England head coach Mitchell open to 2027 women’s Lions role

England women’s head coach John Mitchell says he is open to taking charge of the first women’s British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2027.

His side beat Canada 33-13 on Saturday to win a first Women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014 in front of a record women’s crowd of 81,885 at Twickenham.

The 61-year-old’s England contract runs until 30 June 2026 and he is yet to confirm if he would like to stay on after that date.

When asked about the prospect of coaching the women’s Lions for their historic tour of his homeland, Mitchell told BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly: “The Lions is a huge honour and it is the first women’s Lions.

“I remember at school meeting the 1977 Lions in assembly. They have always been a part of my life. If that opportunity did come along then it would definitely be something I would consider.

“I just want to make sure I get the foundations of the next World Cup cycle in place.”

Since taking over from Simon Middleton in 2023, the New Zealander is yet to lose as Red Roses head coach, with his side on a record 33-game winning run.

Mitchell made clear it is too early to discuss whether next year’s Women’s Six Nations – a tournament he has won twice – will be his final campaign in charge of the side.

The first women’s Lions tour will include three Test matches against the six-time world champion Black Ferns.

The Lions will also play pre-Test fixtures although a full schedule has yet to be finalised.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and former Wales boss Warren Gatland both took a year away from their national team roles to lead the men’s Lions tours.

Regardless of his future beyond 2026, Mitchell is motivated to future-proof his side for the 2029 World Cup in Australia.

Natasha Hunt, 36, Emily Scarratt and Marlie Packer – both 35 – all added a second World Cup to their collection on Saturday, but will unlikely make the next tournament given their age.

“I love the [England women’s] job and would love to do it (another World Cup) again, but I still need to consider a lot of things,” added Mitchell.

“I’ve got to do a Six Nations and I’ve got to make sure I link up with the players in November to make sure physically and rugby-wise they are focusing on the right things.

“In January, we need to go on a road trip and check out every girl’s ‘why’ and goals for the next cycle.

“That is really important to us as we need to decide who we are going to invest in for the next cycle.”

The World Cup final at Twickenham was not only a record crowd, but it was the most-watched women’s rugby match ever on UK television, with a record-breaking peak audience of 5.8 million viewers.

In total, 440,000 tickets were sold for the tournament – more than three times the number at the previous Women’s Rugby World Cup three years ago.

Mitchell’s side will again play in the World Cup final venue in their next game on 11 April against Ireland in the Six Nations – one of their two home fixtures in the tournament, with the second against Wales at Bristol’s Ashton Gate on 25 April.

With momentum from a home World Cup, the fixture against Ireland could be an opportunity to beat the Women’s Six Nations record crowd of 58,498 – set when the Red Roses defeated France to win the Grand Slam in 2023.

Earlier this month, World Rugby announced alterations to the women’s global calendar for autumn fixtures, with the world’s top 12 teams getting to pick their home and away games for September and October.

“We need to be smart about how we continue to watch,” added the former All Blacks head coach.

“We can’t just have this fantastic World Cup that’s captured such huge audiences – every team has created their connection within that.

“The question that needs to be answered is how the game is going to be watched. We can’t have this tournament and how it concluded and not see that again in the four years until Australia, as that is not growth.”