England
RFU CEO Ritchie issues support for Lancaster
ESPN Staff
January 23, 2015
This is a key year for England and Stuart Lancaster © Getty Images
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Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie has backed Stuart Lancaster and England to shine in what is a watershed year for English rugby.

Lancaster will take his troops to the Millennium Stadium in two weeks' time to begin the pursuit of a first Six Nations crown since he took over in 2012. Focus will then turn to a World Cup on home soil in the autumn where England must finish in the top two of a group featuring both Australia and Wales to make the quarter finals.

Ritchie admits the pressure will be on Lancaster to get to the latter stages of the tournament but he is confident the right man is in charge to lead the team forward.

"The number one objective is coaching the team - absolutely his focus in terms of 2015," he told the Daily Telegraph. "But again I think he's got that bigger role. He's also got a role about engagement with the public, engagement with the game as a whole.

"You've heard me talk about inter-connection. If you want to engage the country you have to have someone who deals with that. And he gets, I hope - and I think he believes this - a lot of support internally, because yeah, of course he's under some pressure."

If all goes well at the World Cup then Lancaster is likely to also lead England into the 2019 edition after signing a deal in October which ties him to the RFU until 2020. The awarding of a six-year contract the year before a World Cup raised a few eyebrows but Ritchie insists he has even more faith in Lancaster now than he did the day the coach was appointed.

"We had a great advisory panel. I was sat there at the first meeting with Ian McGeechan, Conor O' Shea, Richard Hill and Rob Andrew," he said. "They were a great bunch of people to help. You had to start with this old-fashioned idea; this is what we want, how does he (the candidate) fit against it? How does he measure up?

"Three years on, that view has been even more informed, because I spend a lot of time with him and the coaching staff. We talk about values. Not only does Stuart have that understanding and appreciation, but it's palpably clear that this is a guy who has values.

"We could all say, 'Yes, but it's all about winning'. Of course it's all about winning. But it's also about values, and you have to say they are doing a really good job."

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