Martin Johnson can extend England stint

The Rugby Football Union's acting chief executive Martyn Thomas has opened the way for Martin Johnson to continue as England manager beyond the World Cup - if he wants to.

Johnson is contracted until December and the RFU, under previous chief executive John Steele, decided there was no need to engage in contract negotiations until the tournament is over. After leading England to their first Six Nations title in eight years, Johnson hinted he would like to continue in a job he finds "very addictive".

If Johnson still feels the same after the World Cup, then Thomas would welcome the chance to sit down and discuss the future with him. "Martin is such an honest assessor of his own performance that he will judge himself after the World Cup," said Thomas, who on Sunday stood down as RFU chairman but will run the day-to-day union affairs until the new year.

"He will turn around and say he is pleased with what he has done and he is staying or that, because he is very self-critical, that he is not happy. There is unlikely to be a CEO before January. I will have no problem in sitting down with Martin after the World Cup and resolving his position in the interests of England and the coaching team."

The upheaval in the corridors of power at the RFU should have no effect on England's chances in the World Cup, which kicks off against Argentina on 10 September. England's players are on a week's break from their summer training camp and will gather back at Pennyhill Park next Monday for the build-up to the August warm-ups against Wales, home and away, and Ireland.

"I have spoken to Martin Johnson and the coaches. They said to me that what was going on at Twickenham was not on their radar. The players are not interested in what is happening here," said Thomas.

The RFU will enter the World Cup, at which England will collect the baton as host nation of the 2015 tournament, without a permanent chairman or chief executive in place. Paul Murphy, the RFU vice-president, will act as interim chairman until a special general meeting is called to elect Thomas' permanent replacement. The earliest that can happen is 8 October, two days before England's World Cup campaign begins.