English Rugby
Woodward accepts Olympic role
ESPNscrum Staff
June 15, 2011
Clive Woodward poses in front of the Olympics logo, British Olympic Association, London, England, January 1, 2009
Clive Woodward had been tipped to rejoin the RFU © Getty Images
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Sir Clive Woodward has seemingly ruled himself out of the running for the role of performance director of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) after agreeing to lead the Great Britain team for the inaugural winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

John Steele's resignation as the RFU's chief executive last weekend prompted widespread speculation that Woodward, who coached England to World Cup glory in Australia in 2003, was set to be installed as the union's new elite performance director.

However, on Wednesday it was confirmed that he had been appointed Team GB's chef de mission for the YOG, which are being staged in Innsbruck, Austria and run from January 13 to January 22. Given that RFU chairman Martyn Thomas has already gone on record to say that he cannot envisage Woodward, the British Olympic Association's (BOA) director of sport, being allowed to operate on a part-time basis, there now appears to be little chance of him being installed as the man to effectively replace Steele.

"I am delighted to take on the role of chef de mission for the first winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG)," Woodward said. "I am sure that every young British winter athlete was inspired by Amy Williams' thrilling gold medal performance at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Our ambition for the YOG is to find and develop Team GB Olympians of the future and give them the best opportunity to follow in Amy's footsteps."

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