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Gary Street has stepped down from his position as head coach of England Women with immediate effect.

Street led England to five Six Nations titles - four of which were Grand Slams - and two consecutive World Cup finals, including their 21-9 victory over Canada in Paris last year. Assistant coach Graham Smith will also leave his position following this season's Six Nations campaign, which starts against Wales on February 8.

After such a successful spell at the England helm Street says he feels it is the right moment in his career to seek a new challenge.

"I have been part of an incredible journey for the last 14 years, and I am extremely proud of the part that I played in growing the women's game to where it is now," Street said. "The pinnacle has to be winning the Rugby World Cup in France last year. However, huge credit must go to all the people involved in making that happen, not just the players but the backroom staff too and the many players and staff before that. It is a moment I will cherish forever. I now feel that I have achieved everything that I set out to do, and this is the right time to explore new challenges in my career."

Nicky Ponsford, the RFU's Head of Performance (Women), paid tribute to the lasting impact the pair have had on the national team.

"We would like to thank both Gary and Graham for their outstanding contributions to women's rugby, which has seen significant and unparalleled success in that time," Ponsford said. "Gary's involvement extends to 15 years, with Graham not far behind and the effort and enthusiasm they have put into their roles has been fantastic in supporting and developing the players as well as the women's programme.

"Many of those players who won in Paris last year have been developed and coached by Gary and Graham throughout their entire playing careers. However, we all felt the time was right to make some changes within the women's programme as we look to rebuild the team ahead of the next World Cup in 2017."