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world cup winner red rose head coach John Mitchell will support gloucester rugby In an unpaid coaching role with the club in November.
Michelle guided England To Women’s World Cup flag on home soil In front of a packed crowd at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in September.
The highly experienced New Zealander has yet to give up since taking over in 2023, and he is under contract until the end Next year’s Women’s Six Nations.
However, he was not to be in England action until the start of that campaign in April, so Mitchell would spend a month at Kingsholm helping “focus on improving the effectiveness of tackles and confrontations”.
“The offer of support from John, who is passionate about helping coaches and players develop the understanding and application of effective defensive systems, is unpaid and does not constitute a consulting role,” the club said in a statement.
“Rather, his time with Gloucester represents an opportunity for the club’s young coaching group to learn from one of the most experienced minds in the game as they continue to strengthen their defensive identity.
“Gloucester Rugby would like to thank John for his willingness to share his knowledge and experience during this period of learning and development.”
Since ending his playing career at the end of 1995, Mitchell has spent almost 30 years as a coach at elite level. He has since coached the All Blacks and had two stints as an assistant with the England nationals, as well as leading international and club programs in the United States, South Africa, Australia and his native New Zealand.
It is believed that his role with Gloucester will be limited to a few seasons. The club have lost their first five matches of the premiership rugby season due to injuries, and are second from bottom in the table under head coach George Skivington.
Mitchell suggested following England’s World Cup victory that he might be open to continuing his time as coach of the Red Roses beyond the expiry of his contract.
“I’m still part of the next chapter, we have the Six Nations in April,” Mitchell said. “I have had a lot of time to think about it as well.
“I’ll take a little break and then do some road trips in November to make sure we’re back to a new goal. In January, we’ll probably take another road trip to look at everyone’s goals to make sure we invest in the right people moving forward.
“Associating with these girls, inspiring them, they have changed my life, changed the way I think. All that kind of stuff is an added bonus. A trophy is one thing, a medal is another but really the quality of the people you work with is paramount.”