England national rugby union team facts for kids
 |
|||
| Emblem | Red Rose | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union | ||
| Head coach | Steve Borthwick | ||
| Captain | Maro Itoje | ||
| 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 | 5 (as of 7 July 2025) | ||
| Highest | 1 (2003, 2019) | ||
| Lowest | 8 (2009, 2015, 2023) | ||
| First international | |||
 Scotland 1–0 England  (Edinburgh, Scotland; 27 March 1871) |
|||
| Biggest win | |||
England 134–0 Romania  (London, England; 17 November 2001) |
|||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Australia 76–0 England (Brisbane, Australia; 6 June 1998) |
|||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 10 (First in 1987) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2003) | ||
The England national rugby union team plays for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in international rugby union matches. They compete every year in the Six Nations Championship against teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. England has won this championship 29 times, and shared the win 10 times. They have also achieved the Grand Slam 14 times and 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, which they did in 2003. They have also been runners-up three other times.
The team's history began in 1871. The English rugby team played their first official match against Scotland, losing 0–1. England was very strong in the early Home Nations Championship, which started in 1883. After rugby split into two different sports (union and league) in 1895, England did not win the Championship again until 1910. They first played against New Zealand in 1905, South Africa in 1906, and Australia in 1909. England was one of the teams invited to the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. They reached the final in the second tournament in 1991, but lost to Australia. After winning the 2003 Grand Slam, England went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup. They beat Australia 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, but again lost to South Africa.
England players usually wear a white shirt with a red rose badge, white shorts, and dark blue socks with white stripes. Their home ground is Twickenham Stadium, where they first played in 1910. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) manages the team. Several former players are famous, with some inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame and the IRB Hall of Fame. England Rugby also has junior teams and women's teams.
Contents
History of England Rugby
How Rugby Started in England
Rugby became popular in the early 1800s, thanks to students from English public schools like Rugby School. After school, they took the game to universities and cities. England's first international match was against Scotland on March 27, 1871. This was also the very first international rugby union match ever played. Scotland won the game in Edinburgh. England won the next match in London in 1872. In the early days, games were decided by how many goals were scored, not tries. This changed after 1890 when a proper scoring system was created.
In 1875, England played Ireland for the first time and won. England beat Scotland in 1880 to win the first Calcutta Cup. Their first game against Wales was in 1881, where England won by a huge margin. Two years later, England won the first Home Nations Championship. In 1889, they played their first match against a team from outside the Home Nations, beating the New Zealand Natives.
Early 1900s and Grand Slams
England first played New Zealand (the "All Blacks") in 1905 in London, losing 15–0. They played France for the first time in 1906, winning easily. Later that year, they faced South Africa (the "Springboks"). The match was a 3–3 draw. England first played Australia (the "Wallabies") in 1909 and lost.
The Twickenham Stadium opened in 1909, becoming the new home for English rugby. This started a great period for the team. England won their first international match at Twickenham in 1910 against Wales. They went on to win the International Championship (later called the Five Nations) for the first time since 1892. England achieved their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1913, another in 1914, and a third in 1921 after World War I. They won two more Grand Slams in 1924 and 1925.
After winning a sixth Grand Slam in 1928, England faced a tough 7–0 defeat by the Springboks in 1932. France was removed from the Championship in 1931, turning it back into the Home Nations. England then won the championships in 1934 and 1937, both with a Triple Crown. They also achieved their first victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham in 1936.
When the Five Nations started again in 1947 after World War II, England shared the championship with Wales. England struggled in the early 1950s but won the 1953 Five Nations. They followed this with a Grand Slam in 1957 and another win in 1958. England won the 1963 Championship, ending France's winning streak. However, they lost all three matches on a tour of the Southern Hemisphere that year. England did not win any matches in 1966 and did not win another Championship that decade.
Modern Era and World Cup Glory
Don White became England's first coach in 1969. His first match was an 11–8 win over South Africa. He coached 11 games, winning three, drawing one, and losing seven, before resigning in 1971.
England had some good wins against Southern Hemisphere teams in the 1970s, beating South Africa in 1972, New Zealand in 1973, and Australia in 1973 and 1976. The 1972 Five Nations Championship was not finished because Scotland and Wales refused to play in Ireland due to the Troubles. England played in Dublin in 1973 and received a standing ovation. After losing, captain John Pullin famously said, "We might not be very good but at least we turned up."
England started the 1980s with a Grand Slam victory in the 1980 Five Nations, their first in 23 years. But in 1983, they failed to win a game and got the wooden spoon. In the first Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, England lost to Australia but beat Japan and the United States. They lost to Wales in the quarter-finals.
In 1989, England won against Romania and Fiji. They won their first three Five Nations games in 1990 but lost to Scotland in the last game, giving Scotland the Grand Slam. England bounced back in 1991, winning another Grand Slam. England hosted the 1991 World Cup. They lost to the All Blacks in their pool but beat France and Scotland to reach the final. They lost to Australia 12–6.
The next year, England completed another Grand Slam and did not lose any games that year, including a win over the Springboks. Before the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, England won another Grand Slam, their third in five years. In the World Cup, England won their pool games and beat Australia in the quarter-finals. However, they lost to the All Blacks in the semi-finals, with Jonah Lomu scoring four tries. They then lost the third-place match to France.
Professional Rugby Era
England won their 20th Triple Crown in 1997 but finished second in the 1997 Five Nations Championship. Sir Clive Woodward became the head coach later that year. In 1998, England toured Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Many experienced players were not available, and the tour became known as the "Tour from Hell" because England lost all matches, including a big 76–0 defeat by Australia. In the last Five Nations match in 1999, England was set to win the championship, but Welsh player Scott Gibbs scored a try in the last minute, giving the title to Scotland.
England started the new millennium by winning the first Six Nations Championship, even though they lost their last match to Scotland. They won again the next year, but missed the Grand Slam by losing to Ireland. In 2002, England won the Triple Crown. They also beat Argentina and, in the Autumn internationals, defeated New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa at Twickenham. In the 2003 Six Nations Championship, England won the Grand Slam for the first time since 1995. They then 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 on November 22, 2003, against host Australia. The game went into extra time, tied at 14–14. With only seconds left, Jonny Wilkinson scored a match-winning drop goal, making the final score 20–17. England became rugby world champions for the first time. This was also England's first world title in any sport since the England national football team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. On December 8, the team was welcomed by 750,000 fans in London and met Queen Elizabeth II.
England finished third in the 2004 Six Nations Championship. Clive Woodward resigned as head coach, and Andy Robinson took over. Robinson's first Six Nations campaign in 2005 saw England finish fourth. They beat Australia in the Autumn internationals but lost to the All Blacks.
A loss to South Africa in the 2006 Autumn internationals was England's eighth defeat in nine matches, their worst losing streak. Andy Robinson resigned, and Brian Ashton became the new coach. England started the 2007 Six Nations Championship with a win over Scotland. That year, they had a historic match at Croke Park against Ireland, losing 13–43, their heaviest defeat against Ireland.
At the 2007 World Cup, England was in a tough group. They made it to the knockout stage despite a 36–0 loss to South Africa. They narrowly beat Australia in the quarter-finals and then defeated hosts France to reach the final. In the final, they lost to South Africa again, 15–6. After the World Cup, England finished second in the Six Nations in 2008 and 2009. Former captain Martin Johnson became head coach in July 2008. He resigned in November 2011 after a difficult Rugby World Cup where England lost in the quarter-finals to France.
In March 2012, Stuart Lancaster became England's head coach. England finished second in the 2012 Six Nations Championship and beat Scotland to keep the Calcutta Cup. England ended 2012 strongly by beating World Cup holders New Zealand at Twickenham. This was a big win as the All Blacks had been unbeaten in 20 matches.
In the 2013 Six Nations Championship, England again finished second behind Wales. They lost 30–3 to Wales in Cardiff, missing out on a Grand Slam. England kept the Calcutta Cup by beating Scotland. Lancaster took a new team on a summer tour of Argentina in 2013, winning the series 2–0.
In 2015, England hosted the Rugby World Cup but were knocked out in the group stage. After this, Eddie Jones became the new head coach. England then won the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations Championship and remained unbeaten for all of 2016, including a clean sweep against Australia in Sydney. They equaled the world record of 18 straight test wins with a 61–21 victory over Scotland in the 2017 Six Nations Championship.
2018 started well for England in the 2018 Six Nations Championship. However, they lost their remaining games against Scotland, France, and Ireland. On their summer tour of South Africa, England lost the first two matches but won the third. That autumn, England beat South Africa by one point and had a close loss to New Zealand. They finished the year with wins over Japan and Australia.
England finished second in the 2019 Six Nations Championship. They beat Ireland, France, and Italy but lost to Wales and drew with Scotland. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, they beat Wales and Ireland, and Italy. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup, England was the first team to reach the quarter-finals. They topped their group and beat Australia in the quarter-finals. England then defeated New Zealand in the semi-final, keeping the All Blacks scoreless for 57 minutes. On November 2, 2019, England lost to South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
In the 2020 Six Nations Championship, England lost their first game to France but then beat Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The tournament was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and finished in October with games played in empty stadiums. England beat Italy and won the championship on points difference. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Autumn Internationals were replaced by the Autumn Nations Cup. England beat Georgia, Wales, and Ireland, then won the final against France in extra time.
England finished fifth in the 2021 Six Nations Championship, beating France and Italy but losing to all three home nations for the first time since 1976. In the 2021 Autumn Internationals, England beat Tonga, Australia, and South Africa.
England finished third in the 2022 Six Nations Championship, beating Italy and Wales but losing to Ireland, France, and Scotland. In the 2022 tour of Australia, England won the test series 2–1. In the 2022 Autumn Internationals, they lost to Argentina and South Africa, beat Japan, and drew with New Zealand.
England finished fourth in the 2023 Six Nations Championship. They beat Italy and Wales but lost to Scotland, France, and Ireland. At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, England won all their pool games. They beat Fiji in the quarter-final but lost to South Africa in the semi-final. They finished third by beating Argentina in the bronze final.
England finished third in the 2024 Six Nations Championship. They beat Italy, Wales, and Ireland, but lost to Scotland and France. In the 2024 tour of New Zealand, England lost both test matches to the All Blacks. In the 2024 Autumn Internationals, England lost to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, but won against Japan.
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 around England. They settled at Twickenham Stadium in 1910. After many people came to watch matches at Crystal Palace in 1905 and 1906, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) decided to buy their own ground. The land was bought in 1907, and building started the next year.
The first international match at Twickenham was on January 15, 1910, between England and Wales. England won 11–6. The stadium was made bigger in 1927 and 1932. More upgrades happened in the 1990s and 2000s, making it a complete stadium. England played their first match at the redeveloped Twickenham on November 5, 2006, against the All Blacks, losing 20–41. A record crowd of 82,076 people attended.
The grass pitch at Twickenham was replaced in June 2012 with a special 'Desso' type. This pitch mixes artificial fibers with real grass, making it very strong, especially in wet weather.
Other Home Match Locations
Even though Twickenham has been England's main home since 1910, they have sometimes played home matches at other English stadiums. These include Welford Road Stadium in Leicester (1923), Wembley Stadium in London (1992), Old Trafford in Manchester (1997 and 2009), McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield (1998), Etihad Stadium in Manchester (2015), and St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne (2019).
England also played a Five Nations match against Wales at Wembley Stadium in 1999. Wales was the "home team" 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 matches, especially at Twickenham. In a match against Ireland in 1988, Chris Oti scored three tries. A group of schoolboys started singing the song, and other fans joined in. Since then, it has become a popular song for England home games. In 1991, the RFU wanted the team to release a song for the Rugby World Cup. They chose "Swing Low" at the last minute, and a version of it reached the top 40 music charts.
Playing Kit
England rugby players usually wear all-white jerseys and white shorts, with mostly dark blue socks. The team's badge is a red rose. As of July 2023, the kit is made by Umbro, and the main sponsor is O2. The away kit is usually red or dark grey. Before the grey kit, red was the traditional change color. Dark blue has also been used in the past and was brought back for some seasons. Purple was used in 2009, matching the old England tracksuits from the 1960s to 1980s. For the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the away kit was black for the first time.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) created the red rose emblem before England's first match against Scotland in 1871. The white kit comes from the kit used at Rugby School. An RFU employee named Alfred Wright helped make the rose design standard, which 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 designed to make it harder for opponents to grab the shirt when tackling.
Kit Providers
| Year | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | Lillywhites |
— |
| 1970s–1983 | Umbro |
— |
| 1984–1990 | Bukta |
— |
| 1991–1997 | Cotton Traders |
BT Cellnet (1996–June 2002) |
| 1997–2012 |  Nike |
O2 (June 2002–present) |
| 2012–2020 |  Canterbury |
|
| 2020–2025 | Umbro |
|
| 2025–present | Castore |
Team Achievements
Six Nations Championship
England plays in the Six Nations Championship every year against France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. This tournament started as the Home Nations Championship in 1883, which England won. England has won the title outright 29 times, which is a record. They have also shared the win 10 times. England competes for the Calcutta Cup with Scotland and the Millennium Trophy with Ireland. 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 |
Note: England is the only team to have won more than two Grand Slams in a row, doing so in 1913–1914, 1923–1924, and 1991–1992.
Rugby World Cup
England has played in every Rugby World Cup since it began in 1987. They have reached the final four times and won the title in 2003.
In the first tournament in 1987, England lost to Wales in the quarter-finals. In 1991, they beat France and Scotland to reach the final, but lost to Australia.
In 1995, England beat Australia in the quarter-finals but lost to the All Blacks in the semi-finals. They then lost the third-place match to France.
In the 1999 tournament, England lost to South Africa in the quarter-finals.
England won their pool in 2003 and 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, becoming world champions.
In 2007, England had a tough start but reached the knockout stage. They defeated Australia in the quarter-finals and France in the semi-finals. In the final, England lost to South Africa 15–6.
England topped their pool in 2011 but lost to France in the quarter-finals.
In 2015, England was the first host nation to not make it past the pool stage, losing to Wales and Australia.
In 2019, England topped their pool. They beat Australia and New Zealand in the knockout stage. On November 2, 2019, they lost to South Africa in the final, becoming World Cup runners-up for the third time.
In 2023, England won their pool games. They beat Fiji in the quarter-finals but lost to South Africa in the semi-finals. They finished third by beating Argentina in the bronze medal match.
England's Jonny Wilkinson is the highest points scorer in Rugby World Cup history, with 277 points.
Recent Match Results
Here are England's recent match results and upcoming games from July 2024 to November 2025:
Win Draw Loss Upcoming
| 1 February 2025 | Ireland  |
27–22 | England |
Aviva Stadium, Dublin | |
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Gibson-Park 34' m Aki 51' m Beirne 63' c Sheehan 71' c Con: Crowley (2/2/) 64', 72' Pen: Prendergast (1/1) 55' |
Report | Try: Murley 8' c T. Curry 75' m Freeman 80+1' c Con: M. Smith (2/3) 9', 80+2' Pen: M. Smith (1/1) 40' |
Attendance: 51,700 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand) |
| 8 February 2025 | England |
26–25 |  France |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Lawrence 36' c Freeman 58' m Baxter 70' c Daly 79' c Con: M. Smith (1/2) 37' F. Smith (2/2) 71', 80' |
Report | Try: Bielle-Biarrey (2) 30' c, 75' c Penaud 61' m Con: Ramos (2/3) 31', 76' Pen: Ramos (2/3) 50', 56' |
Attendance: 81,000 Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) |
| 22 February 2025 | England |
16–15 | Scotland |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Freeman 9' c Con: M. Smith (1/1) 10' Pen: M. Smith (2/2) 56', 67' F. Smith (1/1) 70' |
Report | Try: White 4' m Jones 19' m van der Merwe 79' m |
Attendance: 82,000 Referee: Pierre Brousset (France) |
| 9 March 2025 | England |
47–24 |  Italy |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 15:00 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: Willis 4' c Freeman 27' c Sleightholme (2) 35' c, 52' c M. Smith 44' c T. Curry 47' c Earl 80+1' m Con: F. Smith (6/7) 5', 28', 36', 45', 48', 53' |
Report | Try: Capuozzo 14' c Vintcent 31' c Menoncello 71' c Con: P. Garbisi (3/3) 15', 32', 72' Pen: P. Garbisi (1/2) 38' |
Attendance: 81,912 Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) |
| 15 March 2025 | Wales  |
14–68 | England |
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | |
| 16:45 GMT (UTC+0) | Try: B. Thomas (2) 31' c, 76' c Con: Anscombe (1/1) 32' Evans (1/1) 77' |
Report | Try: Itoje 3' c Roebuck 10' c Freeman 34' c Cunningham-South (2) 38' c, 80+2' c Stuart 40' m Mitchell 55' c Pollock (2) 67' c, 79' c Heyes 70' c Con: F. Smith (5/6) 4', 11', 35', 39', 56' M. Smith (4/4) 68', 70', 80', 80+3' |
Attendance: 74,169 Referee: Nic Berry (Australia) |
| 5 July 2025 | Argentina  |
12–35 | England |
Estadio Uno, Buenos Aires | |
| 16:40 ART (UTC-03) | Try: Matera 52' m Rubiolo 61' c Con: Carreras (1/2) 62' |
Report | Try: Roebuck (2) 42' m, 49' c Steward 46' c Murley 75' c Con: Ford (3/4) 47', 50', 76' Pen: Ford (2/2) 65', 69' Drop: Ford (1/1) 20' |
Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia) |
| 12 July 2025 | Argentina |
17–22 | England |
Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan | |
| 16:40 ART (UTC-03) | Try: Cinti 26' c Mendy 39' c Con: Carreras (2/2) 27', 40' Pen: Carreras (1/1) 8' |
Report | Try: Atkinson 3' c Steward 33' c van Poortvliet 79' m Con: Ford (2/3) 4', 34' Pen: Ford (1/1) 53' |
Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Luc Ramos (France) |
| 19 July 2025 | United States |
5–40 | England |
Audi Field, Washington, D.C. | |
| 18:00 EDT (UTC-04) | Report | Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland) |
| 1 November 2025 | England |
v | Australia |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 15:10 GMT (UTC+0) |
| 8 November 2025 | England |
v |  Fiji |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 17:40 GMT (UTC+0) |
| 15 November 2025 | England |
v | New Zealand |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 15:10 GMT (UTC+0) |
| 23 November 2025 | England |
v | Argentina |
Allianz Stadium, London | |
| 16:10 GMT (UTC+0) |
World Rugby Rankings
|
Men's World Rugby Rankings
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 September 2003, England was ranked 1st. They dropped to 2nd for a week in November 2003 before getting back to 1st. They fell to 2nd and then 3rd in mid-2004. After the 2005 Six Nations, they dropped to 6th, then moved up to 5th in December that year. In 2006, England finished the year ranked 7th. However, they rose to 3rd in 2007 because of their good performance in the World Cup, where they were runners-up.
Their ranking slipped again in 2008 and during the 2009 Six Nations, they dropped to their lowest ranking of 8th. After a brief rise to 4th, England slipped again after a poor showing at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, ranking 6th in February 2012. The team was ranked 4th for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. After failing to get past the pool stage, England fell to 8th in November 2015. In March 2016, after winning the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations, England rose to second place. They stayed there after winning the 2017 Six Nations. A poor fifth-place finish in the 2018 Six Nations saw them fall to sixth.
In October 2019, England beat New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to top 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 after New Zealand lost to Argentina.
During the 2021 Six Nations, a fifth-place finish made England fall from second to third. After Australia won 5 matches in a row, England fell to fourth. But wins against Australia and South Africa in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series helped them regain third place.
During the 2022 Six Nations, England lost three matches and fell from third to fifth.
England started the 2023 Six Nations in fifth place. Losses to Scotland, France, and Ireland made them fall to sixth.
During the 2023 World Cup warm-ups, England lost to Ireland, Wales, and Fiji, entering the 2023 World Cup in eighth place. A third-place finish at the 2023 Rugby World Cup saw England rise to fifth.
During the 2024 Six Nations, England stayed in fifth position despite away defeats against Scotland and France.
Players
Current Squad
On June 23, England announced a 36-player squad for their two-test series against Argentina and a July match against the United States.
Caps Updated to: 19 July 2025
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theo Dan | Hooker | 26 December 2000 | 19 | Saracens |
| Jamie George (cc) | Hooker | 20 October 1990 | 102 | Saracens |
| Curtis Langdon | Hooker | 3 August 1997 | 4 | Northampton Saints |
| Gabriel Oghre | Hooker | 25 May 1998 | 1 | Bristol Bears |
| Fin Baxter | Prop | 12 February 2002 | 14 | Harlequins |
| Trevor Davison | Prop | 20 August 1992 | 3 | Northampton Saints |
| Joe Heyes | Prop | 13 April 1999 | 14 | Leicester Tigers |
| Emmanuel Iyogun | Prop | 24 November 2000 | 0 | Northampton Saints |
| Asher Opoku-Fordjour | Prop | 16 July 2004 | 4 | Sale Sharks |
| Bevan Rodd | Prop | 26 August 2000 | 10 | Sale Sharks |
| Arthur Clark | Lock | 19 December 2001 | 1 | Gloucester |
| Alex Coles | Lock | 21 September 1999 | 10 | Northampton Saints |
| Charlie Ewels | Lock | 25 June 1995 | 33 | Bath |
| Nick Isiekwe | Lock | 20 August 1998 | 15 | Saracens |
| Chandler Cunningham-South | Back row | 18 March 2003 | 18 | Harlequins |
| Ben Curry | Back row | 15 June 1998 | 14 | Sale Sharks |
| Alex Dombrandt | Back row | 29 April 1997 | 23 | Harlequins |
| Ted Hill | Back row | 26 March 1999 | 5 | Bath |
| Guy Pepper | Back row | 21 April 2003 | 3 | Bath |
| Sam Underhill | Back row | 22 November 1996 | 42 | Bath |
| Tom Willis | Back row | 18 January 1999 | 8 | Saracens |
| Harry Randall | Scrum-half | 18 December 1997 | 14 | Bristol Bears |
| Ben Spencer | Scrum-half | 31 July 1992 | 10 | Bath |
| Jack van Poortvliet | Scrum-half | 15 May 2001 | 21 | Leicester Tigers |
| Charlie Atkinson | Fly-half | 6 October 2001 | 1 | Gloucester |
| George Ford (cc) | Fly-half | 16 March 1993 | 102 | Sale Sharks |
| Seb Atkinson | Centre | 21 May 2002 | 2 | Gloucester |
| Oscar Beard | Centre | 20 November 2001 | 1 | Harlequins |
| Luke Northmore | Centre | 16 March 1997 | 2 | Harlequins |
| Max Ojomoh | Centre | 14 September 2000 | 1 | Bath |
| Henry Slade | Centre | 19 March 1993 | 73 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | Wing | 20 December 2002 | 9 | Exeter Chiefs |
| Will Muir | Wing | 30 October 1995 | 2 | Bath |
| Cadan Murley | Wing | 31 July 1999 | 4 | Harlequins |
| Tom Roebuck | Wing | 7 January 2001 | 6 | Sale Sharks |
| Joe Carpenter | Fullback | 19 August 2001 | 1 | Sale Sharks |
| Freddie Steward | Fullback | 5 December 2000 | 38 | Leicester Tigers |
Contracted Players
On October 25, 2024, the RFU announced that 17 England players had been given special "Enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS)" contracts.
| Enhanced EPS Contracted Players | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Back row
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
|
Centres
Wings
Full-backs
|
Famous Players
Five former England players are in the International Rugby Hall of Fame: Bill Beaumont, Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard, Wavell Wakefield, and Jonny Wilkinson.
Seven other former England players are in the IRB Hall of Fame. Four of them – Johnson, Alan Rotherham, Harry Vassall, and Robert Seddon – were honored for their playing skills. Two others, John Kendall-Carpenter and Clive Woodward, were recognized for their work in other roles in rugby. One player, Alfred St. George Hamersley, was honored for both playing and helping to manage the sport.
Individual Player Records
World Rugby Awards
Here are England players who have won or been nominated for World Rugby Awards since 2001:
|
|
|
| Year | Date | Scorer | Match | Tournament | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13 November | Chris Ashton | vs. Australia | Autumn Internationals |
Six Nations Player of the Championship
These England players have been nominated for the Six Nations Player of the Championship since 2004:
|
|
|
| Year | Forwards | Backs | Total | Refs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Players | No. | Players | |||
| 2022 | 4 | Maro Itoje | — | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 8 | Ben Earl | 1 | |||
| 2025 | 3 | Will Stuart | 10 | Fin Smith | 5 | |
| 4 | Maro Itoje (2) | 14. | Tommy Freeman | |||
| 6 | Tom Curry | |||||
Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year
These players have been voted as the RPA England Player of the Year since 2013:
|
|
|
Top Players by Stats
- Ben Youngs has played the most games for England, with 127 appearances.
- Owen Farrell has scored the most points for England, with 1,237 points.
- Rory Underwood has scored the most tries for England, with 49 tries.
Summary of Top Players
Players who are still active in international rugby as of July 2025 are shown in bold italics.
|
|
|
Coaches
Current Coaching Staff
Here is the current coaching team for the England senior squad, as of the 2025 summer tour.
| Nationality | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| England |
Steve Borthwick | Head Coach / Lineout Coach |
| England |
Richard Wigglesworth | Attack Coach |
| England |
Lee Blackett | Interim Attack Coach |
| England |
Joe El-Abd | Defence Coach |
| Scotland |
Byron McGuigan | Assistant Defence Coach |
| England |
Kevin Sinfield | Skills & Kicking Coach |
| England |
Tom Harrison | Scrum Coach |
| Ireland |
Phil Morrow | Head of Team Performance |
| Ireland |
Dan Tobin | Strength & Conditioning Coach |
| England |
Richard Hill | Team Manager |
| New Zealand |
Andrew Strawbridge | Coaching Consultant |
History of Head Coaches
The first coach for England was Don White in 1969. The most recent former coach was Eddie Jones. Jones was the first non-English person to coach the team. His winning percentage of 73% is the highest of any England coach.
Updated to: 12 July 2025
| Name | Time as Coach | Tests | 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 | 36 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 58.3 |
Rob Andrew coached the team for the 2008 summer tests in New Zealand when Martin Johnson was not available.
Note 1: Richard Cockerill was a temporary head coach in December 2022, between Eddie Jones leaving and Steve Borthwick starting. No test matches were played then.
Note 2: Between September 2015 and March 2017, England won 18 test matches in a row. This equaled the world record for a top team. 17 of these wins happened under Eddie Jones.
World Rugby Coach of the Year
These former England head coaches have been nominated for or won the World Rugby Coach of the Year award since 2001:
| Year | Nationality | Nominee | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | England |
Sir Clive Woodward | Sir Clive Woodward |
| 2016 | Australia |
Eddie Jones | — |
| 2017 | Eddie Jones | ||
| 2019 | — |
Club vs. Country
The England team is managed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). However, players are also hired by their clubs, which started when rugby became a professional sport in 1995. This has sometimes led to disagreements between clubs and the RFU, known as "club versus country" conflicts. A big disagreement happened in 1998 when some clubs would not let their players go on a tour to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. This tour became known as the "Tour from Hell" because England's second-string team lost all their matches, including a 76–0 defeat by Australia.
In 2001, the top clubs and the RFU created "England Rugby" to help manage both club and international games. They agreed to limit how many matches top players could play to prevent them from getting too tired or injured. In return, clubs would get money from the RFU for releasing players for international games. This agreement was very important for England's win in the 2003 World Cup. Clive Woodward, England's coach at the time, resigned in 2004 because he felt he didn't have enough time with the players. Coaches like Andy Robinson and Brian Ashton also faced challenges with player availability. The RFU and the Premiership clubs continue to work on agreements to ensure players are available for England matches.
Training
Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey, is the main training base for the team. Before this, they used places like Loughborough University and the University of Bath. The hotel's facilities and its closeness to Twickenham and Heathrow Airport were key reasons for choosing it. The team has its own gym and fitness rooms at the hotel. Since 2010, they also often use Surrey Sports Park at the University of Surrey for training.
Media Coverage
England's summer international matches are shown live on Sky Sports. Their autumn international matches are shown live by TNT Sports. As of 2024, all Six Nations games are broadcast for free on the BBC and ITV.
See also
In Spanish: Selección de rugby de Inglaterra para niños
|
|
