Leeds Rhinos' Kevin Sinfield quits RFL role

His decision was announced 30 minutes after the RFL confirmed former Wigan Warriors boss Shaun Wane as England head coach on a two-year contract.

A statement from the governing body said Sinfield, who was instrumental in creating the performance unit in his role as the RFL rugby director, will "now stand down to allow the RFL to follow a new direction as the national teams prepare for the 2021 World Cup".

Sinfield, who has also left his rugby director role, said: “I am immensely proud of the progress we have made with all three of our senior national teams.

"In 2018, the England men’s team won four out of five Test matches in the calendar year, winning a series for the first time in over a decade and we saw the re-emergence of the Knights team as a pathway to the national side.

"England Women toured Papua New Guinea in 2019 for the first time with the team being paid in another groundbreaking step whilst our Wheelchair team are amongst the favourites for next year’s World Cup after a strong tour to Australia last year.

“Having reached the 2017 World Cup Final with our men’s team, I was confident we could build on that success in the four-year cycle to a home World Cup in 2021.

"The event will be the greatest tournament our sport has ever hosted and it was my belief that the performance unit was best placed to give all our teams, and especially the men’s team, the chance to end our long wait to lift silverware.