Sir Clive Woodward’s Biggest Critics: Five Rugby Stars Who Hate Him

, Raiwalui simply stated, “The rugby public instantly got smarter!” – a clear swipe at Woodward’s often polarising presence in the media.

However, his strong opinions have occasionally rubbed players and coaches the wrong way.

From outspoken criticism to personal jibes, here are five rugby stars who have publicly clashed with Sir Clive Woodward.

The England prop Joe Marler has never been one to shy away from confrontation, and his ongoing spat with Sir Clive Woodward is no exception. The tension escalated in late 2022 after Woodward publicly criticised Marler and fellow prop Dan Cole for their conduct in a press conference before England's heavy defeat to South Africa.

Marler, known for his candid social media presence, hit back after reading Woodward's comments on Rugby Pass. In a direct tweet to Woodward, he wrote, “Change the record Sir Clive – you should be grateful you can ‘milk the cow’ for another 3 years.”

Their clashing personalities have seen multiple run-ins over the years, with Woodward often criticising Marler's on-field antics and off-field attitude.

Former England head coach Eddie Jones hasn’t been shy about his disdain for Woodward. Their rivalry stretches back to when Jones was coaching Australia and Woodward was in charge of England. However, it deepened during Jones’ tenure with the England national team.

“He hasn’t coached since 2005 and he’s the ‘world’s best coach’. You’re the world’s best coach when you don’t coach,” Jones told James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast.

Jones also revealed a behind-the-scenes power struggle, claiming Woodward lobbied for a position as England's director of rugby after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. “He did it behind my back, and I thought it was quite sneaky and deceitful,” Jones said.

Despite sharing the glory of England’s 2003 World Cup win, Austin Healey’s relationship with Woodward soured during the tournament. Healey was flown out to Australia as injury cover, but when the injured players recovered, he was never officially added to the squad. This meant Healey missed out on a World Cup winner's medal despite travelling to Australia.

Though Healey hasn’t been as vocal as others, his exclusion left a bitter taste, with many believing the versatile back deserved more recognition for his involvement.

Former England flanker James Haskell has been another vocal critic of Woodward’s approach to punditry, particularly his unrelenting critiques of Eddie Jones.

In an interview with The Mirror, Haskell praised Jones for his management style and questioned Woodward's persistent negativity. “It’s a hard one for me because the only person who appears to never be happy when Eddie Jones is doing well is Clive Woodward,” Haskell said.

Haskell further noted, “Clive hasn’t coached in rugby since 2005 and really has no concept of what’s going on in the set-up. He’s desperate to pick this job up between Eddie and the RFU... I find it astounding.”

Following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Woodward announced his departure from ITV’s rugby punditry team, where he had been a staple for years. While the news was met with disappointment from some, others were quick to express their relief. One such figure was Simon Raiwalui, the former Fiji head coach and current World Rugby high-performance pathways manager.

In a cutting remark shared with The Times

Sir Clive Woodward’s legacy as a World Cup-winning coach remains untarnished, but his strong opinions and willingness to call out both players and coaches have certainly earned him his fair share of detractors. From Joe Marler's Twitter rebukes to Eddie Jones’ public scorn, it's clear that Woodward’s influence still stirs strong emotions across the rugby world.