker odds.

RFU make huge Steve Borthwick decision ahead of 2027 Rugby World Cup

Springboks legends slam 'scandalous' Rugby World Cup draw