Woodward blasts RFU approach
Clive Woodward claims the Rugby Football Union are most guilty of "betraying" head coach Brian Ashton – not Mike Catt and Lawrence Dallaglio.
The duo have been fiercely criticised this week after questioning Ashton and his World Cup coaching team’s approach in their autobiographies.
However, with the RFU still conducting a post-tournament review of England’s performance after their run to the final in France, former team chief Woodward, who led the team to glory four years ago, insists they should be the focus of Ashton’s ire.
“The worst example of dressing-room betrayal is actually being perpetrated by the RFU with its anonymous questionnaires and players being asked directly about the England set-up by (RFU Elite Rugby Director) Rob Andrew, who is Brian Ashton’s boss,” Woodward told The Times.
“If (chief executive) Francis Baron had suggested something similar during my tenure, I would have resigned on the spot, although I cannot imagine for one second the World Cup squad of 2003 allowing themselves to get involved in such an appraisal.
“Players play and coaches coach. To start getting the players to evaluate a coach’s performance is a very dangerous path to tread.”
On the subject of Catt’s and Dallaglio’s books, Woodward insists steps could have been taken to prevent this week’s controversy, although he does not advocate an outright ban on autobiographies.
“This is something we addressed from the start of my time as England rugby union head coach in the ’Teamship Book’ that the squad and management created together,” he said.
“Here are a couple of specific agreed principles for all involved with the England team. Detailed daily diaries are strictly a no. It cheapens what the management spends hours working on. All of us could do this, including management – no!
“Any of us who do write a book must ensure that it does not contain any information that may offend any England player or member of the management team, past or present.
“This rule continues to apply even when we are not part of the squad.
“In other words, the players and management were totally free to write books and many published bestsellers, including Martin Johnson. But there are areas that you stray into at your peril.”
Woodward added: “Anyone involved in top-level sport over any length of time could write a book full of juicy dressing-room titbits. Even in a winning squad, there are all sorts of explosions behind the scenes.”
