London – Former Springbok coach Jake White will apply for the newly created position of Performance Director at the Rugby Football Union, a role which will see the current England coach Martin Johnson ultimately report to him.

Jean Smyth

This comes after the RFU’s new Chief Executive John Steele conducted a wide-ranging review of the way in which the game was run in England. Within his recommendations was the creation of this role in which the remit is the control over all England teams and the scrapping of that of Director of Elite rugby, which was held by former England flyhalf Rob Andrew.

Andrew has thus been relieved of his role and will be invited to reapply for the position of Operations Director at the Union.

Clive Woodward, Eddie Jones and White were the early front-runners for the role with the Chief Executive of USA Rugby Nigel Melville and the Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder also in the frame. While also linked to the post is the current Italy coach Nick Mallett and the 2009 Lions head coach Ian McGeechan.

Woodward, it’s now understood, is to have dropped out of the running as he’s set on completing his role at the British Olympic Association through to the London Olympics in 2012.

The RFU will tender the position from as early as next week and after an intensive interview process hope to have the new person in position at Twickenham as early as March. The RFU did stress that they were not making any approaches to any individuals. It’s also been stressed that the post would be open to those not just from a rugby union background, although it would be preferred.

White has said in the past that he’d be interested in a position of this type at the RFU and with that now seemingly within his grasp, it’s one that he will apply for as he told Sport24.

“I haven’t been approached by anybody (as yet) but would I consider it? Well of course I would. It’s a fantastic job,” he said.

The role would oversee all of England’s rugby teams at various age group levels and would even include Johnson reporting to him, although he would have no say in any strategy adopted by the senior England side.

Jones and White have spoken informally about the role and White in particular doesn’t think that working above somebody like Johnson would be a problem.

“I wouldn’t see it as being somebody’s boss. I’d really love a role like that, to impart the knowledge that I’ve picked up from winning with the seniors and juniors and being involved in developing the game in South Africa for the last 25 to 30 years. It’d be fantastic to be involved with a country like England. To do the best you can to make England stronger,” he added.

“I’ve always made it clear that England is the one country that I feel is very similar to the South African model. They’ve got a lot of players, ethos and passion in the game and one of the best records at World Cups as they’ve been in three out of six finals.”

It’s White’s record at youth level as well winning the 2007 World Cup with the Springboks that would be of interest to those at the RFU. It’s one that he hopes would stand him in good stead should he make it to the final interview stages for the role.

“I was involved with an amazing group of young talented players of whom many are now the incumbents in the Springbok side. One thing I could offer England is making sure that if there are foreign players at senior level now, then that in the next four years in the younger levels of England rugby come 2015, England are dominant once again in world rugby.”

Jean Smyth is a freelance journalist based in London.