Danny Cipriani believes that permanent England head coach Stuart Lancaster has the "passion" to take the elite squad forward.

The former Leeds director was confirmed as the full-time coach by the Rugby Football Union today after leading England to second spot in the Six Nations.

Cipriani wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to Stuart Lancaster. His passion is 2nd to none."

The 24-year-old will be in contention to return to the England side as he is due to join Sale Sharks next season from the Melbourne Rebels.

Former England coach and director of sport at the British Olympic Association Clive Woodward, who won the World Cup with the national side, said: "I would like to extend my congratulations to Stuart Lancaster on his appointment as England rugby head coach.

"The performance of the England team during the recent Six Nations Championship demonstrated great progress and I wish Stuart and his team continued success. The London 2012 Olympics is the start of an exciting series of major sporting events taking place in the UK during the coming years, representing a golden opportunity for British sport."

The chief executive of the Rugby Players' Association Damian Hopley added: "I am absolutely thrilled for Stuart and we have all been thoroughly impressed by his professional approach, vision and dedication to achieving the best for English rugby from the day he was appointed interim head coach. Stuart is tremendously popular with the players and quickly earned their respect and trust through his honesty, humility and strong work ethic.

"I believe this appointment to be an excellent decision for the players and the future of English rugby and I look forward to working closely with Stuart and the players going forward."

Lancaster became England's interim coach after the sacking of Martin Johnson following the elite squad's disastrous World Cup campaign last year.