Former Worcester Warriors director of rugby, Dean Ryan has been appointed by the Rugby Football Union to be the new head of international player development.
Ryan was appointed by Nigel Melville, whom the RFU recently appointed as the new director of professional rugby.
Melville has made Ryan his first appointment and will start his new duty next month.
The former England number eight’s responsibilities include leading a performance pathway for young players to venture into the international squad, scouting and overseeing national academies from the Under-16 level and above and identifying potential future coaches of national teams:
This is an opportunity for England to take that next step and become a dominant force in world rugby,
Said Ryan, whose was previously also director of rugby at Gloucester and spent time working as an assistant to Scotland.
To do this we need to ensure we continue to develop a world-class pathway system for our players and elite coaches.
Having excellent relationships with the professional clubs is key, and we need to be joined up in our approach so we develop players who are ready to take that step into the senior international environment and make a real impact for England.
The 50-year-old resigned from his position at Worcester not long ago and already has Melville’s approval who said:
I’m thrilled that Dean is joining England with his considerable experience of hands-on coaching in the professional game and expertise in developing players in the Premiership and Championship.
Ryan coached the Warriors for three seasons, guiding them to promotion to the Aviva Premiership and consolidating the side’s position in the Premiership table.
