Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

England announce assistant coaches for summer tour

EXETER, ENGLAND - APRIL 19: Lee Blackett, Assistant Coach of Bath looks on prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Exeter Chiefs and Bath Rugby at Sandy Park on April 19, 2025 in Exeter, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Gallagher Premiership title-chasing clubs Bath and Sale Sharks will supply two of the assistant coaches for this summer’s England tour to the USA and Argentina.

ADVERTISEMENT

England A coach Lee Blackett has been further rewarded for his role in transforming Bath’s attack this season, with the West Country league leaders smashing their previous Premiership try-scoring record on their rise to the top this season.

Meanwhile, the former Scotland wing, Namibian-born Byron McGuigan, has also been added to Steve Borthwick’s staff. With McGuigan as defence coach, Sale Sharks have become one of the hardest teams to break down.

Blackett will step in to replace Richard Wigglesworth as attack coach while he is on duty as an assistant coach with the British & Irish Lions in Australia, while McGuigan will work alongside Joe El-Abd as assistant defence coach.

England’s summer tour kicks off with a two-Test series against Argentina, with matches taking place in La Plata on Saturday, 5 July and San Juan on Saturday, 12 July. England then travel to the United States to face the USA Eagles in Washington D.C. on Saturday, 19 July. After the tour, Blackett and McGuigan will return to their respective clubs.

“Lee and Byron will be excellent additions to our coaching group this summer,” said England head coach Steve Borthwick.

“England have traditionally travelled to Argentina when the British & Irish Lions play. It is a summer series that has always provided a fantastic opportunity for Premiership coaches to work in the Test environment. I am delighted that we are able to do just that once again.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Lee and Byron both have a mindset and approach to their coaching that very much align with how we want to continue to play.

“Lee has a proven track record of developing teams that play smart and effective attacking rugby. Byron brings an energy and strong understanding of the game that underpins an aggressive defence.”

Blackett began his coaching career in 2012 as player-coach at Rotherham Titans, becoming the youngest head coach in the top two tiers of English rugby just a year later. He joined Wasps in 2015 as attack coach, later stepping up as head coach and leading the team to the Premiership final in 2019/20.

Following Wasps’ administration in 2022, Blackett moved to Scarlets as backs and skills coach, helping them reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals, before joining Bath Rugby ahead of the 2023/24 season. Most recently, he coached England ‘A’ to wins over Australia ‘A’ and Ireland ‘A’ in late 2024 and early 2025.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s a huge honour to be asked to join the England coaching team,” said Blackett.

“This is a really exciting group of players, and I’m looking forward to working with them and the coaching team for what should be a fantastic challenge.”

McGuigan made over 100 appearances for Sale Sharks and earned 10 caps for Scotland before retiring to pursue a coaching career. While still playing, he gained experience with grassroots clubs including Sandbach RFC, Bowdon RFC, and Rossendale RFC, and led Sale Sharks during the 2023/24 Premiership Rugby Cup campaign. In November 2024, he was appointed defence coach at Sale.

“It’s a huge honour to be part of the England setup and I’m excited to contribute to the environment that is being built within the England squad,” added McGuigan.

In addition to Blackett and McGuigan joining the England coaching team, Phil Morrow will also begin his role as head of team performance permanently.

England’s Summer Tour 2025 Fixtures:
Saturday 5 July, England v Argentina – Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, Buenos Aires
Saturday 12 July, England v Argentina – Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan
Saturday 19 July, England v USA – Audi Field, Washington, D.C.

Related

Download the RugbyPass app now!

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 42 | Investec Champions Cup Final Review

Saitama Wildknights vs Kubota Spears | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Semi Final Replay

Spain's Incredible Rugby Sevens Journey to the World Championship Final | HSBC SVNS Embedded | Episode 14

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

1 Comment
f
fl 30 days ago

Lee Blackett makes a lot of sense as a replacement for Wigglesworth - McGuigan initially makes less sense, given that el-Abd isn’t going anywhere.


However - its seemed for a while like England are a bit thin on the ground in terms of forwards coaches, given Borthwick is doubling up as head coach and lineout coach, and George Kruis is (I think?) a part time consultant.


I wonder if the idea is for McGuigan to take on some of el-Abd’s workload in order for the latter to take on some of Borthwick’s & Kruis’.

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 16 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Ruben Love relocated, potential debut for Hurricanes vs Moana Pasifika Ruben Love relocated for Hurricanes vs Moana
Search