(Reuters) - England have appointed former Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder as a pathway performance coach, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Friday.
Mallinder, who won two England caps as a player, was the longest-serving director of rugby in the Premiership before being sacked by Northampton in December, after over a decade at the club.
"It's great to be returning to the RFU having held previous roles both in the pathway and with the Saxons," Mallinder said.
"I'm a supporter of emerging talent and I've always tried to help develop young English players with their progression into senior rugby. I hope to continue that in my new role in the England pathway."
The 52-year-old previously coached the England Saxons, the nation's secondary team, between 2006 and 2007. He also helped the England under-21s win the Six Nations title in 2006.
Mallinder joins the RFU's development programme following the departure of England under-18s coaches John Fletcher and Peter Walton.
(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)