Clive Woodward has been announced as the chef-de-mission for the British team at the first winter Youth Olympics in January.

The appointment is a strong indication that Woodward will not join the Rugby Football Union as performance director until next year at the earliest – and potentially not until after the London 2012 Olympics where he is due to be deputy chef-de-mission.

The RFU are expected to make appointing Woodward, the former Rugby World Cup-winning manager, their top priority when a new chief executive is appointed to succeed John Steele.

Woodward, the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) director of sport, said in a statement: “I am delighted to take on the role of chef-de-mission for the first winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

“I am sure that every young British winter athlete was inspired by Amy Williams’s thrilling gold medal performance at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“Our ambition for the YOG is to find and develop Team GB Olympians of the future and give them the best opportunity to follow in Amy’s footsteps.”

The British team is expected to consist of 20 athletes from five sports, aged 14-18. A total 1,000 athletes from over more than 70 nations are due to compete in the event in Innsbruck, Austria.

At the first summer Youth Olympics in Singapore last August, Team GB’s 39 athletes won 13 medals across eight sports, including five golds.