• Phil Riley left before the squad flew to Japan
• His departure was due to personal reasons
England’s World Cup preparations were significantly disrupted after the senior team doctor left his post shortly before the squad flew to Japan. It has emerged Phil Riley departed the Rugby Football Union earlier this month, becoming the latest member of Eddie Jones’s backroom staff to depart.
Riley had been in his role since last October, though he had been working at age-group level and with the Saxons since 2002. On Friday night a Rugby Football Union spokesman confirmed he had left because of “personal reasons”. His departure can be considered unsettling to England’s preparations given the importance of a team doctor with an international Test setup, all the more so at a major tournament.
Written by Gerard Meagher in Sapporo
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/20/england-rugby-world-cup-2019-team-doctor-eddie-jones under the title “England’s World Cup preparations disrupted by team doctor’s exit”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
