England head coach Steve Borthwick has announced 17 players who will receive the first Enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts in English rugby. The group includes fly-halves George Ford, Marcus Smith, and Fin Smith, but notably lacks any tighthead props.
A surprising exclusion is Bath’s Sam Underhill, who started all of England’s eight Test matches in 2024. These new contracts give Borthwick significant control over sports science and medical decisions regarding the players, providing him with more influence than previous coaches.
England Rugby Secures Enhanced Contracts for 17 Players to Boost Development
“I am confident that these contracts, along with our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will greatly benefit England Rugby’s ongoing development,” said Steve Borthwick.
Among the 17 players, Northampton’s Alex Mitchell is the only scrum-half, and Ellis Genge is the sole loosehead prop. Sale flanker Tom Curry has received an Enhanced Contract despite his lengthy injury absence. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has been included after a breakthrough year, and Henry Slade has also secured a contract despite not being part of the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad.
Flanker Chandler Cunningham-South, who started in three Tests during the summer tour, has been excluded from the group. Alongside Genge and Curry, other forwards awarded contracts include Ollie Chessum, Theo Dan, Ben Earl, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, and George Martin. The backs receiving contracts are Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, and Ollie Lawrence.
| Read More : King Charles Disrupted by Senator Lidia Thorpe’s Protest at Parliament House |
| Watch on YouTube – K – Drama Preview : What Comes After Love EP 6 Preview |
Conor O’Shea, the Rugby Football Union’s director of performance rugby, stated, “One of the aims of the new Men’s Professional Game Partnership is to create world-leading English teams.” He added that the new collaboration between clubs, the national team, and players aims to bring greater stability to English rugby and enhance the performance of the England men’s team.
The 17 players will now receive a salary of around £160,000 per year from the RFU, instead of match fees of approximately £23,000 per game, following a new player-led organization, Team England Rugby, negotiating this deal after breaking away from the Rugby Players Association.
