Ian Ritchie is delighted Stuart Lancaster has signed a new long-term deal © Getty Images

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The England coaches' new six-year deal is as much about the future as it is about the forthcoming World Cup but there will be a review of their performance following next year's tournament, according to Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie.

Wednesday's announcement saw the coaching quartet - Lancaster, Mike Catt, Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree - tied to the RFU until 2020, a timeframe that takes in the 2019 World Cup. There are cautionary tales surrounding such a long-term deal and Ritchie says their performance will be reviewed after next year's tournament.

"We will all, including the coaches, sit down and review how things go during the duration of the contracts," Ritchie said. "They will be on a review capability, so we will look at that. Yes there will of course be a review at various stages, of which an obvious one will be after the World Cup.

"But we are looking on the positive side of it, we believe this is a fantastic coaching team, we want to keep them together as a team and a group. That's why we've taken these steps. We believe the commitment is clear and we want to give certainty and stability to the longer-term development of the England team."

He continued: "Contracts are two-way commitments, and clearly we will honour those commitments. As far as I'm concerned we're here to win the World Cup next year.

"If we don't win it, we'll sit down and review it all. We're working on the assumption and reasonable expectation that we will have a successful World Cup, whatever the definition of that is. It's an easy one if you win; anything less than that, well, we'll review it at the time."

Pressure still on Lancaster despite new deal

• While this is great news for the England coaching quartet, it is a gamble on the Rugby Football Union's part. When England run out for the first time in their home World Cup against Fiji on September 18, 2015, the pressure on their shoulders will be comparable to the expectation surrounding the 2003 crop.
• When England fell short in the 1999 World Cup, Clive Woodward faced a nervous wait to see if he would be re-appointed. He did not have the luxury of a bumper deal. As it transpired, the RFU decided to give him a chance to make amends four years later. The same went for New Zealand in 2007. Graham Henry was seen as the man who had once again presided over an All Blacks team who had choked at the key moment. But despite the covetous glances from Robbie Deans, he was handed a new deal with the mission of guiding New Zealand to glory on home soil in 2011. He managed it, but he did not have the benefit of a security blanket.
• Make no mistake about it, this deal will not take the pressure off the England coaches.
• Read the full comment here

Throughout Ritchie's conference call on Wednesday, he constantly referred to the "longer-term" and "sustainable success". When Lancaster took over England, the national team was at its lowest ebb. England had endured a wretched 2011 World Cup where they made more headlines for off-field ill-discipline than they did for their performances on the pitch. Martin Johnson subsequently left and the RFU turned to Saxons coach Lancaster.

Following an interim spell, Lancaster and his coaching team Rowntree, Farrell and Catt were handed deals until 2016.

A main part of Lancaster's message has been about improving the culture and public perception of the team. His feats in this department should not be underplayed and the new deal is recognition of that. Ritchie added: "What we are also looking at is making sure the coaches have an absolute and total focus on what they are going to do over the next 12 months. So why are we doing it now?

"We are doing it because we want them to be clear they are supported by the Union and I believe the country. I think this is the right time to do this so we remove every possibility of them not having to think about the longer-term future and we think it recognises what they have done for the game."

On the field, England will go into the forthcoming autumn internationals against the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks hoping to see off the big three ahead of next year's World Cup.

For Ritchie, while rugby is a results business, there are wider things to consider about this deal, such as Lancaster's role within the RFU. "There's nobody more driven than this current coaching team, they are driven towards results.

"Shortish-term, if you just look at results, you have to look at their contribution in a broader sense, what they are doing, where we have come from, where we were. If you look at the relationship the guys have with the directors of rugby, PRL, the engagement with spectators and the community game, I think they have created a culture across the country. Of course you have to look at that. I think it is important they are part of an integrated RFU. Results are extremely important but I think there's more to it than that.

"If you look at what we have done in establishing the international performance department, of which Stuart is an integral part, part of that is about long-term sustainable success and the growth and development of players. We have a very successful Under-20 team, a women's World Cup but it's about long-term coherent development and all of these guys play a key role in that area.

"This is about looking at the longer-term, sustainable success and making sure we develop the players at the highest level and we have the pathways in place. Having that sustainability with the squad of players is a big plus point."