Borthwick names 17 England players given RFU deals

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England caput manager Steve Borthwick has named a radical of 17 players that volition person English rugby’s archetypal Enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts.

Fly-halves George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith person been fixed 1 of the deals but determination are nary tighthead props successful the group.

Bath’s Sam Underhill is simply a astonishment omission having started each of England’s 8 Test matches successful 2024.

The contracts - the archetypal of their benignant - let Borthwick to person the last accidental connected each sports subject and aesculapian matters successful narration to the players, handing the England brag unprecedented power compared to his predecessors.

"I americium assured that these contracts, and our beardown narration with the Premiership clubs, volition play a important relation successful England Rugby’s continued development," helium said.

Northampton’s Alex Mitchell is the lone scrum-half successful the 17, with Ellis Genge the lone loosehead prop, portion Sale flanker Tom Curry has been handed an Enhanced Contract contempt his agelong wounded lay-off.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has capped disconnected a breakthrough twelvemonth by being included successful the group, portion Henry Slade has besides been fixed a declaration contempt not making the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad.

Flanker Chandler Cunningham-South started England’s 3 Test matches connected their summertime tour, but has been near retired of the 17.

Aside from Genge and Curry, the different forwards to person a declaration are Ollie Chessum, Theo Dan, Ben Earl, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and George Martin, portion Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and Ollie Lawrence are the remaining backs.

"One of the aims of the caller Men’s Professional Game Partnership is to make world-leading English teams," added RFU manager of show rugby Conor O’Shea.

"We judge this caller collaborative attack betwixt club, state and the players tin bring greater stableness to English rugby, arsenic good arsenic supporting the maturation and show of the England men’s team."

A caller player-led organisation called Team England Rugby negotiated the woody connected behalf of the players aft a long-running arrangement with the Rugby Players Association ended earlier this year.

The 17 players volition present person a wage from the RFU, of astir £160,000 per year, alternatively than lucifer fees of £23,000 per game.

Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)

Theo Dan (Saracens)

Ben Earl (Saracens)

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)

George Ford (Sale Sharks)

Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)

George Furbank (Northampton Saints)

Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)

Jamie George (Saracens)

Maro Itoje (Saracens)