Shaun Edwards has quickly established himself as a committed presence within the England Red Roses setup, according to wing Jess Breach. Edwards, a widely respected rugby league legend and accomplished union defence coach, joined the England women’s team on a consultancy basis earlier this week and will remain with the squad through the conclusion of the WXV Global Series in October.

The 59-year-old coach, who departed from his role with the France men’s team this summer, has been assisting England’s preparations for their upcoming match against New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium. The game is set to take place tomorrow in front of nearly 60,000 spectators.

Breach, who plays on the wing for England, said there had initially been some uncertainty about Edwards’ motivations for joining the women’s programme. “I think probably our biggest question around him coming into the programme was why?” she commented. Breach noted that there is often a perception that coaches enter women’s rugby as a stepping stone to roles in the men’s game. She stressed that the players want coaches who are genuinely invested in the women’s game and focused on improving the team. “I think he does want that,” Breach added, referring to Edwards’ explanation of his personal connection to the role.

Earlier this week, veteran England back Marlie Packer revealed that Edwards had shared with the squad a story about his late mother, Phyllis, who passed away in 2021. Edwards explained that one motivation for coaching the Red Roses was that his mother never had the chance to play rugby and admired the women’s game greatly. He expressed a desire to gain firsthand insight into women’s rugby, a code he had not previously coached.

England head coach John Mitchell, who is working alongside Edwards, described the collaboration as mutually beneficial. “I am dragging plenty out of him and I am sure he is stealing a few things as well,” Mitchell said. “As coaches we always want to find something a little bit different that can grow the players. We are very, very fortunate to have a person of his ability.”

England enter the match against New Zealand following a 40-game unbeaten run that was recently halted by a 26-26 draw against Canada last Saturday. The team will look to regain momentum as they contend in the WXV Global Series this month.