England head coach Steve Borthwick names his 2026/27 Elite Player Squad
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Elite.
Steve Borthwick has refreshed England’s 25-man enhanced Elite Player Squad, with five new players earning enhanced contracts ahead of the new season.
Seb Atkinson, Alex Coles, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Guy Pepper and Jack van Poortvliet are the new additions as Borthwick continues to develop the squad that will ultimately head towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The quintet have all forced their way into England’s plans following impressive periods at club and international level, with Pepper and Opoku-Fordjour among the younger players Borthwick has increasingly backed.
Their inclusion means there is no longer a place in the contracted group for Ben Curry, Ollie Lawrence, Tom Willis, Elliot Daly or Tom Roebuck.
The changes do not necessarily mean those players are out of England contention, with the enhanced contracts covering just 25 members of Borthwick’s wider international player pool.
Willis is preparing to continue his career in France after agreeing to join Bordeaux-Begles, while England still have several established internationals outside the contracted group.
Borthwick’s latest selection offers another indication of how his squad is evolving, with Henry Pollock retaining his place alongside established figures including Maro Itoje, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, George Ford and Tom Curry.
England’s enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts:
Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Harlequins)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Saracens)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)
