RFU confirm 17 England players have been awarded Elite Player Squad contracts
Yesterday at 11:35 AM
Head coach Steve Borthwick has awarded 17 players with Enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts.
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The introduction of the contracts, which form part of the newly created Men's Professional Game Partnership (MPGP) announced in September, allows Borthwick to have the final say on all sports science and medical matters relating to the players, and will help ensure the best possible preparation for the England Men's team.
- Ollie Chessum
- Team: Leicester Tigers
- Caps: 23
- Age: 24
- Tom Curry
- Team: Sale Sharks
- Caps: 53
- Age: 26
- Theo Dan
- Team: Saracens
- Caps: 14
- Age: 23
- Ben Earl
- Team: Saracens
- Caps: 33
- Age: 26
- Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
- Team: Exeter Chiefs
- Caps: 6
- Age: 21
- George Ford
- Team: Sale Sharks
- Caps: 96
- Age: 31
- Tommy Freeman
- Team: Northampton Saints
- Caps: 11
- Age: 23
- George Furbank
- Team: Northampton Saints
- Caps: 11
- Age: 28
- Ellis Genge
- Team: Bristol Bears
- Caps: 62
- Age: 29
- Jamie George
- Team: Saracens
- Caps: 93
- Age: 34
- Maro Itoje
- Team: Saracens
- Caps: 84
- Age: 29
- Ollie Lawrence
- Team: Bath Rugby
- Caps: 27
- Age: 25
- George Martin
- Team: Leicester Tigers
- Caps: 15
- Age: 23
- Alex Mitchell
- Team: Northampton Saints
- Caps: 18
- Age: 27
- Henry Slade
- Team: Exeter Chiefs
- Caps: 65
- Age: 31
- Fin Smith
- Team: Northampton Saints
- Caps: 5
- Age: 22
- Marcus Smith
- Team: Harlequins
- Caps: 35
- Age: 25
Head coach Steve Borthwick stated, "I am delighted to be in a position to name the 17 players who are first to receive the enhanced EPS contracts. I am confident that these contracts, and our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will play a significant role in England Rugby's continued development."
5 England Players that are 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour 'Bolters'
The wildcards, the outside shouts, the dark horses. Call them what you like, but rugby has long witnessed many memorable ‘bolters’, that have lit up the international stage with the odds stacked against them.
Whether the players were brought in as injury cover and shone in the circumstances, or a head coach gambled on an in-form youngster to make their debut, bolters often add the exciting element of surprise to the biggest Test matches. With the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia now just eight months away, the calibre of player that qualifies as a bolter is at an all time high.
With Lions head coach Andy Farrell given the choice of the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, some established national team stars have dropped down to bolter status for the upcoming tour. Throw in the possibility of international returns for overseas players, and the pecking order is instantly overturned, as the likes of Owen Farrell, Jack Willis and Henry Arundell become available to tour ‘down under’.
We’ve scanned across the England team and the wider Premiership landscape, to come up with five players that could be considered as bolters for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. With such fierce competition for places, there are some high profile England players on this list, as well as a currently uncapped hopeful that could earn their Test debut in the famous red jersey.
1. George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Despite being recently nailed on as the starting fullback for Steve Borthwick’s England team, George Furbank faces a considerable amount of competition for a place upon the British & Irish Lions tour. Due to the limited numbers of players allowed on the tour, Furbank is jostling for a seat on the plane as one of just two possible fullback options.
For the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa, head coach Warren Gatland took Scotland’s Stuart Hogg and Wales’ Liam Williams as the specified fullbacks. Furbank is already competing against Williams for a place in Australia, as well as Lions legend Leigh Halfpenny, who is ageing like a fine wine at Harlequins. Throw in Ireland’s resident Olympian Hugo Keenan and Toulouse’s Champions Cup winner Blair Kinghorn as Scotland’s contribution, and the odds start to become stacked against the Northampton captain.
Further complicating matters for Furbank is the possibility of Owen Farrell’s return to the Test match stage, and the butterfly effect this could have upon his chances. Should the former England captain return to international rugby, Marcus Smith’s chances of a run in the 10 jersey drastically go down, and Smith could well shift across to fullback for the Lions tour.
Smith has proven his ability in the 15 shirt with England at the Rugby World Cup, and more recently ran in two tries from fullback against Furbank’s Saints, as Harlequins took on Northampton in a recent Premiership meeting. This would further reduce Furbank’s chances of a Lions inclusion, despite his status as an England regular.
However, like Smith, Furbank’s versatility in both the 15 and 10 shirt plays to his favour for a Lions call-up. The 28-year-old has led the back-line in green, black and gold on 14 occasions, and could provide injury cover in the 10 jersey for a mid-week match against one of Australia’s Super Rugby franchises. Overall, Furbank faces difficult odds for a place on the plane, but we expect the Premiership champion to take this in his stride with leading performances for England and the Saints in the coming months.
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