England national rugby union team facts for kids
 |
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| Emblem | Red Rose | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union | ||
| Head coach | Steve Borthwick | ||
| Captain | Jamie George | ||
| Most caps | Ben Youngs (127) | ||
| Top scorer | Owen Farrell (1,237) | ||
| Top try scorer | Rory Underwood (49) | ||
| Home stadium | Twickenham Stadium | ||
|
|||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 7 (as of 18 November 2024) | ||
| Highest | 1 (2003, 2019) | ||
| Lowest | 8 (2009, 2015, 2023) | ||
| First international | |||
 Scotland 1–0 England  (Edinburgh, Scotland; 27 March 1871) |
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| Biggest win | |||
England 134–0 Romania  (London, England; 17 November 2001) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
 Australia 76–0 England (Brisbane, Australia; 6 June 1998) |
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| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 10 (First in 1987) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2003) | ||
The England men's national rugby union team is a famous rugby team. They play for the Rugby Football Union in international rugby union matches. They compete every year in the exciting Six Nations Championship. Their rivals are teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
England has won the Six Nations Championship 29 times. They have also shared the win 10 times. They have achieved the Grand Slam 14 times. This means they won all their games in the championship. They have also won the Triple Crown 26 times. This makes them the most successful team in the tournament's history.
England is the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup. They won it in 2003. They have also been runners-up three other times.
The team's history goes back to 1871. That's when they played their first official match against Scotland. They lost that game 1–0. England was very strong in the early days of the Home Nations Championship. This tournament started in 1883.
After rugby split into two types (union and league) in 1895, England didn't win the Championship again until 1910. They first played against New Zealand in 1905. They faced South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1909.
England was invited to the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. They reached the final in the second tournament in 1991. However, they lost 12–6 to Australia. After winning the Grand Slam in 2003, England went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup. They beat Australia 20–17 in extra time. They played in the final again in 2007 but lost to South Africa. In 2019, they reached the final for the fourth time. They lost to South Africa again, 32–12.
England players usually wear a white shirt with a red rose badge. They also wear white shorts and navy blue socks. Their home ground is Twickenham Stadium. They first played there in 1910. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) manages the team. Many former players are famous in the world of rugby.
Contents
History of England Rugby
Early Days of Rugby
Rugby became popular in the 1800s. Many students from English public schools, especially Rugby, helped spread the game. They took it to universities and cities like London.
England's first international match was against Scotland on March 27, 1871. This was also the first ever international rugby union game! Scotland won the match 1–0. The game was played in front of 4,000 people in Edinburgh. A year later, England beat Scotland in London. In these early games, points weren't scored like they are today. Goals and tries were counted differently.
In 1875, England played Ireland for the first time and won. In 1880, England beat Scotland to win the first Calcutta Cup. Their first game against Wales was in 1881. England won by a huge score. Two years later, England won the first ever Home Nations Championship.
In 1889, England played their first match against a team from outside the Home Nations. They beat the New Zealand Natives. England shared the Home Nations trophy with Scotland in 1890.
Facing Global Teams
England first played New Zealand (called the "All Blacks") in 1905. New Zealand won that game 15–0. England played France for the first time in 1906, winning 35–8. Later that year, they faced South Africa (the "Springboks"). That match ended in a 3–3 draw. England first played Australia (the "Wallabies") in 1909 and lost 9–3.
In 1909, Twickenham Stadium opened. This became the new home for English rugby. England won the International Championship (now called the Five Nations) for the first time since 1892 in 1910. They achieved their first Grand Slam in 1913. They won two more Grand Slams in 1914 and 1921. England continued their success with Grand Slams in 1924 and 1925.
After another Grand Slam in 1928, England had some tough games. They lost to the Springboks in 1932. France was temporarily out of the championship, turning it back into the Home Nations. England won championships in 1934 and 1937. They also got their first win against the All Blacks in 1936.
After World War II, the Five Nations started again in 1947. England shared the championship with Wales. The 1950s were not as successful for England. But they won the Five Nations in 1953, a Grand Slam in 1957, and another win in 1958. England won the Championship again in 1963. However, they lost all three matches on a tour to the Southern Hemisphere that year.
Don White became England's first coach in 1969. England won three of his eleven games in charge. He left in 1971. In the 1970s, England had wins against South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The 1972 Five Nations Championship was not finished due to problems in Northern Ireland. In 1973, England played in Dublin and received a standing ovation. Even though they lost, their captain, John Pullin, famously said, "We might not be very good but at least we turned up."
Modern Era and World Cup Glory
England started the 1980s with a Grand Slam victory in the 1980 Five Nations. This was their first in 23 years. But in 1983, they didn't win any games. In the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, England lost to Australia in their first game. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Wales.
In 1989, England won against Romania and Fiji. They won their first three Five Nations games in 1990. But they lost to Scotland in the last game, giving Scotland the Grand Slam. England bounced back the next year, winning their first Grand Slam since 1980.
England hosted the 1991 World Cup. They lost to the All Blacks in their pool. But they made it to the quarter-finals, beating France. Then they beat Scotland to reach the final. They lost to Australia 12–6.
The next year, England won another Grand Slam. They didn't lose any games that year, even beating the Springboks. Before the 1995 World Cup, England won another Grand Slam. In the World Cup, they won all their pool games. They beat Australia in the quarter-finals. But in the semi-final, Jonah Lomu scored four tries for the All Blacks. England lost 45–29. They then lost the third-place match to France.
Professional Rugby and World Champions
England won their 20th Triple Crown in 1997. Sir Clive Woodward became the head coach later that year. In 1998, England went on a tough tour to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Many experienced players were not available. England lost all their matches, including a huge 76–0 defeat by Australia. In 1999, England almost won the Five Nations. But a last-minute try by Welsh player Scott Gibbs meant Scotland won the title.
England started the new millennium by winning the first Six Nations Championship in 2000. They won it again in 2001. In 2002, England won the Triple Crown. They also beat New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa in the autumn internationals. In the 2003 Six Nations Championship, England won the Grand Slam for the first time since 1995. They also beat Australia and the All Blacks on their summer tour.
England went into the 2003 World Cup as one of the favorites. They reached the final against host Australia. The game went into extra time. With seconds left, Jonny Wilkinson kicked a match-winning drop goal. England won 20–17, becoming rugby world champions for the first time! This was England's first Rugby World Cup win. It was also the nation's first world cup since the England national football team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The team was welcomed by 750,000 fans in London.
After the World Cup, Clive Woodward resigned in 2004. Andy Robinson took over. England finished fourth in the 2005 Six Nations. After a bad losing streak in 2006, Robinson resigned. Brian Ashton became the new coach. In the 2007 Six Nations Championship, England lost heavily to Ireland.
At the 2007 World Cup, England had a tough start. They lost badly to South Africa. But they improved and beat Australia in the quarter-finals. Then they beat hosts France to reach the final. They lost to South Africa again, 15–6.
Former England captain Martin Johnson became head coach in 2008. England finished second in the Six Nations in 2008 and 2009. Johnson resigned in 2011 after a difficult World Cup.
In 2012, Stuart Lancaster became head coach. England finished second in the 2012 Six Nations Championship. They also beat World Cup holders New Zealand 38–21 in the autumn internationals. This was a big win! In 2013, England finished second in the Six Nations again. They also won a series against Argentina away from home.
In 2015, England hosted the Rugby World Cup. But they were knocked out in the pool stage. After this, Eddie Jones became the new head coach. England then won the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations Championship. They were unbeaten for all of 2016. They even beat Australia in Australia. They equaled the world record of 18 straight wins in 2017.
In 2018, England started well in the Six Nations. But they lost their last three games. On their tour to South Africa, England lost two matches but won the third. In autumn 2018, England beat South Africa and Australia.
In the 2019 Six Nations Championship, England finished second. They drew a thrilling match with Scotland after leading 31–0. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup, England beat Argentina to reach the quarter-finals. They then beat Australia 40–16. In the semi-final, they defeated New Zealand 19–7. But on November 2, 2019, England lost to South Africa 32–12 in the final.
In the 2020 Six Nations Championship, England won the title on points difference. They also won the Autumn Nations Cup. In the 2021 Six Nations Championship, England finished fifth. But they had good wins against Tonga, Australia, and South Africa in the autumn. England finished third in the 2022 Six Nations Championship and fourth in the 2023 Six Nations Championship. They finished third at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Home Stadium
Twickenham is the biggest stadium in the world built just for rugby. In the early days, the English team played at different places. But they settled at Twickenham Stadium in 1910. After big crowds watched games at Crystal Palace, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) decided to get their own ground. They bought the land in 1907. Building started the next year.
The first international match at Twickenham was on January 15, 1910. England beat Wales 11–6. The stadium was made bigger in 1927 and 1932. More upgrades happened in the 1990s and 2000s. Now, it's a complete bowl shape. England played their first game at the redeveloped Twickenham in 2006. They lost to the All Blacks in front of a record crowd of 82,076 fans.
The grass at Twickenham was replaced in 2012. It's now a special 'Desso' type. This means it has artificial fibers mixed with real grass. This makes the pitch very strong, especially in wet weather.
England Home Matches Outside Twickenham
Even though Twickenham is their main home, England has played some home matches at other stadiums. These include Leicester's Welford Road (1923), London's old Wembley Stadium (1992), Old Trafford (1997 and 2009), Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium (1998), Manchester's Etihad Stadium (2015), and St James' Park in Newcastle (2019).
England also played a Five Nations match against Wales at Wembley Stadium in 1999. Wales was the "home team" then. This was because their new stadium in Cardiff was being built. Wales won that match 32–31.
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a song often sung at England rugby games. Especially at Twickenham! In 1988, Chris Oti scored three tries against Ireland. A group of schoolboys started singing the song for him. Other fans joined in. Since then, it has become a popular song for England home games. In 1991, the RFU wanted a song for the Rugby World Cup. They chose "Swing Low." It even reached the top 40 music charts!
Playing Kit
England rugby players usually wear all-white jerseys and white shorts. Their socks are mostly navy blue with a white stripe. The team's emblem is a red rose. As of July 2023, the kit is made by Umbro. The main shirt sponsor is O2.
The away kit is usually red or dark grey. Before the grey kit, red was the traditional change color. Navy blue has also been used. Purple was used in 2009. The away kit was black for the first time during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) created the red rose emblem before the first game in 1871. The white kit comes from the kit used at Rugby School. An RFU employee, Alfred Wright, helped make the rose design standard. It was used for many years. In 1997, the rose was updated when Nike became the kit supplier.
In 2003, England started using a tight-fitting kit. This was to make it harder for opponents to grab the shirt when tackling.
Performances
Six Nations Championship
England plays every year in the Six Nations Championship. They compete against France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The tournament started as the Home Nations Championship in 1883. England won the first one. England has won the title 29 times, which is a record. They have also shared the win 10 times.
During the Six Nations, England also plays for special trophies. They play Scotland for the Calcutta Cup. They play Ireland for the Millennium Trophy. Matches between England and France are often called "Le Crunch."
 England |
 France |
 Ireland |
 Italy |
 Scotland |
 Wales |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournaments | 125 | 92 | 127 | 22 | 127 | 127 |
| Outright wins (shared wins) | ||||||
| Home Nations | 5 (4) | N/A | 4 (3) | N/A | 9 (2) | 7 (3) |
| Five Nations | 17 (6) | 12 (8) | 6 (5) | N/A | 5 (6) | 15 (8) |
| Six Nations | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Overall | 29 (10) | 18 (8) | 14 (8) | 0 (0) | 14 (8) | 28 (11) |
| Grand Slams | ||||||
| Home Nations | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | 2 |
| Five Nations | 11 | 6 | 1 | N/A | 3 | 6 |
| Six Nations | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Overall | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Triple Crowns | ||||||
| Home Nations | 5 | N/A | 2 | N/A | 7 | 6 |
| Five Nations | 16 | N/A | 4 | N/A | 3 | 11 |
| Six Nations | 5 | N/A | 6 | N/A | 0 | 5 |
| Overall | 26 | N/A | 12 | N/A | 10 | 22 |
| Wooden Spoons | ||||||
| Home Nations | 7 | N/A | 10 | N/A | 5 | 2 |
| Five Nations | 10 | 9 | 15 | N/A | 15 | 6 |
| Six Nations | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 1 |
| Overall | 17 | 10 | 25 | 17 | 24 | 9 |
Rugby World Cup
England has played in every Rugby World Cup since it began in 1987. They have reached the final four times. They won the title in 2003.
In the first tournament in 1987, England lost to Wales in the quarter-finals. In 1991, they reached the final but lost to Australia. In 1995, England made it to the semi-finals. But they were beaten by the All Blacks. In 1999, they lost to South Africa in the quarter-finals.
England won their pool in 2003. They beat Wales and France to reach the final. With a drop goal in the last minute of extra time, England won the final 20–17 against Australia. This made them world champions!
In 2007, England had a bad start. They lost heavily to South Africa. But they improved and surprised everyone by beating Australia in the quarter-finals. They then beat France to reach a second straight final. In the final, England lost 15–6 to South Africa.
England reached the quarter-finals in 2011, losing to France. In 2015, England hosted the World Cup. But they were the first host nation to not make it out of the pool stage.
In 2019, England topped their pool. They then defeated Australia and New Zealand in the knockout stages. But on November 2, 2019, they lost the final 32–12 to South Africa. This made them World Cup runners-up for the third time.
Jonny Wilkinson from England is the highest points scorer in Rugby World Cup history. He scored 277 points between 1999 and 2011.
Recent Results
Here are England's recent match results and upcoming games:
Win Draw Loss Upcoming
| 3 February 2024 | Italy  |
24–27 | England |
Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
|
| 15:15 CET (UTC+1) | Try: A. Garbisi 10' c Allan 25' c Ioane 80+4' c Con: Allan (2/2) 12', 26' P. Garbisi (1/1) 80+5' Pen: Allan (1/2) 4' |
Report | Try: Daly 19' m Mitchell 44' c Con: Ford (1/2) 45' Pen: Ford (5/5) 15', 32', 37', 53', 66' |
Attendance: 57,000 Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand) |
| 10 February 2024 | England |
16–14 |  Wales |
Twickenham Stadium, London |
|
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Earl 19' m Dingwall 62' m Pen: Ford (2/2) 47', 71' |
Report | Try: Penalty try 16' Mann 37' c Con: Lloyd (1/1) 38' |
Attendance: 81,596 Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand) |
| 24 February 2024 | Scotland |
30–21 | England |
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh |
|
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Van der Merwe (3) 19' c, 29' c, 44' c Con: Russell (3/3) 20', 30', 46' Pen: Russell (3/3) 34', 56', 65' |
Report | Try: Furbank 4' c Feyi-Waboso 66' m Con: Ford (1/1) 6' Pen: Ford (2/2) 14', 49' Drop: Ford (1/1) 35' |
Attendance: 67,144 Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) |
| 9 March 2024 | England |
23–22 |  Ireland |
Twickenham Stadium, London |
|
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Lawrence 4' m Furbank 48' m Earl 60' c Con: Smith (1/1) 61' Pen: Ford (1/2) 17' Drop: Smith (1/1) 80+1' |
Report | Try: Lowe (2) 44' m, 73' m Pen: Crowley (4/4) 3', 20', 35', 40+1' |
Attendance: 81,686 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) |
| 16 March 2024 | France  |
33–31 | England |
Groupama Stadium, Décines-Charpieu |
|
| 21:00 CET (UTC+1) | Try: Le Garrec 20' c Barré 56' c Fickou 60' c Con: Ramos (3/3) 21', 57', 61' Pen: Ramos (4/5) 17', 31', 35', 79' |
Report | Try: Lawrence (2) 40+1' c, 42' c Smith 45' c Freeman 75' c Con: Ford (4/4) 40+2', 43', 47', 76' Pen: Ford (1/1) 11' |
Attendance: 60,000 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
| 22 June 2024 | Japan  |
17–52 | England |
Japan National Stadium, Tokyo |
|
| 14:50 JST (UTC+09) | Try: Nezuka 66' c Yamasawa 69' c Con: Matsuda (2/2) 67', 70' Pen: Lee (1/1) 3' |
Report | Try: Cunningham-South 14' c M. Smith 25' c Feyi-Waboso 29' c Slade 40+2' m Mitchell 43' c Earl 50' m Randall 58' c Underhill 77' c Con: M. Smith (4/6) 15', 26', 30', 44' Slade (2/2) 59', 78' |
Attendance: 44,029 Referee: Luc Ramos (France) |
| 6 July 2024 | New Zealand  |
16–15 | England |
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
|
| 19:05 NZST (UTC+12) | Try: Reece 16' m Savea 25' m Pen: McKenzie (2/3) 55', 66' |
Report | Try: Itoje 21' c Feyi-Waboso 48' m Con: M. Smith (1/2) 22' Pen: M. Smith (1/3) 40+4' |
Attendance: 28,483 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) |
| 13 July 2024 | New Zealand |
24–17 | England |
Eden Park, Auckland |
|
| 19:05 NZST (UTC+12) | Try: Tele'a (2) 11' c, 61' m Con: McKenzie (1/2) 13' Pen: McKenzie (4/4) 20', 38', 69', 75' |
Report | Try: Feyi-Waboso 14' c Freeman 40+1' c Con: Smith (2/2) 15', 40+2' Pen: Smith (1/1) 49' |
Attendance: 48,362 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia) |
| 2 November 2024 | England |
22–24 | New Zealand |
Allianz Stadium, London |
|
| 15:10 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Feyi-Waboso 43' c Con: Smith (1/1) 45' Pen: Smith (5/5) 4', 12', 30', 36', 59' |
Report | Try: Tele'a (2) 8' c, 75' c Jordan 27' c Con: B. Barrett (2/2) 9', 28' McKenzie (1/1) 76' Pen: McKenzie (1/1) 66' |
Attendance: 82,000 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
| 9 November 2024 | England |
37–42 | Australia |
Allianz Stadium, London |
|
| 15:10 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Cunningham-South (2) 4' m, 11' c Sleightholme (2) 56' m, 67' c Itoje 77' c Con: Smith (3/5) 12', 68', 78' Pen: Smith (2/2) 19', 30' |
Report | Try: Wright 26' c Wilson 33' c Williams 49' m Kellaway 74' c Jorgensen 80+3' c Con: Lolesio (2/3) 27', 34' Donaldson (2/2) 75', 80+4' Pen: Lolesio (3/3) 9', 40+1', 52' |
Attendance: 81,329 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) |
| 16 November 2024 | England |
20–29 |  South Africa |
Allianz Stadium, London |
|
| 17:40 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Sleightholme 3' c Underhill 25' c Con: Smith (2/2) 4', 26' Pen: Smith (2/2) 15', 51' |
Report | Try: Williams 10' c Du Toit 16' m Kolbe (2) 21' c, 62' c Con: Libbok (2/3) 11', 22' Pollard (1/1) 63' Pen: Pollard (1/1) 58' |
Attendance: 81,910 Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) |
| 24 November 2024 | England |
v | Japan |
Allianz Stadium, London |
|
| 16:10 GMT (UTC+0) | Referee: Craig Evans (Wales) |
Overall Ranking
|
Men's World Rugby Rankings
|
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|---|---|---|---|
| Top 20 rankings as of 12 July, 2021 | |||
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
| 1 |  |
South Africa |
94.20 |
| 2 | |
New Zealand |
88.95 |
| 3 | |
England |
85.44 |
| 4 | |
Ireland |
84.85 |
| 5 |  2 |
Australia |
83.90 |
| 6 |  1 |
France |
83.45 |
| 7 | 1 |
Wales |
82.82 |
| 8 | |
Scotland |
82.02 |
| 9 | |
 Argentina |
80.92 |
| 10 | |
Japan |
79.13 |
| 11 | |
 Fiji |
76.87 |
| 12 | |
 Georgia |
73.73 |
| 13 | 1 |
 Samoa |
71.88 |
| 14 | 1 |
Italy |
70.65 |
| 15 | 2 |
 Tonga |
70.28 |
| 16 | |
 United States |
68.10 |
| 17 | |
 Uruguay |
67.02 |
| 18 | |
Romania |
66.22 |
| 19 | |
 Spain |
64.82 |
| 21 | 1 |
 Russia |
62.71 |
| *Change from the previous week | |||
| England's historical rankings | |||
| Source: World Rugby - Graph updated to 19 July 2021 | |||
When the World Rugby Rankings started in 2003, England was ranked 1st. They dropped a bit but got back to 1st place. After the 2005 Six Nations, they fell to 6th. In 2006, they were 7th. But they rose to 3rd in 2007 because of their good run in the World Cup.
Their ranking went down again in 2008 and 2009. They reached their lowest ranking of 8th. After a good period, they rose to 4th. But after a poor showing at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, they were 6th. In 2015, they were 4th before the World Cup. But after not getting past the pool stage, they fell to 8th.
In 2016, after winning the Grand Slam, England rose to second place. They stayed there in 2017. A poor performance in the 2018 Six Nations saw them drop to sixth.
In October 2019, England beat New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final. This put them at the top of the World Rugby Rankings for the first time since 2004! After losing the final to South Africa, England was ranked third. In November 2020, they got back to second place.
In the 2021 Six Nations Championship, England fell from second to third. This was after losses to Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. But wins against Australia and South Africa later in 2021 brought them back to third. In the 2022 Six Nations Championship, England fell to fifth. They entered the 2023 Six Nations in fifth. A third-place finish at the 2023 Rugby World Cup saw England rise to fifth. They kept this position during the 2024 Six Nations Championship.
Players
Current Squad
On October 16, 2024, head coach Steve Borthwick announced the 36 players chosen for England's autumn matches. These games are against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Japan.
Some players had to leave the squad due to injuries or other reasons. Alex Coles, George Ford, and Ted Hill joined the team as replacements. Joe Marler retired from international rugby and was replaced by Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
Caps Updated: 16 November 2024
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Cowan-Dickie | Hooker | 20 June 1993 | 43 | Sale Sharks |
| Theo Dan | Hooker | 26 December 2000 | 16 | Saracens |
| Jamie George (c) | Hooker | 20 October 1990 | 96 | Saracens |
| Fin Baxter | Prop | 12 February 2002 | 5 | Harlequins |
| Dan Cole | Prop | 9 May 1987 | 118 | Leicester Tigers |
| Trevor Davison | Prop | 20 August 1992 | 2 | Northampton Saints |
| Ellis Genge (vc) | Prop | 16 February 1995 | 61 | Bristol Bears |
| Asher Opoku-Fordjour | Prop | 16 July 2004 | 0 | Sale Sharks |
| Will Stuart | Prop | 12 July 1996 | 44 | Bath |
| Alex Coles | Lock | 21 September 1999 | 7 | Northampton Saints |
| Charlie Ewels | Lock | 29 June 1995 | 30 | Bath |
| Nick Isiekwe | Lock | 20 April 1998 | 14 | Saracens |
| Maro Itoje (vc) | Lock | 28 October 1994 | 87 | Saracens |
| George Martin | Lock | 18 June 2001 | 18 | Leicester Tigers |
| Chandler Cunningham-South | Back row | 18 March 2003 | 10 | Harlequins |
| Ben Curry | Back row | 15 June 1998 | 6 | Sale Sharks |
| Tom Curry | Back row | 15 June 1998 | 55 | Sale Sharks |
| Alex Dombrandt | Back row | 29 April 1997 | 20 | Harlequins |
| Ben Earl (vc) | Back row | 7 January 1998 | 36 | Saracens |
| Ted Hill | Back row | 26 March 1999 | 2 | Bath |
| Sam Underhill | Back row | 22 July 1996 | 39 | Bath |
| Harry Randall | Scrum-half | 18 December 1997 | 10 | Bristol Bears |
| Ben Spencer | Scrum-half | 31 July 1992 | 8 | Bath |
| Jack van Poortvliet | Scrum-half | 15 May 2001 | 15 | Leicester Tigers |
| George Ford (vc) | Fly-half | 16 March 1993 | 98 | Sale Sharks |
| Fin Smith | Fly-half | 11 May 2002 | 5 | Northampton Saints |
| Marcus Smith | Fly-half | 14 February 1999 | 38 | Harlequins |
| Ollie Lawrence | Centre | 18 September 1999 | 30 | Bath |
| Alex Lozowski | Centre | 30 June 1993 | 5 | Saracens |
| Luke Northmore | Centre | 16 March 1997 | 0 | Harlequins |
| Henry Slade | Centre | 19 March 1993 | 69 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | Wing | 20 December 2002 | 8 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Tommy Freeman | Wing | 5 March 2001 | 15 | Northampton Saints |
| Ollie Sleightholme | Wing | 13 April 2000 | 4 | Northampton Saints |
| Elliot Daly | Fullback | 8 October 1992 | 69 | Saracens |
| George Furbank | Fullback | 17 October 1996 | 13 | Northampton Saints |
| Freddie Steward | Fullback | 5 December 2000 | 35 | Leicester Tigers |
Famous Players
Many great players have played for England. Five former England players are in the International Rugby Hall of Fame. These are Bill Beaumont, Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard, Wavell Wakefield, and Jonny Wilkinson.
Seven other former England players are in the IRB Hall of Fame. Some, like Johnson, were honored for their playing skills. Others, like John Kendall-Carpenter and Clive Woodward, were recognized for their work in other parts of the sport.
Player Records
- Ben Youngs has played the most games for England, with 127 caps. This puts him among the top international rugby players ever.
- Owen Farrell has scored the most points for England, with 1,237 points. He is the second-highest scorer in international rugby history.
- Rory Underwood has scored the most tries for England, with 49 tries. He is among the top try scorers in international rugby.
Top Players by Stats
Players still playing for England as of May 2024 are in bold italics.
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Coaches
Current Coaching Staff
Here are the coaches for the England senior rugby team right now:
| Nationality | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| England |
Steve Borthwick | Head Coach / Lineout Coach |
| England |
Richard Wigglesworth | Attack Coach |
| England |
Joe El-Abd | Defence Coach |
| England |
Kevin Sinfield | Skills & Kicking Coach |
| England |
Tom Harrison | Scrum Coach |
| Ireland |
Dan Tobin | Strength & Conditioning Coach |
| England |
Richard Hill | Team Manager |
| New Zealand |
Andrew Strawbridge | Coaching Consultant |
| England |
Jonny Wilkinson | Kicking Consultant |
History of Head Coaches
The first coach for England was Don White in 1969. The most recent coach before the current one was Eddie Jones. He was the first coach from another country to lead the English team. Eddie Jones had the highest winning percentage of any England coach, at 73%.
Updated to: 16 November 2024
| Name | Time as Coach | Games | Won | Drew | Lost | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don White |
1969 – 1971 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 27.3 |
| John Elders |
1971 – 1974 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 37.5 |
| John Burgess |
1975 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 16.7 |
| Peter Colston |
1976 – 1979 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 33.3 |
| Mike Davis |
1979 – 1982 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 62.5 |
| Dick Greenwood |
1983 – 1985 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 23.5 |
| Martin Green |
1985 – 1987 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 35.7 |
| Geoff Cooke |
1988 – 1994 | 50 | 36 | 1 | 13 | 72.0 |
| Jack Rowell |
1994 – 1997 | 29 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 72.4 |
| Sir Clive Woodward |
1997 – 2004 | 83 | 59 | 2 | 22 | 71.1 |
| Andy Robinson |
2004 – 2006 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 40.9 |
| Brian Ashton |
2006 – 2008 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 54.5 |
| Rob Andrew |
2008 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Martin Johnson |
2008 – 2011 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 16 | 55.3 |
| Stuart Lancaster |
2011 – 2015 | 46 | 28 | 1 | 17 | 60.9 |
| Eddie Jones |
2015 – 2022 | 81 | 59 | 2 | 20 | 72.8 |
| Steve Borthwick |
2022 – present | 27 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 48.1 |
Media Coverage
England's summer international games are shown live on Sky Sports. Their autumn international games are shown live by TNT Sports. As of 2024, all Six Nations games are broadcast for free on the BBC and ITV.
Images for kids
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The England team before playing in their first international match, versus Scotland in Edinburgh, 1871
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Illustration by Frank Gillett showing the England versus The Original All Blacks Test attended by a then-record crowd of at least 50,000. The New Zealanders won 15–0.
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Celebrations at Trafalgar Square after England's 2003 World Cup victory.
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The England national squad training for the 2007 Rugby World Cup at the University of Bath.
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Aerial view of Twickenham Stadium.
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Twickenham before a match in November 2012.
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Tom Palmer wearing the traditional white England shirt at the 2011 World Cup.
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The red rose has been the emblem of England since the first international v Scotland in 1871.
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England versus New Zealand in 2006.
