England appoint Mallinder as pathway performance coach

Mallinder, who won two England caps as a player, was the longest-serving director of rugby in the Premiership before being sacked by Northampton in December, after over a decade at the club.

(Reuters)

"It's great to be returning to the RFU having held previous roles both in the pathway and with the Saxons," Mallinder said.

"I'm a supporter of emerging talent and I've always tried to help develop young English players with their progression into senior rugby. I hope to continue that in my new role in the England pathway."

The 52-year-old previously coached the England Saxons, the nation's secondary team, between 2006 and 2007. He also helped the England under-21s win the Six Nations title in 2006.

Mallinder joins the RFU's development programme following the departure of England under-18s coaches John Fletcher and Peter Walton.

(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)