Steve Borthwick explains why he has stripped Jamie George of captaincy
Yesterday at 09:33 AM
Steve Borthwick has officially handed the England captaincy to Saracens lock Maro Itoje ahead of the Six Nations, with Jamie George stepping down to vice-captain.
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Itoje has been a standout leader for Saracens this season and will now become the 136th player to captain the national side.
Why the change?
Sources close to RUCK suggest this move was partly in response to criticism aimed at Borthwick for substituting George early in games. As a second-row, Itoje's role naturally lends itself to staying on the pitch for the full 80 minutes.
Borthwick backs Itoje
Explaining his decision, Borthwick said: "With 88 England caps, Maro has been a central figure in this squad for many years, bringing a vast amount of experience both on and off the field.
"He's a calm, influential leader, renowned for his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him.
"His strong rapport with the squad and coaches, combined with his leadership experience at Saracens, makes him ideally placed to take on this responsibility."
Borthwick also praised the outgoing captain: "I'd like to recognise the outstanding leadership of Jamie George, whose contributions as captain have been significant and will continue to play an important role as a vice-captain."
Rugby poll:
Itoje humbled by the opportunity
Sharing his excitement, Itoje said: "I am incredibly humbled and honoured to have been asked by Steve to be England captain. It's a truly incredible privilege for both me and my family, and I feel grateful to have been given this opportunity.
"With the role comes a great deal of responsibility, but I'm at a point in my career where I feel ready to give my all to serve the team and the fans with the captaincy, and also produce my best on the field."
Leadership support
Itoje expressed gratitude for the support system around him: "It's reassuring to know there is a group of senior players to support me and help build on the achievements of Jamie, who has led the team brilliantly and who has been a great friend and leader for so many years."
Looking ahead, Itoje added: "I am excited by the squad of players we have, who are all hungry for success, and I look forward to leading them out for the forthcoming Six Nations."
England’s 2025 Six Nations squad:
Forwards:
Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 6 caps)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 7 caps)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 44 caps)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 11 caps)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 6 caps)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 56 caps)
Theo Dan (Saracens, 16 caps)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 20 caps)
Ben Earl (Saracens, 37 caps)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 66 caps) – vice-captain
Jamie George (Saracens, 97 caps) – vice-captain
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps)
Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps)
Maro Itoje (Saracens, 88 caps) – captain
George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 1 cap)
Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 7 caps)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 45 caps)
Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)
Backs:
Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped)
Elliot Daly (Saracens, 69 caps)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 2 caps)
George Ford (Sale Sharks, 98 caps)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 15 caps)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 31 caps)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 18 caps)
Cadan Murley (Harlequins, uncapped)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 11 caps)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 3 caps)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 69 caps)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 5 caps)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 6 caps)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 39 caps)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)
Rehabilitation: Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Luke Northmore (Harlequins),and Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby).
Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?
From the early days of professionalism to the modern era, England has seen a host of legendary captains wearing the armband.
Whether it’s the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.
Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let’s see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!
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