Felix Jones has been released from his English RFU contract as an assistant coach effective immediately but cannot join another Tier 1 country until Tuesday, April 1st, thereby precluding him from working with any of England’s rivals in the Six Nations Championship. He is free to work with a Tier 2 country or a club team.
The 37-year-old former Ireland fullback helped South Africa win two World Cups, 2019 and 2023, as an assistant coach before he agreed to join Steve Borthwick’s England set-up in late 2023.
When he resigned in August 2024 the RFU initially held him to a 12-month notice period and although he was listed as doing “remote analysis during the Autumn Nations Series just gone, he was not in contact with any other assistant coaches.
The RFU issued a brief statement. It read: “The RFU can confirm that England Rugby men’s assistant coach Felix Jones will step down from his role on Friday, December 13th.
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“The terms of his departure prevent Jones from working with any Tier One team until Tuesday, April 1st, 2025. During this period, he is permitted to work with any club or any Tier Two international team and below, should he choose to do so.”
Sandycove native Jones has been linked with a return to Munster, a province with whom he played, as a potential replacement for the head coach’s role vacated by Graham Rowntree, but whatever he chooses he’ll have no shortage of suitors either in the short or medium term.
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