Can Stuart Lancaster's England side break into the top two in the world rankings? © Getty Images

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External Links: IRB World Rankings | RFU Strategic Plan - 2012/13-2016/17

England boss Stuart Lancaster has been set the challenge of securing a place in the top two of the International Rugby Board world rankings ahead of his side's assault on the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Strategic goals for 2015 Rugby World Cup

• Spectator experiences enjoyed in full venues throughout the country, with supporters and proud volunteers part of an inspiring festival of rugby.
• Connecting with new and existing audiences, whether the 4 billion global TV audience or local school children, through a digital era tournament.
• Rugby at the tournament's heart - with players and the sport central. England as a rugby union nation and players as heroes and role models.
• Unforgettable celebrations and matches creating lifelong memories and big TV moments for the watching world.
• More than a tournament, with its planned and lasting legacy extending well beyond the event, helping to promote rugby and creating a worldwide legacy for the game.

Lancaster, whose side are currently ranked fourth, has previously expressed his personal desire to see England secure a top two spot by the end of this year. And this goal has now been set in stone with the Rugby Football Union's latest five-year strategic plan demanding that England "achieve first or second place IRB ranking in World Cup year."

The detailed plan, that "will guide the game in England to beyond Rugby World Cup 2015", contains five five strategic priorities including the bold target of delivering "the most inspiring World Cup ever."

Unlike previous strategic plans, there is no specific demand in terms of how many Six Nations and Grand Slams England are expected to win in the given period and Lancaster has welcomed the change in focus.

"I said from the outset that was our objective," Lancaster told PA Sport. "We want to be in a position come the end of the New Zealand tour (in 2014) and going into the autumn internationals and the Six Nations in 2015 that we are up there with the best. To do that we have to win consistently. It is a considerable challenge but if you want to be realistic about winning a big competition you have to have that consistency.

"It is a plan that encompasses the whole of the RFU and gets people to understand broadly what the objectives are, without becoming absolutely (specific) because that then becomes the barometer that I am measured against and there are other barometers for performance."

Lancaster's efforts to hit the summit are set to be bolstered by the appointment of Joe Lydon as head of international player development. Reporting to Lancaster, as head of elite player development, Lydon, who spent two years as England attack coach between 2004 and 2006, will manage the England structure below the senior team and help ensure that England never have to rebuild a team from scratch.

"It is a critical appointment. One of my key working areas since the Six Nations was to get this appointment right," Lancaster said. "I put my role into three areas. One would be the very short term and the requirement to win the next game. The second one is building a plan for England peak in 2015.

"The final goal is to build a structure so that it doesn't end in 2015 as we have done after previous World Cups, when there has been a big drop off, whether it was 2003, 2007 or 2011. There should never be that situation again. We are looking to build a structure so we keep producing the Christian Wades and Marland Yardes beyond 2015.

"I delegate that to Joe. Joe demonstrated above the other candidates he had the knowledge of professional rugby, he had the credibility within the game, the passion to want to come back to England to make a difference and my confidence that I could trust him to run that side of the programme and integrate with my coaches and the age grade coaches."

The RFU's strategic priorities also include: establishing rugby union as a sport for everyone; building the RFU's brand, reputation and relationships; optimising the Union's revenue for reinvesting in the game and securing success for representative teams and delivering the most inspiring Rugby World Cup ever.

The plan also details a clear intention of investing £1/3rd billion into rugby at all levels and a 32% increase in grassroots spending compared to the previous five years.