Kevin Sinfield has been named to the interview panel charged with advising on England’s next head coach after Shaun Wane stood down in January following a six-year spell in charge and a whitewash defeat to Australia in last autumn’s Ashes.
The selection panel includes Sinfield, new Rugby Football League (RFL) non-executive director Sara Symington, interim RFL chief executive Abi Ekoku and RFL chair Nigel Wood. RFL executive director of performance and participation Marc Lovering will provide additional support during the process.
Wood welcomed Sinfield’s appointment, pointing to his decorated Leeds Rhinos career, more than 40 appearances for England, captaincy at the 2013 World Cup and his role as rugby director when England reached the World Cup final in Brisbane four years later. Wood said Sinfield’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable for the appointment.
Wood also highlighted Symington’s background as a double Olympian in cycling and her performance roles with UK Sport, Archery GB, England Netball and UK Athletics, before leading British Cycling’s Olympics and Paralympics programme through the Paris 2024 cycle. Ekoku’s experience as Great Britain’s team manager on tours, including the 2006 Tri-Nations victory over Australia in Sydney, was noted as further strength on the panel.
The head coach role will initially be part-time to cover the upcoming World Cup. England’s group opens against Tonga on October 20, and they also face France and Papua New Guinea in the tournament. Wood said the strong public interest sparked by the Ashes has generated applications and enquiries from a wide range of world-class coaches, both from the UK and the NRL. The newly formed panel will interview candidates, narrow the shortlist and recommend the best person for the role.
2026 Super League — key dates and what to watch for:
– Rivals Round: April 3–5
– Super League in Paris: Saturday June 6 — Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (kick-off 18:30 UK)
– Magic Weekend: July 4–5
– Rivals Round reversed: July 23–26
– Elimination play-offs: September 19–20
– Play-off semi-finals: September 26–27
– Grand Final: October 3 at Old Trafford
Sky Sports will once again show every Super League game live this season, including exclusive matches and additional coverage via Sky Sports+.