At the elite level, the governing body’s stated aim is for England to be “consistently winning senior international competitions.”

Rory Price, the RFU’s executive director of strategy and transformation, emphasised the sport’s wider significance: “We feel like rugby has a really important place in society. It’s all about life-enriching moments and more than results and revenue but also connection and belonging.”

To expand rugby’s reach beyond traditional strongholds, the RFU plans to introduce T1 Rugby into 5,000 schools by 2030.

This non-contact format features simulated scrums, line-outs and breakdowns, designed to scale according to different ability levels and settings.

A network of approximately 60 schools’ rugby managers leads the effort to bridge the gap between educational institutions and local clubs, having introduced 80,000 students to the sport in 2025.

Teenagers represent a particularly vulnerable demographic for dropout, prompting the governing body to prioritise coaching provision for those aged 14 to 18.

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Riding high on the Red Roses’ World Cup glory and Steve Borthwick’s men securing 11 straight Test victories, the Rugby Football Union enters this strategic period with considerable momentum.

Renewed faith in the age-grade development system has further bolstered confidence at Twickenham as the governing body unveils its four-year blueprint.

The strategy rests on four pillars: play, perform, follow and fund.

Women’s rugby and youth participation are identified as the primary engines for expansion, with schools outside rugby’s traditional heartlands specifically targeted for recruitment.

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Price, who joined the RFU a decade ago from Ernst and Young before assuming his current position in 2021, dismissed suggestions the sport is struggling: “We wouldn’t recognise the narrative that rugby is on the decline. The data is going the other way.”

The RFU’s internal analysis identifies 5.2 million “passionate fans” currently following England teams, with ambitions to increase this figure by half a million.

Marketers insist this target represents a genuine milestone rather than a “vanity metric”, made achievable partly through a joint-marketing partnership with the Premiership established in 2024.

Reaching 5.7 million dedicated supporters would bring rugby close to cricket’s current fanbase in England.

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With Twickenham ticket prices proving prohibitive for many, the RFU hopes to compensate by offering enhanced digital content, including behind-the-scenes access through the O2 Inside Line: This Rose series.

Directing England supporters towards the Premiership and PWR highlights has now become standard practice.

Price pointed to “significant growth” in female participation as evidence of the sport’s health, citing Bromsgrove RFC’s launch of its first women’s team in 150 years and the introduction of a complete girls’ pathway.

Boys’ numbers have also risen, though men’s participation remains “relatively flat”.

The 37-year-old, a former England age-grade international himself, acknowledged that modern lifestyles demand flexibility.

He told the Telegraph: “To get out multiple teams at adult level, accounting for specialist positions and replacements, with demands on people’s time and a culture of instant gratification, means that rugby is very hard to adopt for many people.”

Clubs will gain access to flexible loans for infrastructure improvements, including LED floodlights enabling Thursday and Friday evening fixtures.

On rugby’s physical demands, Price maintained the health benefits outweigh injury risks, particularly against rising childhood obesity and inactivity.