England national rugby union team

Sports team

Not to be confused with England national rugby league team.

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see England women's national rugby union team.

England

Emblem| Red Rose
Union| Rugby Football Union[1]
Head coach| Steve Borthwick[2]
Captain| Maro Itoje[3]
Most caps| Ben Youngs (127)[4]
Top scorer| Owen Farrell (1,237)[5]
Top try scorer| Rory Underwood (49)
Home stadium| Twickenham Stadium[6]

First colours

Second colours

|

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)
Website| englandrugby.com

The England national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions (as well as sharing 10 victories), winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.

The history of the team extends back to 1871 when the English rugby team played their first official test match, losing 0–1 to Scotland. England dominated the early Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations Championship) which started in 1883. Following the schism of rugby football in 1895 into union and league, 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 take part in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. They progressed to the final in the second tournament in 1991, but lost to the eventual champions Australia. Following their Grand Slam in 2003, England went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup, defeating Australia in extra time. They contested the final again in 2007 in defence of their title but lost to South Africa. They reached the final for the fourth time in 2019, but lost to South Africa.

England players traditionally wear a white shirt with a rose embroidered on the chest, white shorts, and navy blue socks with a white trim. England's home ground is Twickenham Stadium where they first played in 1910. The team is administered by the RFU. Five former players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. One of them is also a member of the IRB Hall of Fame. Seven other former players are members of the IRB Hall of Fame, four solely for their accomplishments as players, two solely for their achievements in other roles in the sport, and one for achievements both as a player and administrator. They have been branched in many different squads since the start of England Rugby, such as junior teams and women's teams.

## History

[edit]

Main article: History of the England national rugby union team

### Early years

[edit]

The England team before playing in their first international match, versus Scotland in Edinburgh, 1871

The expansion of rugby in the first half of the 19th century was driven by former pupils from many of England's public schools, especially Rugby, who, upon finishing school, took the game with them to universities, to London, and to the counties.[7] England's first international match was against Scotland on 27 March 1871; not only was this England's first match, but it is also noted as being the first rugby union international.[8] Scotland won the match by one goal and a try to England's one unconverted try,[9][10] in front of a crowd of 4,000 people at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.[11] A subsequent international took place at the Oval in London on 5 February 1872, when England defeated Scotland by a goal, a drop goal and two tries to Scotland's one drop goal.[12][13] The early matches did not use a structured points system; this would not be introduced until after 1890 when a suitable format for the scoring system had been devised.[10] Up until 1875, international rugby matches were decided by the number of goals scored (conversions and dropped goals), but from 1876 the number of tries scored could be used to decide a match if the teams were level on goals.[14]

In 1875, England played their first game against Ireland at the Oval, winning by one goal, one drop goal and one try to nil;[10] this was Ireland's first test match.[15][16] England defeated Scotland in 1880 to become the first winners of the Calcutta Cup.[17][18] Their first match against Wales was played on 19 February 1881 at Richardson's Field in Blackheath,[18][19] where England recorded their largest victory, winning by seven goals, six tries, and one drop goal to nil,[10] and scoring 13 tries in the process.[19] The subsequent meeting the following year at St. Helen's in Swansea was a closer contest, with England defeating Wales by two goals and four tries to nil.[10][20] Two years later, England emerged as the inaugural winners at the first Home Nations championship.[21] In 1889, they played their first match against a non-home nations team when they defeated the New Zealand Natives at Rectory Field in Blackheath[22][23] by one goal and four tries to nil.[10] England shared the Home Nations trophy with Scotland in 1890.[24]

England first played New Zealand (known as the "All Blacks") in 1905 at Crystal Palace in London. New Zealand scored five tries, worth three points at the time, to win 15–0.[25] England played France for the first time in March 1906 in Paris, winning 35–8, and later that year they first faced South Africa (known as the "Springboks"), again at Crystal Palace. James Peters was withdrawn from the England squad when the South Africans refused to play against a black player;[26] the match was drawn 3–3. England first played Australia (known as the "Wallabies") in January 1909 at Blackheath's Rectory Field, where they were defeated 9–3.[27]

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.

The year 1909 saw the opening of Twickenham Stadium as the RFU's new home, heralding a golden era for English rugby union. England's first international at Twickenham in 1910 brought them victory over Wales on their way to winning the International Championship (known from then as the Five Nations) for the first time since 1892. Although England did not retain the Five Nations title in 1911, they did share it (with Ireland) in 1912. England then achieved their first Five Nations Grand Slam in 1913, another in 1914, and a third in 1921 after the First World War. A further two consecutive Grand Slams followed for the England team in 1924 and 1925,[28] this despite having started 1925 with an 17–11 loss to the "Invincibles" in front of 60,000 fans at Twickenham.[29]

After winning a sixth Grand Slam in 1928, England were subjected to a 7–0 defeat by the Springboks in front of 70,000 spectators at Twickenham in January 1932. Following the expulsion of France from the International Championship in 1931 due to professionalism, which reverted the Five Nations tournament back to the Home Nations,[30] England proceeded to win the 1934 and 1937 championships with a Triple Crown, and achieved their first victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham in January 1936.[31][32]

When the Five Nations resumed with the readmission of France in 1947 after the Second World War, England shared the championship with Wales. The early Five Nations competitions of the 1950s were unsuccessful for England, winning one match in the 1950 and 1951 championships.[28] England won the 1953 Five Nations, and followed this up with a Grand Slam in 1957, and win in 1958. England broke France's four-championship streak by winning the 1963 Championship.[28] After this victory, England played three Tests in the Southern Hemisphere and lost all three: 21–11 and 9–6 against the All Blacks, and 18–9 against Australia.[33] England did not win a single match in 1966, and managed only a draw with Ireland. They did not win another Championship that decade.

Don White was appointed as England's first coach in 1969. According to former Northampton player Bob Taylor, "Don was chosen because he was the most forward-thinking coach in England".[34] His first match in charge was an 11–8 victory over South Africa at Twickenham in 1969.[citation needed] Of the eleven games England played with White in charge they won three, and drew one and lost seven. He resigned as England coach in 1971.[citation needed]

England had wins against Southern Hemisphere teams in the 1970s; with victories over South Africa in 1972, New Zealand in 1973 and Australia in 1973 and 1976. The 1972 Five Nations Championship was not completed due to the Troubles in Northern Ireland when Scotland and Wales refused to play their Five Nations away fixtures in Ireland. England played in Dublin in 1973 and were given a standing ovation lasting five minutes. After losing 18–9 at Lansdowne Road, the England captain, John Pullin famously stated, "We might not be very good but at least we turned up."[35]

England started the following decade with a Grand Slam victory in the 1980 Five Nations – their first for 23 years.[36] However in the 1983 Five Nations Championship, England failed to win a game and picked up the wooden spoon.[37] In the first Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, England were grouped in pool A alongside Australia, Japan and the United States. England lost their first game 19–6 against Australia. They went on to defeat Japan and the United States, and met Wales in their quarter-final, losing the match 16–3.[38]

In 1989, England won matches against Romania and Fiji, followed by victories in their first three Five Nations games of 1990. They lost to Scotland in their last game however, giving Scotland a Grand Slam. England recovered in the following year by winning their first Grand Slam since 1980. England hosted the 1991 World Cup and were in pool A, along with the All Blacks, Italy and the United States. Although they lost to the All Blacks in pool play, they qualified for a quarter-final going on to defeat France 19–10. England then defeated Scotland 9–6 to secure a place in the final against Australia which they lost 12–6.[39]

The next year, England completed another Grand Slam and did not lose that year, including a victory over the Springboks. In the lead up to the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, England completed another Grand Slam – their third in five years. In the World Cup, England defeated Argentina, Italy and Samoa in pool play and then defeated Australia 25–22 in their quarter-final. England's semi-final was dominated by the All Blacks and featured four tries, now worth five points each, by Jonah Lomu; England lost 45–29.[40] They then lost the third-place play-off match against France.[41]

### Professional era

[edit]

England won their 20th Triple Crown title in 1997, but came second in the 1997 Five Nations Championship after a narrow defeat to France at Twickenham. Sir Clive Woodward replaced Jack Rowell as the England head coach later that year. On 6 December 1997, England drew with New Zealand at Twickenham, after being heavily defeated by South Africa at the same venue the week before and by New Zealand in Manchester two weeks previously. In 1998, England toured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; many of the experienced players were unavailable for what was to become nicknamed the "Tour from Hell" during which England lost all of their matches including a punishing defeat by the Wallabies.[42][43] In the last Five Nations match on 11 April 1999, with England poised to win the championship, Welsh centre Scott Gibbs sliced through six English tackles to score a try in the last minute, and the ensuing conversion by Neil Jenkins handed the final Five Nations title to Scotland.[citation needed]

Celebrations at Trafalgar Square after England's 2003 World Cup victory

England commenced the new millennium by winning the inaugural Six Nations Championship, although they lost their last match to Scotland.[44] They successfully defended their title the following year, but missed out on the Grand Slam by losing (14–20) to Ireland in a postponed match at Lansdowne Road.[45] Although France won the 2002 Six Nations Championship, England defeated the other Home Nations teams to win the Triple Crown.[46] In 2002, England beat Argentina (26–18) in Buenos Aires,[47] and in the Autumn internationals they defeated New Zealand (31–28),[48] Australia (32–31),[49] and South Africa (53–3) at Twickenham.[50] At the 2003 Six Nations Championship, England won the Grand Slam for the first time since 1995,[citation needed] followed by wins over Australia and the All Blacks on their June summer tour.[citation needed]

Going into the 2003 World Cup as one of the tournament favourites,[51] England reached the final on 22 November 2003 against host Australia. The game went into extra time with the score tied at 14–14, after one penalty apiece and with just seconds to spare, a match-winning drop goal by fly-half Jonny Wilkinson brought the final score to 20–17, making England rugby world champions for the first time. Not only was this England's first Rugby World Cup victory, but it was the nation's first world title since the England national football team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. On 8 December, the England team were greeted by 750,000 supporters on a victory parade through London before meeting Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.[52]

The England national squad training for the 2007 Rugby World Cup at the University of Bath

England finished third in the 2004 Six Nations Championship after losing their matches to both France and Ireland.[53] Clive Woodward resigned as head coach on 2 September and Andy Robinson was appointed to replace him.[54] Robinson's first Six Nations campaign in 2005 resulted in fourth place for England,[55] and although they defeated Australia at Twickenham in the Autumn internationals,[56] this was followed by a loss to the All Blacks.[57]

A loss to South Africa in the 2006 Autumn internationals[58] was England's eighth defeat in nine test matches, their worst losing streak. Andy Robinson resigned as head coach after this run, and attack coach Brian Ashton was appointed as his replacement in December.[59] England started the 2007 Six Nations Championship with a Calcutta Cup victory over Scotland.[60] That year's championship included a historic match at Croke Park which England lost (13–43), their heaviest defeat against Ireland.[61]

At the 2007 World Cup, England were grouped in Pool A with Samoa, Tonga, South Africa, and the United States. They progressed to the knockout stage despite a 36–0 loss to South Africa, and narrowly defeated Australia in the quarter-finals. England then faced hosts France in the semi-finals and triumphed (14–9) to qualify for the final, where they were subjected to a second defeat by the Springboks at this World Cup, losing the match 15–6. England followed up their World Cup disappointment with two consecutive second-place finishes in the Six Nations Championship, behind Wales (2008) and Ireland (2009). Former England team captain Martin Johnson took up the job of head coach in July 2008 but, unable to replicate his on-field success in the management role, he resigned in November 2011 following a miserable Rugby World Cup which featured a series of on- and off-field controversies and ended in quarter-final defeat by France.[citation needed]

In March 2012, the Rugby Football Union appointed Stuart Lancaster, the former Elite Rugby Director at Leeds Carnegie, as England's head coach.[62] He had previously been employed in the position on a short-term basis, assisted by existing forwards coach Graham Rowntree, and Andy Farrell. Lancaster was considered a success in his first campaign as head coach: defending champions England took second place in the 2012 Six Nations Championship after losing to Wales at Twickenham, but successfully defended the Calcutta Cup by defeating Scotland at Murrayfield. England finished the year on a high when they beat World Cup holders New Zealand at Twickenham in the Autumn internationals; the England team dominated the match and completely outplayed the All Blacks, who had been unbeaten in 20 matches.[63]

At the 2013 Six Nations Championship, England again finished in second place behind Wales, and were deprived of the opportunity to win the Grand Slam for the first time since 2003 when they were defeated 30–3 by Wales in Cardiff. It was the first time since 1974 that every team in the Six Nations managed to win at least three competition points (the equivalent of a win and a draw, or three draws). However, England retained the Calcutta Cup by defeating Scotland at Twickenham. Lancaster took an experimental side on a summer tour of Argentina in 2013; after beating a South American XV on 2 June, England achieved a 2–0 series victory over Argentina, their first away series win against the Pumas for 32 years.[64]

In 2015, England hosted the Rugby World Cup, but were eliminated in the pool stage.[65] Despite this setback, and following the appointment of new head coach Eddie Jones, England won the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations Championship, and remained unbeaten for the whole of 2016, including a series whitewash of Australia in Sydney. They went on to equal the world record of 18 consecutive test wins with a 61–21 victory over Scotland in securing the 2017 Six Nations Championship.[citation needed]

2018 began well for England, seeing off a spirited challenge from Italy, and winning a tight contest against Wales in the first two rounds of the Six Nations. However, it was not until June before England recorded another win, as the team lost their remaining games against Scotland, France and eventual Grand Slam winners Ireland at home in Twickenham. On their summer tour of South Africa, England lost the first two matches, before winning the third test against a mostly second-string Springbok side. That autumn, after adding former New Zealand and United States coach John Mitchell to the coaching setup, England won the return match against South Africa by a single point, and lost an equally close contest with New Zealand, both in controversial circumstances.[66][67] England rounded out the year with wins over Japan and Australia. The win over Australia continued an unbroken run of victories over the Wallabies under former Australia coach Eddie Jones.[citation needed]

England finished second in the 2019 Six Nations Championship. They beat Ireland, France, Italy but lost to Wales and drew 38–38 with Scotland after leading 31–0. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches they defeated Wales at Twickenham before losing in Cardiff. They then recorded their largest win over Ireland with a 57–15 victory at Twickenham before defeating Italy at St James' Park. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup, England became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals following a win over Argentina in Chōfu. After their final match was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis, England topped Pool C and faced Australia in the quarter-finals. England won the quarter-final, recording a seventh consecutive victory over Australia which resulted in the Wallabies largest ever Rugby World Cup defeat. England then defeated New Zealand in the semi-final, equalling New Zealands largest Rugby World Cup defeat with a victory in which the All Blacks were kept scoreless for 57 minutes. On 2 November 2019, England were defeated (12–32) by South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

In the 2020 Six Nations Championship, England were defeated in their opening game against France in Paris before recording victories against Scotland at Murrayfield and Ireland and Wales at Twickenham. The tournament was then halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed with the matches played in empty stadiums in October. In the postponed matches, England recorded a bonus point win over Italy in Rome before France defeated Ireland by eight points which meant that England won the championship on points difference. Due to the pandemic, the scheduled 2020 Autumn Internationals were replaced by the Autumn Nations Cup. England defeated Georgia, Wales and Ireland before facing France in the final match, winning after extra time at Twickenham to secure the tournament.

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 and conceding defeat to Scotland at Twickenham for the first time since 1983. In the 2021 Autumn Internationals, England played three matches at Twickenham. They secured a victory over Tonga, recorded their 8th consecutive victory over Australia (32–15) and also beat the current World Champions South Africa (27–26).

England finished third in the 2022 Six Nations Championship after defeating Italy and Wales but lost Ireland, France and Scotland. In the 2022 tour of Australia, England faced the Wallabies in a three-test series. They lost the first test match in Perth, but won the last two test matches in Brisbane, and in Sydney to win the test series 2–1. In the 2022 Autumn Internationals they lost to Argentina, beat Japan, drew with New Zealand, and lost to South Africa.

England finished fourth in the 2023 Six Nations Championship. England defeated Italy and Wales but was beaten by Scotland, France and Ireland. At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, England beat Argentina, Japan, Chile, and Samoa to go undefeated in the pool stage. In the quarter-final, they defeated Fiji before losing to the eventual champions South Africa in the semi-final. They ended their campaign with a win over Argentina in the bronze final to finish the tournament in third place.

England finished third in the 2024 Six Nations Championship. They defeated Italy, Wales and Ireland, but lost to Scotland and France. In the 2024 English tour of New Zealand, England faced the All Blacks in a two-test series. They were defeated in both test matches in Dunedin and in Auckland. In the 2024 Autumn Internationals, England lost to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, but won against Japan.

## Home stadium

[edit]

Main article: Twickenham Stadium

Aerial view of Twickenham Stadium Twickenham before a match in November 2012

Twickenham is the largest dedicated rugby stadium in the world. In the early years, the English rugby team used a number of venues in several different locations around England before settling at Twickenham Stadium in 1910. After sell-out matches at Crystal Palace against New Zealand in 1905 and South Africa in 1906, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) decided to invest in their own ground and arranged for sportsman and entrepreneur Billy Williams to find a home ground for English Rugby. The land for the ground was purchased in 1907 for £5,572 12s and 6d, and construction began the following year.[68]

The first international test match at Twickenham took place on the 15th of January 1910 between England and Wales. The home team won (11–6), beating Wales for the first time since 1898.[69] The stadium was expanded in 1927 and again in 1932, but there were no further upgrades until 1981 when a new South stand was built[70] and the 1990s when new North, East and West stands were built;[68] the South stand was replaced in 2005 and 2006 to make the stadium into a complete bowl. England played their first test match at the redeveloped Twickenham on the 5th of November 2006 against the All Blacks,[71] losing the test match (20–41), in front of a record crowd of 82,076.[72]

The pitch at Twickenham was replaced in June 2012 with a hybrid 'Desso' type, which uses artificial fibres entwined with real grass. This type of pitch surface is particularly hard wearing in wet conditions.[73]

### England home matches outside Twickenham

[edit]

Although England have played home matches almost exclusively at Twickenham since 1910, they have occasionally used alternative English venues. England home matches have been hosted at Leicester's Welford Road (1923), London's Wembley Stadium (1992), Old Trafford (1997 and 2009), Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium (twice in 1998),[74] Manchester's Etihad Stadium (2015), and St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne (2019).

Date | Team | Result | Venue | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2nd December 1905 |  New Zealand | 0–15  | Crystal Palace, London | [75]
10 February 1923  |  Ireland | 23–5  | Welford Road, Leicester  | [76]
17 October 1992  |  Canada | 26–13  | Wembley Stadium, London  | [77]
22 November 1997  |  New Zealand | 8–25  | Old Trafford, Manchester  | [78]
14 November 1998  |  Netherlands | 110–0  | McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield  | [79]
22 November 1998  |  Italy | 23–15  | McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield  | [79]
6 June 2009  |  Argentina | 37–15  | Old Trafford, Manchester[a] | [78]
10 October 2015  |  Uruguay | 60–3  | Etihad Stadium, Manchester[b] | [80]
6 September 2019  |  Italy | 37–0  | St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne  | [81]

a The first of a two-test series, this match was originally scheduled to be held in Argentina but moved by the Argentine Rugby Union for financial reasons.[82]
b This was a Pool A match at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

England also played a Five Nations match against Wales at Wembley Stadium on 11 April 1999. Wales was the "home team" on this occasion because Wembley was being used as a temporary base while their new stadium in Cardiff was being constructed. Wales won the match (32–31).[83][84]

### "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"

[edit]

Main article: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is commonly sung at England fixtures, especially at Twickenham. In the last match of the 1988 season, against Ireland, three of England's tries were scored by Chris Oti. A group of boys from the Benedictine school Douai, following a tradition at their school games, sang the song on his final try, and other spectators around the ground joined in.[85][86] Since then "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" became a song to sing at England home games.[87] In 1991, the RFU marketing director Mike Coley wanted the team to launch a song leading up to that year's Rugby World Cup. He had wanted to use "Jerusalem", but it was used in the Rugby League Challenge Cup final that year, so the song was changed at short notice to "Swing Low".[citation needed] There were a number of versions recorded and the version released did reach the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart during the competition.[88]

## Playing kit

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to England national rugby union team kits.

Tom Palmer wearing the traditional white England shirt at the 2011 World Cup

England rugby union players typically wear all-white jerseys and white shorts, with predominantly navy blue socks. The emblem on the jerseys is a red rose. As of July 2023, the strip is manufactured by Umbro and the shirt sponsor is O2. The away strip is usually red or dark grey (described as "anthracite");[89] prior to the introduction of the grey strip, red was the traditional change colour. Navy blue has also been used in the past and was reintroduced for the 2016–17 and 2020–21 seasons.[90] Purple was used during the 2009 autumn internationals, reflecting the traditional colour of the original England tracksuits from the 1960s until the 1980s.[91] The away strip was black for the first time during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. About that kit, the RFU stated that they had requested approval from the New Zealand Union, which said "it has no qualms with England wearing the strip".[92]

The red rose has been the emblem of England since the first international v Scotland in 1871

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) had created the national side's emblem prior to an English team being sent to Edinburgh to play a Scottish side. A red rose was chosen to be the side's emblem.[93] The white kit worn by the national team was taken from the kit used at Rugby School.[93] Alfred Wright, an employee of the Rugby Football Union, is credited with the standardisation and new design of the rose, which up until 1920 had undergone many variations in its depiction.[93] The Wright design is thought to have been used without minor alteration until the late 1990s.[93] It was not until 1997 that the rose was modernised,[94] when Nike became the official strip supplier (with the stem section of the rose being green rather than brown as previously).[95]

In 2003, England first used a skin-tight strip. This was intended to make it more difficult for the opposition to grasp the shirt when tackling.[96]

### Kit providers

[edit]

Year | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor

|
|

1960s |  Lillywhites[97] | —
1970s–1983 |  Umbro[98] | —
1984–1990 |  Bukta | —
1991–1997 |  Cotton Traders | BT Cellnet (1996–June 2002)
1997–2012 |  Nike[99] | O2 (June 2002–present)
2012–2020 |  Canterbury[100]
2020–2025 |  Umbro[101][102]
2025–present |  Castore[103]

## Performances

[edit]

### Six Nations

[edit]

England competes annually in the Six Nations Championship, which is played against five other European nations: France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The Six Nations started out as the Home Nations Championship in 1883 which England won with a Triple Crown. England have won the title outright 29 times (a record for the tournament) and shared victory ten times. Their longest wait between championships was 18 years (1892–1910). During the Six Nations, England also contests the Calcutta Cup with Scotland (which England first won in 1880) and the Millennium Trophy with Ireland (which England first won in 1988). The matches between England and France are traditionally known as "Le Crunch".

England |
France |
Ireland |
Italy |
Scotland |
Wales

|
|
|
|
|
|

Tournaments | 129 | 96 | 131 | 26 | 131 | 131
Outright wins (shared wins)
Home Nations | 5 (4) | — | 4 (3) | — | 9 (2) | 7 (3)
Five Nations | 17 (6) | 12 (8) | 6 (5) | — | 5 (6) | 15 (8)
Six Nations | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6
Overall | 29 (10) | 19 (8) | 16 (8) | 0 (0) | 14 (8) | 28 (11)
Grand Slams
Home Nations | — | — | — | — | — | 2[104]
Five Nations | 11 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 6
Six Nations | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4
Overall | 13 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12
Triple Crowns
Home Nations | 5 | — | 2 | — | 7 | 6
Five Nations | 16 | — | 4 | — | 3 | 11
Six Nations | 5 | — | 8 | — | 0 | 5
Overall | 26 | — | 14 | — | 10 | 22
Wooden Spoons
Home Nations | 7 | — | 10 | — | 5 | 6
Five Nations | 10 | 12 | 15 | — | 15 | 10
Six Nations | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 3
Overall | 17 | 13 | 25 | 18 | 24 | 19

Note: England are the only team to have won more than two successive grand slams, on more than one occasion, doing so in 1913–1914, 1923–1924 and 1991–1992; while Wales and France the only other teams to have done so twice, in 1908–1909 for Wales and 1997–1998 for France.

### Test series victories

[edit]

See also: List of England national rugby union team test series

* Australia – 2016, 2022
* Argentina – 1981, 2002, 2013, 2017, 2025
* Japan – 1971, 1979
* Fiji – 1973, 1989, 1991
* United States – 2001
* Canada – 2001
* Romania – 1989
* Ceylon – 1971

England have previously played one or more series against these nations, but have never won an overall test series against them:

* South Africa
* New Zealand

### Rugby World Cup

[edit]

Main article: England at the Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup record |  | Qualification

|
|

Year  | Round  | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad  | Head coach  | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA
1987 | Quarter-finals  | 4  | 2  | 0  | 2  | 103  | 48  | Squad | M. Green | Invited
1991 | Runners–up | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 119 | 61 | Squad | G. Cooke | Automatically qualified
1995 | Fourth place | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 158 | 146 | Squad | J. Rowell | Automatically qualified
1999 | Quarter-finals  | 5  | 3  | 0  | 2  | 250  | 115  | Squad | C. Woodward | 1st  | 2  | 2  | 0  | 0  | 133  | 15
2003 | Champions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 327 | 88 | Squad | C. Woodward | Automatically qualified
2007 | Runners–up | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 122 | Squad | B. Ashton | Automatically qualified
2011 | Quarter-finals  | 5  | 4  | 0  | 1  | 149  | 53  | Squad | M. Johnson | Automatically qualified
2015 | Pool stage  | 4  | 2  | 0  | 2  | 133  | 75  | Squad | S. Lancaster | Automatically qualified
2019 | Runners–up | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 190 | 75 | Squad | E. Jones | Automatically qualified
2023 | Third place | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 221 | 102 | Squad | S. Borthwick | Automatically qualified
2027 | Qualified | Automatically qualified
2031 | To be determined | To be determined
Total  | —  | 58  | 42  | 1  | 15  | 1790  | 885  | —  | —  | —  | 2  | 2  | 0  | 0  | 133  | 15

* Champions
* Runners–up
* Third place
* Fourth place
* Home venue

See also: List of England national rugby union team matches

England have contested every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987, reaching the final four times and winning the title in the 2003 tournament.

In the inaugural tournament, England finished second in their pool before losing to Wales (3–16) in the quarter-finals. They again finished pool runners-up in 1991 but bounced back to beat France (19–10) in the quarter-finals, and then Scotland (9–6) in the semi-finals, en route to a (6–12) defeat to Australia in the final at Twickenham on 2 November 1991.

In 1995, England topped their pool and defeated Australia (25–22) at the quarter-final stage before being beaten by the All Blacks (29–45) in the semi-finals. They lost their bronze medal match (9–19) to France.

In the 1999 tournament, England again finished second in their pool. Although they proceeded to win a play-off game against Fiji (45–24), they went out of the tournament in the quarter-finals, losing (21–44) to South Africa.

England topped their pool in 2003 and progressed to the playoffs. They beat Wales (28–17) and France (24–7) in the quarter and semi-finals. With a drop goal in the last minute of extra time, England won the final (20–17) against Australia in Sydney on 22 November 2003.

England made a poor start to their title defence in 2007, with a below par victory over the United States and a heavy (0–36) defeat to South Africa, leaving the title holders on the brink of elimination at the pool stage. Improved performances against Samoa and Tonga ensured that England again reached the knockout stage as pool runners-up. They defeated Australia (12–10) in the quarter-finals, and beat France (14–9) in the semi-finals. The victory over France gave England the chance to play in their 2nd consecutive final. In the final, held in Paris on 20 October, England lost (6–15) to South Africa, their second defeat by the Springboks during the 2007 tournament.

England topped their pool in 2011. They reached the quarter-finals but were defeated (12–19) to France.

In 2015, England became the first host nation to fail to qualify for the knockout stage, after losing to Wales and Australia in the pool stage.

In 2019, England topped their pool. They defeated Australia (40–19) and New Zealand (19–7) in the knockout stage. On 2 November 2019, they suffered a (12–32) defeat to South Africa in the final in Yokohama, becoming World Cup runners-up for the third time in their history.

In 2023, England topped their pool. They defeated Fiji in the quarter-finals (30–24) before losing to the eventual champions South Africa (15–16) in the semi-finals. They beat Argentina in the bronze medal match (26–23) to finish the tournament in 3rd place.

England's Jonny Wilkinson is the highest points scorer in the Rugby World Cup, having scored 277 points between 1999 and 2011. England have the fourth most points and the fourth most tries scored in the Rugby World Cup.

### Recent results

[edit]

The following is a list of England's recent match results, as well as upcoming scheduled fixtures, during the 12 months up to and including 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 | Principality 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: S. 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)  | Try: Klein 80+3' m
| Report | Try: Langdon 12' c
Northmore 19' c
Murley 40+2' m
van Poortvliet 41' c
Randall 62' c
Oghre 74' c
Con: Ford (4/5) 13', 20', 42', 63'
C. Atkinson (1/1) 75'
| Attendance: 19,079
Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

* * *

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)  |  |  |  |

* * *

### Overall

[edit]

Main article: List of England national rugby union team matches

Men's World Rugby Rankings

* v
* t
* e

Top 20 as of 4 August 2025[105] Rank | Change[i] | Team | Points

|
|
|

1  |  |  South Africa | 092.78
2  |  |  New Zealand | 092.06
3  |  |  Ireland | 089.83
4  |  |  France | 087.82
5  |  |  England | 087.64
6  |  |  Australia | 082.08
7  |  |  Argentina | 082.05
8  |  |  Scotland | 081.57
9  |  |  Fiji | 080.50
10  |  |  Italy | 077.77
11  |  |  Georgia | 074.69
12  |  |  Wales | 074.05
13  |  |  Samoa | 072.48
14  |  |  Japan | 072.29
15  |  |  Spain | 069.12
16  |  |  United States | 068.45
17  |  |  Uruguay | 067.52
18  |  |  Portugal | 066.44
19  |  |  Tonga | 065.46
20  |  |  Chile | 063.83
21  |  |  Romania | 062.67
22  |  |  Belgium | 061.20
23  |  |  Hong Kong | 059.98
24  |  |  Zimbabwe | 058.80
25  |  |  Canada | 057.75
26  |  |  Netherlands | 057.01
27  |  |  Namibia | 056.97
28  |  |  Brazil | 055.90
29  |  |  Switzerland | 055.26
30  |  |  Poland | 054.06

1. ^ Change from the previous week

England's historical rankings

This graph was using the legacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to the new Chart extension.

|

See or edit source data.

Source: World Rugby[105]
Graph updated to 4 August 2025

When the World Rugby Rankings were first introduced in early September 2003, England were ranked 1st; they fell to 2nd for a week in November 2003 before regaining 1st place. They again dropped to 2nd in the rankings, and then to 3rd, from mid-June 2004. Following the 2005 Six Nations, they fell to 6th in the world rankings, where they remained until moving up to 5th place in December of that year. After a decline in form in 2006, England finished the year ranked 7th; however, they bounced back to 3rd in 2007 due to their good run in that year's World Cup, where they finished runners-up.

Their ranking slipped again in 2008 and during the 2009 Six Nations they dropped to their lowest ranking of 8th, where they remained for the duration of the 2009 autumn internationals. After a brief resurgence that saw them rise to a ranking of 4th in the world, England again slipped following a poor showing at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and were ranked 6th in February 2012. The team entered the 2015 Rugby World Cup ranked 4th, but after failing to progress beyond the pool stage, England again sank to 8th in the world in November 2015. In March 2016, after securing the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations, England rose to second place, where they remained the following year after winning the 2017 Six Nations. A poor fifth-place performance in the 2018 Six Nations saw them fall to sixth place.

In October 2019, England defeated New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to top the World Rugby Rankings for the first time since 2004.[106] After losing the final to South Africa, England were ranked third. In November 2020, they regained second place following New Zealand's loss to Argentina.

During the 2021 Six Nations, a fifth-place finish saw England fall from second to third after defeats to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. After Australia won 5 matches in a row during the 2021 Rugby Championship, England fell to fourth until defeats of Australia and South Africa in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series saw them regain third place.

During the 2022 Six Nations, England again suffered three defeats to Scotland, Ireland and France and fell from third to fifth.

England entered the 2023 Six Nations in fifth, but defeats to Scotland, France and Ireland again saw them fall to sixth.

During the 2023 World Cup warm-ups, England suffered further defeats away to Ireland and Wales and a first ever home loss to Fiji to enter the 2023 World Cup in eighth. A third-placed finish at the 2023 Rugby World Cup saw England rise to fifth.

During the 2024 Six Nations, England retained fifth position despite away defeats against Scotland and France.

England have won 452 of their 809 Test Matches, with a 55.87% win percentage. Below is a summary table of test matches played by England up to 20 July 2025. Only fixtures recognised as test matches by the RFU are included.

Opponent  | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | PF | PA | PD

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Argentina | 29 | 23  | 1  | 5  | 79%  | 787  | 465  | 322
Australia | 56 | 28  | 1  | 27  | 50%  | 1,067  | 1,197  | −130
Canada | 7  | 7  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 343  | 87  | 256
Chile | 1  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 71  | 0  | 71
Fiji | 9  | 8  | 0  | 1  | 89%  | 355  | 163  | 192
France | 112 | 61  | 7  | 44  | 54%  | 1,821  | 1,515  | 306
Georgia | 3  | 3  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 165  | 16  | 149
Ireland | 143 | 81  | 8  | 54  | 57%  | 1,785  | 1,341  | 444
Italy | 32 | 32  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 1,271  | 404  | 867
Japan | 6  | 6  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 292  | 78  | 214
Netherlands | 1  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 110  | 0  | 110
New Zealand | 46 | 8  | 2  | 36  | 17%  | 673  | 1,081  | −408
New Zealand Natives | 1  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 7  | 0  | 7
Pacific Islanders | 1  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 39  | 13  | 26
Presidents XV | 1  | 0  | 0  | 1  | 0%  | 11  | 28  | −17
Romania | 5  | 5  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 335  | 24  | 311
Samoa | 9  | 9  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 310  | 131  | 179
Scotland | 143 | 77  | 19  | 47  | 54%  | 1,770  | 1,336  | 434
South Africa | 47 | 16  | 2  | 29  | 34%  | 804  | 1,017  | −213
Tonga | 4  | 4  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 241  | 36  | 205
United States | 8  | 8  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 381  | 93  | 288
Uruguay | 2  | 2  | 0  | 0  | 100%  | 171  | 16  | 155
Wales | 143 | 70  | 12  | 61  | 49%  | 1,994  | 1,797  | 197
Total  | 809  | 452  | 52  | 305  | 55.87%  | 14,803  | 10,838  | +3,965

## Players

[edit]

### Current squad

[edit]

On 23 June 2025, England head coach Steve Borthwick named a 36-player squad for the two-test series against Argentina and a July international against the United States.[107]

Caps Updated to: 19 July 2025

Player  | Position | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Club/province

|
|
|
|

Theo Dan | Hooker |  (2000-12-26) 26 December 2000 (age 24) | 19  |  Saracens
Jamie George (cc) | Hooker |  (1990-10-20) 20 October 1990 (age 34) | 102  |  Saracens
Curtis Langdon | Hooker |  (1997-08-03) 3 August 1997 (age 28) | 4  |  Northampton Saints
Gabriel Oghre | Hooker |  (1998-05-25) 25 May 1998 (age 27) | 1  |  Bristol Bears
Fin Baxter | Prop |  (2002-02-12) 12 February 2002 (age 23) | 14  |  Harlequins
Trevor Davison | Prop |  (1992-08-20) 20 August 1992 (age 32) | 3  |  Northampton Saints
Joe Heyes | Prop |  (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 26) | 14  |  Leicester Tigers
Emmanuel Iyogun | Prop |  (2000-11-24) 24 November 2000 (age 24) | 0  |  Northampton Saints
Asher Opoku-Fordjour | Prop |  (2004-07-16) 16 July 2004 (age 21) | 4  |  Sale Sharks
Bevan Rodd | Prop |  (2000-08-26) 26 August 2000 (age 24) | 10  |  Sale Sharks
Arthur Clark | Lock |  (2001-12-19) 19 December 2001 (age 23) | 1  |  Gloucester
Alex Coles | Lock |  (1999-09-21) 21 September 1999 (age 25) | 10  |  Northampton Saints
Charlie Ewels | Lock |  (1995-06-25) 25 June 1995 (age 30) | 33  |  Bath
Nick Isiekwe | Lock |  (1998-08-20) 20 August 1998 (age 26) | 15  |  Saracens
Chandler Cunningham-South | Back row |  (2003-03-18) 18 March 2003 (age 22) | 18  |  Harlequins
Ben Curry | Back row |  (1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27) | 14  |  Sale Sharks
Alex Dombrandt | Back row |  (1997-04-29) 29 April 1997 (age 28) | 23  |  Harlequins
Ted Hill | Back row |  (1999-03-26) 26 March 1999 (age 26) | 5  |  Bath
Guy Pepper | Back row |  (2003-04-21) 21 April 2003 (age 22) | 3  |  Bath
Sam Underhill | Back row |  (1996-11-22) 22 November 1996 (age 28) | 42  |  Bath
Tom Willis | Back row |  (1999-01-18) 18 January 1999 (age 26) | 8  |  Saracens
Harry Randall | Scrum-half |  (1997-12-18) 18 December 1997 (age 27) | 14  |  Bristol Bears
Ben Spencer | Scrum-half |  (1992-07-31) 31 July 1992 (age 33) | 10  |  Bath
Jack van Poortvliet | Scrum-half |  (2001-05-15) 15 May 2001 (age 24) | 21  |  Leicester Tigers
Charlie Atkinson | Fly-half |  (2001-10-06) 6 October 2001 (age 23) | 1  |  Gloucester
George Ford (cc) | Fly-half |  (1993-03-16) 16 March 1993 (age 32) | 102  |  Sale Sharks
Seb Atkinson | Centre |  (2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23) | 2  |  Gloucester
Oscar Beard | Centre |  (2001-11-20) 20 November 2001 (age 23) | 1  |  Harlequins
Luke Northmore | Centre |  (1997-03-16) 16 March 1997 (age 28) | 2  |  Harlequins
Max Ojomoh | Centre |  (2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 24) | 1  |  Bath
Henry Slade | Centre |  (1993-03-19) 19 March 1993 (age 32) | 73  |  Exeter Chiefs
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso | Wing |  (2002-12-20) 20 December 2002 (age 22) | 9  |  Exeter Chiefs
Will Muir | Wing |  (1995-10-30) 30 October 1995 (age 29) | 2  |  Bath
Cadan Murley | Wing |  (1999-07-31) 31 July 1999 (age 26) | 4  |  Harlequins
Tom Roebuck | Wing |  (2001-01-07) 7 January 2001 (age 24) | 6  |  Sale Sharks
Joe Carpenter | Fullback |  (2001-08-19) 19 August 2001 (age 23) | 1  |  Sale Sharks
Freddie Steward | Fullback |  (2000-12-05) 5 December 2000 (age 24) | 38  |  Leicester Tigers

### Contracted players

[edit]

On 11 August 2025, the RFU announced the 25 England players who had been awarded Enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contracts for the 2025–26 season.[108]

Enhanced EPS Contracted Players (2025–26)

Props

* Fin Baxter
* Ellis Genge
* Joe Heyes
* Will Stuart

Hookers

* Luke Cowan-Dickie
* Jamie George

Locks

* Ollie Chessum
* Maro Itoje
* George Martin

Back row

* Ben Curry
* Tom Curry
* Ben Earl
* Henry Pollock
* Tom Willis

Scrum-halves

* Alex Mitchell

Fly-halves

* George Ford
* Fin Smith
* Marcus Smith

Centres

* Ollie Lawrence
* Henry Slade

Wings

* Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
* Tommy Freeman
* Tom Roebuck

Full-backs

* Elliot Daly
* George Furbank

### Notable players

[edit]

See also: List of England national rugby union players

Five former England representatives have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame – Bill Beaumont, Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard, Wavell Wakefield and Jonny Wilkinson.[109][110]

Seven former England internationals are also members of the IRB Hall of Fame. Four of them – Johnson,[111] Alan Rotherham, Harry Vassall[112] and Robert Seddon[113] – were inducted for their accomplishments as players. Two other former England players, John Kendall-Carpenter and Clive Woodward, were inducted into the IRB Hall for non-playing accomplishments in the sport.[111] Another former England player, Alfred St. George Hamersley, was inducted for achievements as both a player and a rugby administrator.[114]

## Individual records

[edit]

### World Rugby Awards

[edit]

The following England players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123]

World Rugby Player of the Year | Year  | Nominees  | Winners

|
|

2001  | Jonny Wilkinson | —
2002  | Jason Robinson
2003  | Steve Thompson | Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson (2)
2009  | Tom Croft | —
2012  | Owen Farrell
2016  | Owen Farrell (2)
Maro Itoje
Billy Vunipola
2017  | Owen Farrell (3)
Maro Itoje (2)
2019  | Tom Curry
2021  | Maro Itoje (3)
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year | Year  | Nominees  | Winners

|
|

2016  | Maro Itoje | Maro Itoje
2019  | Joe Cokanasiga | —
2021  | Marcus Smith
2022  | Henry Arundell
2024  | Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
World Rugby Dream Team of the Year | Year  | No. | Players

|
|

2021  | 4\.  | Maro Itoje
2022  | 1\.  | Ellis Genge
15\.  | Freddie Steward

World Rugby Try of the Year Year  | Date  | Scorer  | Match  | Tournament  | Ref

|
|
|
|
|

2010 | 13 November  | Chris Ashton | vs. Australia | Autumn Internationals | [124]

### Six Nations Player of the Championship

[edit]

The following England players have been shortlisted for the Six Nations Player of the Championship since 2004:[125][126][127][128][129][130]

Six Nations Player of the Year (2004–13) | Year  | Nominees  | Winners

|
|

2004 | Ben Cohen | —
Lawrence Dallaglio
Danny Grewcock
2005 | Martin Corry
Josh Lewsey
2006 | Martin Corry (2)
Charlie Hodgson
2007 | Josh Lewsey (2)
Joe Worsley
2009 | Delon Armitage
2011 | Chris Ashton
Toby Flood
James Haskell
Tom Palmer
2013 | Owen Farrell
Chris Robshaw
Six Nations Player of the Year (2014–19) | Year  | Nominees  | Winners

|
|

2014 | Mike Brown | Mike Brown
Danny Care
Owen Farrell (2)
Chris Robshaw (2)
2015 | George Ford | —
Jonathan Joseph
Billy Vunipola
Ben Youngs
2016 | Jonathan Joseph (2)
Jack Nowell
Billy Vunipola (2)
2017 | Owen Farrell (3)
Maro Itoje
Joe Launchbury
2019 | Tom Curry
Jonny May
Six Nations Player of the Year (2020–) | Year  | Nominees  | Winners

|
|

2020 | Maro Itoje (2)  | —
Ben Youngs (2)
2024 | Ben Earl
2025 | Tommy Freeman

Six Nations Team of the Championship Year  | Forwards  | Backs  | Total  | Refs

|
|
|
|

No. | Players  | No. | Players
2022 | 4\.  | Maro Itoje | —  | 1 | [131]
2024 | 8\.  | Ben Earl | 1 | [132]
2025 | 3\.  | Will Stuart | 10\.  | Fin Smith | 5 | [133]
4\.  | Maro Itoje (2)  | 14\.  | Tommy Freeman
6\.  | Tom Curry

### Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year

[edit]

The following players have been voted as the RPA England Player of the Year since 2013:[134]

RPA Player of the Year (2013–16)  | Year  | Winners  | Ref

|
|

2013  | Joe Launchbury | [135]
2014  | Mike Brown | [136]
2015  | Jonathan Joseph | [137]
2016  | Billy Vunipola | [138]
RPA Player of the Year (2017–20)  | Year  | Winners  | Ref

|
|

2017  | Owen Farrell | [139]
2018  | Mako Vunipola | [140]
2019  | Jonny May | [141]
2020  | Tom Curry | [142]
RPA Player of the Year (2021–24)  | Year  | Winners  | Ref

|
|

2021  | Tom Curry (2)  | [143]
2022  | Freddie Steward | [144]
2023  | Freddie Steward (2)  | [145]
2024  | Ben Earl | [146]

### Statistical leaders

[edit]

Main article: List of England national rugby union team records

* Ben Youngs holds the record for most appearances for England, with 127 caps – placing him joint 14th all-time in international rugby.[147]
* Owen Farrell holds the record for most points scored for England, with 1,237 points – placing him second all-time in international rugby.[148]
* Rory Underwood holds the record for most tries scored for England, with 49 tries – placing him sixth all-time in international rugby.[149]

#### Summary

[edit]

As of 19 July 2025[150][151]

Players active at international level as of July 2025 are listed in bold italics.

Most Caps  | Rank  | Player  | Caps

|
|

1 | Ben Youngs | 127
2 | Dan Cole | 118
3 | Jason Leonard | 114
4 | Owen Farrell | 112
5 | Courtney Lawes | 105
6 | George Ford | 102
Jamie George
8 | Danny Care | 101
9 | Dylan Hartley | 97
10 | Joe Marler | 95
Most Points  | Rank  | Player  | Points

|
|

1 | Owen Farrell | 1,237
2 | Jonny Wilkinson | 1,179
3 | George Ford | 441
4 | Paul Grayson | 400
5 | Rob Andrew | 396
6 | Marcus Smith | 303
7 | Toby Flood | 301
8 | Jonathan Webb | 296
9 | Charlie Hodgson | 269
10 | Dusty Hare | 240
Most Tries  | Rank  | Player  | Tries

|
|

1 | Rory Underwood | 49
2 | Jonny May | 36
3 | Ben Cohen | 31
Will Greenwood
5 | Jeremy Guscott | 30
6 | Jason Robinson | 28
7 | Dan Luger | 24
8 | Anthony Watson | 23
9 | Josh Lewsey | 22
10 | Five players tied | 20

## Coaches

[edit]

### Current coaching staff

[edit]

The following table outlines the current England senior coaching team, as of the 2025 Autumn Nations Series.

Nationality  | Name  | Role  | Ref

|
|
|

England  | Steve Borthwick | Head Coach / Lineout Coach  | [152]
England  | Richard Wigglesworth | Senior Assistant Coach  | [153]
England  | Joe El-Abd | Defence Coach  | [154]
England  | Kevin Sinfield | Skills & Kicking Coach  | [155]
England  | Tom Harrison  | Scrum Coach  | [156]
Ireland  | Phil Morrow  | Head of Team Performance  | [157]
Ireland  | Dan Tobin  | Strength & Conditioning Coach  | [158]
England  | Richard Hill | Team Manager  | [159]
New Zealand  | Andrew Strawbridge  | Coaching Consultant  | [160]

### History of head coaches

[edit]

Main page: Category:England national rugby union team coaches

The following is a list of all England head coaches. The first appointed coach was Don White in 1969. The most recent former coach was Eddie Jones.[161] Jones took over from Stuart Lancaster a week after the latter's resignation, and he became the first foreigner to coach the English national side. Jones' winning percentage of 73% is the highest of any England coach.[162][163][164][165][166]

Updated to: 19 July 2025

Name  | Tenure  | Tests  | Won  | Drew  | Lost  | Win Percentage

|
|
|
|
|
|

Don White | 20 December 1969 – 17 April 1971[34] | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 027.3
John Elders | 18 October 1971 – 16 March 1974[167] | 16 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 037.5
John Burgess | 18 January 1975 – 31 May 1975[168] | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 016.7
Peter Colston | 3 January 1976 – 17 March 1979  | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 033.3
Mike Davis | 24 November 1979 – 6 March 1982[169] | 16 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 062.5
Dick Greenwood | 15 January 1983 – 20 April 1985  | 17 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 023.5
Martin Green | 1 June 1985 – 8 June 1987  | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 035.7
Geoff Cooke | 16 January 1988 – 19 March 1994[170] | 50 | 36 | 1 | 13 | 072.0
Jack Rowell | 4 June 1994[171] – 31 August 1997[172] | 29 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 072.4
Sir Clive Woodward | 15 November 1997[173] – 2 September 2004[174] | 83 | 59 | 2 | 22 | 071.1
Andy Robinson | 15 October 2004[175] – 29 November 2006[176] | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 040.9
Brian Ashton | 20 December 2006[177] – 1 June 2008[178] | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 054.5
Rob Andrew[a] | 1 June 2008 – 30 June 2008[179] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.0
Martin Johnson | 1 July 2008[179] – 16 November 2011[180] | 38 | 21 | 1 | 16 | 055.3
Stuart Lancaster | 8 December 2011[181] – 11 November 2015[182] | 46 | 28 | 1 | 17 | 060.9
Eddie Jones | 20 November 2015[183] – 6 December 2022[184] | 81 | 59 | 2 | 20 | 072.8
Steve Borthwick | 19 December 2022 – present[185] | 36 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 058.3

a Rob Andrew coached the team for the 2008 summer tests in New Zealand in Martin Johnson's absence.[186]

Note 1: Richard Cockerill served briefly as interim head coach in December 2022, between the dismissal of Eddie Jones and appointment of Steve Borthwick. No test matches were played during his tenure.[187]

Note 2: Between September 2015 and March 2017, England won 18 test matches in a row – equalling the record for a top tier nation – 17 of which occurred under Eddie Jones.[188]

#### World Rugby Coach of the Year

[edit]

The following former England head coaches have been nominated for and won the World Rugby Coach of the Year award since its inception in 2001:[115][189][190][191]

Year  | Nationality  | Nominee  | Winner

|
|
|

2003  |  England | Sir Clive Woodward | Sir Clive Woodward
2016  |  Australia | Eddie Jones | —
2017  | Eddie Jones (2)  | Eddie Jones
2019  | Eddie Jones (3)  | —

### Former assistant coaches

[edit]

The following names represent a list of previous assistant coaches for the England men's senior squad:[192][193][194][195][196][197][198][199]

Former coaches appointed to the British & Irish Lions while part of the England coaching staff are listed in bold italics.

* Dave Alred
* Simon Amor
* Lee Blackett
* Jon Callard
* Mike Catt
* Jon Clarke
* Richard Cockerill
* Alex Codling
* Glen Ella
* Nick Evans
* Andy Farrell
* Mike Ford
* Martin Gleeson
* Joe Gray
* Paul Gustard
* Neal Hatley
* Brett Hodgson
* Felix Jones
* Phil Keith-Roach
* Danny Kerry
* George Kruis
* Phil Larder
* Joe Lydon
* Byron McGuigan
* John Mitchell
* Phil Pask
* Ian Peel
* Ben Pollard
* Matt Proudfoot
* Dave Reddin
* Tony Roques
* Graham Rowntree
* Jason Ryles
* Anthony Seibold
* Brian Smith
* Paul Stridgeon
* Tom Tombleson
* Sam Vesty
* Aled Walters
* John Wells
* Jonny Wilkinson
* Scott Wisemantel

### Club versus country

[edit]

Although the England team is governed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), players have been contracted to their clubs since the advent of professionalism in late 1995. Since then, players have often been caught in a "power struggle" between their clubs and the RFU; this is commonly referred to as a "club versus country" conflict.[200] The first major dispute between England's top clubs (who play in the English Premiership) and the RFU occurred in 1998, when some of the clubs refused to release players to tour Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.[201] The tour became known as the "Tour from hell" after an England squad of second-string players were defeated in all four Tests, including a 76–0 defeat by Australia.[202] The clubs also withdrew from the 1998–99 Heineken Cup.[203]

In 2001, the top clubs and the RFU formed "England Rugby" to help govern the club and international game. The parties agreed to restrict the number of matches at club and international level that elite players (a group of 50 or 60 players selected by the RFU) could play in order to reduce player burnout and injuries.[204] In return for releasing players from club commitments, the clubs were to receive compensation from the RFU. This agreement was considered central to the England victory in the 2003 World Cup. Clive Woodward, England coach from November 1997, resigned in 2004 because he was unable to get the access to the players that he wanted: "I wanted more from the union – more training days with the players, more influence over the way they were treated – and ended up with less."[205] Andy Robinson, Woodward's successor, blamed the lack of control over players for his team's unsuccessful record.[206] Brian Ashton, who took over from Robinson, intentionally named his playing squad for Six Nations matches in 2007 early in the hope that their clubs would not play them in the weekend prior to a Test.[207] The RFU and the Premiership clubs are negotiating a similar deal to the one in 2001 that will enable international players to be released into the England squad prior to international matches.[208]

### Training

[edit]

Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey, is the chosen training base for the team in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Loughborough University, Bisham Abbey and the University of Bath grounds served as training bases prior to this agreement. Martin Johnson noted the hotel's facilities and its proximity to Twickenham and Heathrow as deciding factors in this decision.[209] The team had their own pitchside gym and fitness rooms constructed on the hotel premises at the start of the long-term arrangement. Since its completion in 2010 the team also regularly use Surrey Sports Park at the University of Surrey in nearby Guildford for much of their training.[210]

## Media coverage

[edit]

England's summer internationals are televised live on Sky Sports,[211] while their autumn internationals are televised live by TNT Sports.[212] Highlights of the autumn tests are currently not shown by a free-to-air broadcaster. As of 2024, all Six Nations games are broadcast free-to-air on the BBC and ITV.[213]

## See also

[edit]

* England A
* England Sevens
* England Under 20s
* England Under 18s

* England Women
* England Women Sevens
* English rugby union system
* Rugby union in England

|

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Bowker, Barry (1978). England Rugby. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-30214-7.
* Collins, Tony (2009). A Social History of English Rugby Union. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-47660-7.
* Farmer, Stuart (2006). The Official England Rugby Miscellany. Vision Sports Publishing. ISBN 978-1-905326-12-9.
* Morgan, Michael (2002). "Optimizing the structure of elite competitions in professional sport – lessons from Rugby Union". Managing Leisure. 7: 41–60\. doi:10.1080/13606710110117023. S2CID 153521834.
* Palenski, Ron (2003). Century in Black – 100 Years of All Black Test Rugby. Hodder Moa Beckett Publishers. ISBN 978-1-86958-937-0.
* Tuck, Jason (2003). "The Men in White: Reflections on Rugby Union, the Media and Englishness". International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 38 (2): 177–199\. doi:10.1177/1012690203038002003. S2CID 143294820.

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164. ^ "73% - Eddie Jones' 73% win rate is the highest of any @EnglandRugby men's head coach - Jones was also the first coach to guide England to a 100% Test record in a calendar year since Geoff Cooke in 1992 (6/6), winning all 13 Tests during his first year in charge in 2016. Legacy". X. OptaJonny. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
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172. ^ "Rowell calls it a day with England". The Irish Times. 21 August 1997. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
173. ^ "Clive Woodward's career at a glance". The Guardian Sport. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
174. ^ "Woodward quits England". BBC Sport. 3 September 2004. Archived from the original on 15 November 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
175. ^ "Robinson named new England coach". BBC Sport. 15 October 2004. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
176. ^ "Press Statement from Andy Robinson OBE". rfu.com. Rugby Football Union. 29 November 2006. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
177. ^ "England appoint Ashton to the top job". BBC Sport. 20 December 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
178. ^ "Ashton axed in England shake-up". ESPN. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
179. ^ a b "Johnson named as England supremo". BBC Sport. 16 April 2008. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
180. ^ "England manager Martin Johnson resigns". Reuters. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
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182. ^ de Menezes, Jack (11 November 2015). "Stuart Lancaster resigns: England head coach quits after Rugby World Cup failure". The Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
183. ^ "Eddie Jones: Australian appointed England head coach". BBC Sport. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
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## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to England.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to England national rugby union team.

* Official website

Preceded by

Brazil men's football team

|  Laureus World Team of the Year
2004  | Succeeded by

Greece men's football team

|
|

* v
* t
* e

England national rugby union team

* Rugby Football Union

History|

* History
* Records
* Tries

Players|

* All Players
* Killed in the world wars

Home stadiums|

* Twickenham Stadium

Competitions
and trophies|

* Rugby World Cup
* Six Nations Championship
* Triple Crown
* Grand Slam
* Calcutta Cup
* Ella–Mobbs Trophy
* Hillary Shield
* Millennium Trophy
* Quilter Cup

Related teams|

* Sevens
* England A
* RFU Championship XV
* England Counties XV
* U20s
* U18s

Matches|

| World Cup finals|

* 1991
* 2003
* 2007
* 2019

|

By opponent|

* Argentina
* Australia
* Barbarians
* Fiji
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* New Zealand
* Scotland
* South Africa
* Wales

Results|

* 1871–1879
* 1880–1889
* 1890–1899
* 1900–1909
* 1910–1914
* 1920–1929
* 1930–1939
* 1947–1949
* 1950–1959
* 1960–1969
* 1970–1979
* 1980–1989
* 1990–1999
* 2000–2009
* 2010–2019
* 2020–2029

See also|

* All matches
* Test series
* Scotland (1871)
* Scotland (Centenary)
* England v President's Overseas XV

Tours|

| Australia|

* 1963
* 1975
* 1988
* 1991
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2003
* 2004
* 2006
* 2010
* 2016
* 2022

|

New Zealand|

* 1963
* 1973
* 1985
* 1998
* 2003
* 2004
* 2008
* 2010
* 2014
* 2024

South Africa|

* 1972
* 1984
* 1994
* 1998
* 2000
* 2007
* 2012
* 2018

Argentina|

* 1981
* 1990
* 1997
* 2002
* 2013
* 2017
* 2025

Romania|

* 1989

South Pacific|

* 1973
* 1979
* 1988
* 1991

North America|

* 1982
* 1993
* 2001
* 2025

Asia|

* 1971
* 1979

See also|

* "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"
* Mr. England

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in England

Governing body|

* Rugby Football Union
* Rugby Football Union for Women (merged into the RFU)

National teams|

| Men's|

* England
* England A
* 7's
* U-21
* U-20
* U-18
* British & Irish Lions
* England Counties XV

|

Women's|

* Women's
* 7's

International competitions|

| Men's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* Rugby World Cup Sevens
* Sevens World Series
* Sevens Grand Prix Series
* Commonwealth Games

|

Women's|

* World Cup
* Six Nations
* World Series Sevens

Competition divisions|

| Men's|

* Premiership
* Champ Rugby
* National Leagues
* London and SE Division
* Northern Division
* Midland Division
* South West Division
* United Hospitals Cup

|

Women's|

* Premiership Women's Rugby

European competitions|

* European Rugby Champions Cup
* European Rugby Challenge Cup

National competitions|

* Premiership Rugby
* Premiership Cup
* Champ Rugby
* National League 1
* National League 2 East
* National League 2 North
* National League 2 West
* RFU Intermediate Cup
* RFU Senior Vase
* RFU Junior Vase
* Premiership Rugby Sevens Series
* Women's Premiership
* Premier 15s

London and South East
competitions|

* Regional 1 South East
* Regional 1 South Central
* Regional 2 Anglia
* Regional 2 South Central
* Regional 2 South East
* Regional 2 Thames
* London 1 North
* London 2 North East
* London 2 North West
* London 2 South East
* London 2 South West
* London 3 North West
* London 3 South East
* London 3 South West
* Counties 2 Eastern Counties
* London 3 Essex
* Eastern Counties 1
* Eastern Counties 2
* Eastern Counties 3
* Counties 2 Essex
* Counties 2 Hampshire
* Counties 3 Hampshire
* Counties 4 Hampshire
* Hampshire Cups
* Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex
* Counties 1 Middlesex
* Counties 2 Middlesex
* Herts/Middlesex 2
* Hertfordshire Cups
* Middlesex Cups
* Counties 3 Kent
* Counties 4 Kent
* Counties 5 Kent
* Kent Cups
* Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex
* Counties 2 Surrey
* Counties 3 Surrey
* Counties 4 Surrey
* Counties 5 Surrey
* Surrey Cups
* Counties 2 Sussex
* Sussex 1
* Sussex Cups

Midland competitions|

* Regional 1 Midlands
* Regional 2 North Midlands
* Regional 2 West Midlands
* Regional 2 East Midlands
* Counties 1 Midlands West (North)
* Counties 1 Midlands West (South)
* Midlands 2 East (North)
* Midlands 2 East (South)
* Midlands 3 West (North)
* Midlands 3 West (South)
* Midlands 3 East (North)
* Midlands 3 East (South)
* Midlands 4 West (North)
* Midlands 4 West (South)
* Midlands 4 East (North)
* Midlands 4 East (South)
* Midlands 5 West (South)
* Leicestershire Cups
* North Midlands Cups
* Staffordshire Cups
* Warwickshire Cups

Northern competitions|

* Regional 1 North East
* Regional 1 North West
* Regional 2 North
* Regional 2 North East
* Regional 2 North West
* North 1 East
* North 1 West
* North 2 West
* Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire
* Lancs/Cheshire 1
* Lancs/Cheshire 2
* Cheshire Cups
* Lancashire Cups
* Counties 1 Cumbria
* Cumbria Cups
* Counties 1 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 2 Durham & Northumberland
* Counties 3 Durham & Northumberland
* Durham Cups
* Northumberland Cups
* Counties 1 Yorkshire
* Counties 2 Yorkshire
* Counties 3 Yorkshire
* Counties 4 Yorkshire
* Yorkshire Cups

South West competitions|

* Regional 1 South West
* Regional 2 Severn
* Regional 2 South West
* Counties 1 Southern North
* Counties 1 Southern South
* Counties 1 Western North
* Counties 1 Western West
* Counties 2 Cornwall
* Counties 3 Cornwall
* Cornwall Cups
* Counties 2 Devon
* Counties 3 Devon East
* Counties 3 Devon West
* Devon Cups
* Counties 2 Gloucestershire
* Counties 3 Gloucestershire
* Gloucester 2 North
* Gloucester 2 South
* Gloucestershire Cups
* Counties 2 Somerset
* Counties 3 Somerset
* Counties 4 Somerset North
* Counties 4 Somerset South
* Somerset 3 North
* Somerset 3 South
* Somerset Cups
* Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon
* Oxfordshire Cups
* Counties 2 Dorset & Wilts South
* Counties 2 Dorset & Wilts North
* Counties 3 Dorset & Wilts North
* Counties 3 Dorset & Wilts South
* Dorset & Wilts 3 North

County competitions|

* Division 1
* Division 2
* Division 3

Discontinued competitions|

* Anglo-Welsh Cup
* Championship Cup
* Cornwall/Devon League
* Divisional Championship
* National League 2 South
* North Premier
* RFU Knockout Cup
* South West 1 East

Related articles|

* International players
* Clubs
* Churchill Cup
* Calcutta Cup
* Millennium Trophy
* Ella-Mobbs Trophy
* Hillary Shield

Other|

* English rugby union system
* Timeline of rugby union on UK television

* v
* t
* e

Rugby World Cup winners

* 1987: New Zealand
* 1991: Australia
* 1995: South Africa
* 1999: Australia
* 2003: England
* 2007: South Africa
* 2011: New Zealand
* 2015: New Zealand
* 2019: South Africa
* 2023: South Africa

* v
* t
* e

England national rugby union team captains

To 1900|

* 1871–1873: Frederick Stokes
* 1874: Alfred Hamersley
* 1875: Henry Lawrence
* 1875–1876: Francis Luscombe
* 1877 – Mar 1878: Edward Kewley
* Mar 1878: Murray Marshall
* 1879: Frank Adams
* 1880–1881: Lennard Stokes
* Feb 1882: Charles Gurdon
* Mar 1882: Albert Hornby
* Dec 1882 – 1885: Edward Gurdon
* Jan–Feb 1886: Charles Marriott
* Mar 1886: Edward Gurdon
* 1887: Alan Rotherham
* 1889: Fred Bonsor
* Feb 1890: Andrew Stoddart
* Mar 1890: John Hickson
* Mar 1890: Andrew Stoddart
* 1891 – Jan 1892: Frederic Alderson
* Feb 1892: Sammy Woods
* Mar 1892: Frederic Alderson
* Jan 1893: Andrew Stoddart
* Feb 1893: Sammy Woods
* Mar 1893: Andrew Stoddart
* Jan–Feb 1894: Richard Lockwood
* Mar 1894: Ernest Taylor
* 1895: Sammy Woods
* 1896: Ernest Taylor
* Mar 1896: Frank Mitchell
* 1897: Ernest Taylor
* 1898: James Byrne
* 1899: Arthur Rotherham

To the First World War|

* Jan 1900: Richard Cattell
* 1900: John Daniell
* Jan 1901: Jack Taylor
* Feb–Mar 1901: William Bunting
* Jan 1902: Harry Alexander
* Feb–Mar 1902: John Daniell
* Jan–Feb 1903: Bernard Oughtred
* Mar 1903: Toggie Kendall
* Jan 1904: Frank Stout
* Feb–Mar 1904: John Daniell
* Jan–Mar 1905: Frank Stout
* Dec 1905 – Dec 1906: Vincent Cartwright
* Jan 1907: Basil Hill
* Feb 1907: John Green
* Mar 1907: Ernest Roberts
* Jan 1908: Thomas Kelly
* Jan 1908: John Birkett
* Feb 1908: Curly Hammond
* Mar 1908: Lancelot Slocock
* Jan 1909: George Lyon
* Jan–Mar 1909: Robert Dibble
* Jan–Feb 1910: Adrian Stoop
* Mar 1910: Edgar Mobbs
* Mar 1910 – Feb 1911: John Birkett
* Mar 1911: Anthony Henniker-Gotley
* Jan–Mar 1912: Robert Dibble
* Apr 1912 – Mar 1913: Norman Wodehouse
* 1914: Ronald Poulton

To the Second World War|

* 1920: John Greenwood
* 1921: Dave Davies
* Jan 1922: Bruno Brown
* Feb 1922 – 1923: Dave Davies
* 1924–1926: Wavell Wakefield
* 1927: Leonard Corbett
* 1928 – Feb 1929: Ronald Cove-Smith
* Mar 1929 – Feb 1930: Joe Periton
* Feb 1930 – Jan 1931: Sam Tucker
* Feb 1931: Peter Howard
* Mar 1931 – Jan 1933: Carl Aarvold
* Feb–Mar 1933: Tony Novis
* 1934: Bernard Gadney
* Jan–Feb 1935: Douglas Kendrew
* Mar 1935 – Mar 1936: Bernard Gadney
* 1937: Tuppy Owen-Smith
* Jan–Feb 1938: Peter Cranmer
* Mar 1938 – Mar 1939: Henry Toft

To the professional era|

* Jan–Feb 1947: Joe Mycock
* Mar–Apr 1947: Jack Heaton
* Jan 1948: Edward Scott
* Jan 1948: Tommy Kemp
* Feb–Mar 1948: Edward Scott
* Mar 1948: Bob Weighill
* Jan–Feb 1949: Nim Hall
* Feb 1949 – Mar 1950: Ivor Preece
* Jan 1951: Vic Roberts
* Feb–Mar 1951: John Kendall-Carpenter
* Jan 1952 – Mar 1953: Nim Hall
* 1954: Bob Stirling
* Jan–Feb 1955: Nim Hall
* Feb–Mar 1955: Peter Young
* Jan 1956 – Mar 1958: Eric Evans
* 1959: Jeffrey Butterfield
* 1960–1962: Dickie Jeeps
* Jan–Mar 1963: Richard Sharp
* May–Jun 1963: Mike Weston
* Jan–Feb 1964: John Willcox
* Feb–Mar 1964: Ron Jacobs
* 1965: David Perry
* 1966: Budge Rogers
* Jan 1967: Richard Sharp
* Feb–Nov 1967: Philip Judd
* Jan–Feb 1968: Colin McFadyean
* Feb–Mar 1968: Mike Weston
* Feb 1969: Dick Greenwood
* Feb–Apr 1969: Budge Rogers
* Dec 1969 – Mar 1970: Bob Hiller
* Apr 1970: Bob Taylor
* Jan 1971: Tony Bucknall
* Feb 1971: John Spencer
* Feb 1971: Bob Hiller
* Mar–Apr 1971: John Spencer
* Jan–Feb 1972: Bob Hiller
* Feb–Mar 1972: Peter Dixon
* Jun 1972 – Mar 1974: John Pullin
* Jan–Feb 1975: Fran Cotton
* Mar–May 1975: Tony Neary
* May 1975: John Pullin
* Jan–Mar 1976: Tony Neary
* 1977: Roger Uttley
* 1978: Bill Beaumont
* Feb 1979: Roger Uttley
* Feb 1979 – Jan 1982: Bill Beaumont
* Feb 1982 – Feb 1983: Steve Smith
* Mar 1983: John Scott
* Nov 1983 – Mar 1984: Peter Wheeler
* Jun 1984: John Scott
* Nov 1984: Nigel Melville
* 1985: Paul Dodge
* 1986: Nigel Melville
* Feb–Mar 1987: Richard Hill
* Apr 1987 – Feb 1988: Mike Harrison
* Mar 1988: Nigel Melville
* Apr–Jun 1988: John Orwin
* Jun 1988: Richard Harding
* Nov 1988 – Mar 1989: Will Carling
* May 1989: Rob Andrew
* Nov 1989 – May 1995: Will Carling
* May 1995: Rob Andrew
* Jun 1995: Will Carling

To the present day|

* Nov 1995 – Mar 1996: Will Carling
* Nov 1996: Phil de Glanville
* Dec 1996: Jason Leonard
* Feb–Jul 1997: Phil de Glanville
* Nov 1997 – Apr 1998: Lawrence Dallaglio
* Jun 1998: Tony Diprose
* Jun–Jul 1998: Matt Dawson
* Nov 1998: Martin Johnson
* Nov 1998 – Apr 1999: Lawrence Dallaglio
* Jun–Oct 1999: Martin Johnson
* Feb–Apr 2000: Matt Dawson
* Jun 2000 – Apr 2001: Martin Johnson
* Jun 2001: Kyran Bracken
* Oct 2001: Matt Dawson
* Nov 2001: Neil Back
* Nov 2001 – Mar 2002: Martin Johnson
* Mar–Apr 2002: Neil Back
* Jun 2002: Phil Vickery
* Nov 2002 – Feb 2003: Martin Johnson
* Mar 2003: Jonny Wilkinson
* Mar–Jun 2003: Martin Johnson
* Aug 2003: Jason Leonard
* Aug 2003: Dorian West
* Sep–Oct 2003: Martin Johnson
* Nov 2003: Phil Vickery
* Nov 2003: Martin Johnson
* Feb–Jun 2004: Lawrence Dallaglio
* Nov 2004 – Feb 2005: Jason Robinson
* Mar 2005 – Mar 2006: Martin Corry
* Jun 2006: Pat Sanderson
* Nov 2006: Martin Corry
* Feb 2007: Phil Vickery
* Mar 2007: Mike Catt
* May 2007: Jason Robinson
* Jun 2007: Jonny Wilkinson
* Aug 2007: Phil Vickery
* Aug 2007: Mike Catt
* Aug–Sep 2007: Phil Vickery
* Sep 2007: Martin Corry
* Oct 2007 – Feb 2008: Phil Vickery
* Feb 2008: Steve Borthwick
* Feb–Mar 2008: Phil Vickery
* Jun 2008 – Mar 2010: Steve Borthwick
* Mar–Nov 2010: Lewis Moody
* Nov 2010: Nick Easter
* Nov 2010: Lewis Moody
* Feb 2011: Mike Tindall
* Aug 2011: Lewis Moody
* Aug–Sep 2011: Mike Tindall
* Sep–Oct 2011: Lewis Moody
* Feb–Jun 2012: Chris Robshaw
* Jun 2012: Dylan Hartley
* Nov 2012 – Mar 2013: Chris Robshaw
* Jun 2013: Tom Wood
* Nov 2013 – Oct 2015: Chris Robshaw
* Feb 2016 – Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley
* Mar 2018: Owen Farrell
* Mar 2018: Dylan Hartley
* Jun–Nov 2018: Owen Farrell
* Nov 2018: George Ford
* Nov 2018 – Mar 2019: Owen Farrell
* Aug 2019: George Ford
* Aug–Sep 2019: Owen Farrell
* Sep 2019: George Ford
* Oct 2019 – Mar 2021: Owen Farrell
* Jul 2021: Lewis Ludlow
* Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes
* Nov 2021: Owen Farrell
* Nov 2021: Courtney Lawes
* Feb 2022: Tom Curry
* Feb–Jul 2022: Courtney Lawes
* Nov 2022 – Feb 2023: Owen Farrell
* Mar 2023: Ellis Genge
* Mar 2023: Owen Farrell
* Aug 2023: Ellis Genge
* Aug 2023: Owen Farrell
* Aug–Sep 2023: Courtney Lawes
* Sep–Oct 2023: Owen Farrell
* Feb–Nov 2024: Jamie George
* Feb–Mar 2025: Maro Itoje
* Jul 2025: George Ford

* v
* t
* e

International men's rugby union teams

Tier 1 teams|

* Argentina
* Australia
* England
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Japan
* New Zealand
* Scotland
* South Africa
* Wales

Emerging teams with
Rugby World Cup participation|

* Canada
* Chile
* Fiji
* Georgia
* Hong Kong
* Ivory Coast
* Namibia
* Portugal
* Romania
* Samoa
* Spain
* Tonga
* United States
* Uruguay
* Zimbabwe

Other Emerging teams
(World Rugby members)|

* Algeria
* American Samoa
* Andorra
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belgium
* Bermuda
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Botswana
* Brazil
* British Virgin Islands
* Brunei
* Bulgaria
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cayman Islands
* China
* Chinese Taipei
* Colombia
* Cook Islands
* Costa Rica
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Eswatini
* Finland
* Germany
* Ghana
* Guam
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Hungary
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Israel
* Jamaica
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kenya
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Latvia
* Lebanon
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Madagascar
* Malaysia
* Mali
* Malta
* Mauritius
* Mexico
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Mongolia
* Morocco
* Nepal
* Netherlands
* Nigeria
* Niue
* Norway
* Pakistan
* Panama
* Papua New Guinea
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Philippines
* Poland
* Qatar
* Rwanda
* Senegal
* Serbia
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Solomon Islands
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* St Lucia
* St Vincent and the Grenadines
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Tanzania
* Thailand
* Togo
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Tunisia
* Turkey
* Uganda
* Ukraine
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vanuatu
* Venezuela
* Zambia

Teams not affiliated
to World Rugby|

| Rugby Africa|

* Benin
* Chad
* Congo
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Egypt
* Libya
* Niger
* Seychelles

|

Asia Rugby|

* Bangladesh
* Cambodia
* Macau

Rugby Europe|

* Belarus
* Estonia
* Iceland
* Kosovo
* Liechtenstein
* Montenegro
* San Marino

Rugby Americas North|

* Curaçao
* Dominican Republic
* Guadeloupe
* Martinique
* Turks and Caicos Islands

Oceania Rugby|

* French Polynesia (Tahiti)
* Nauru
* New Caledonia
* Wallis and Futuna

Sudamerica Rugby|

* Ecuador
* El Salvador

Combination teams|

* African Leopards
* British & Irish Lions
* Pacific Islanders
* South American XV

Teams with affiliation suspended
or without affiliation|

* Armenia
* Bahrain
* Basque Country
* Catalonia
* Gibraltar
* Greece
* Mauritania
* Russia

Teams affiliated to the FFR|

* Mayotte
* Réunion

Defunct teams|

* Arabian Gulf
* Commonwealth of Independent States
* Czechoslovakia
* East Africa
* East Germany
* Nyasaland (Malawi)
* Serbia and Montenegro
* Soviet Union
* West Germany
* Yugoslavia

* v
* t
* e

Six Nations Championship

Teams|

* England
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Scotland
* Wales

Stadia|

* Twickenham Stadium
* Stade de France
* Aviva Stadium
* Stadio Olimpico
* Murrayfield Stadium
* Millennium Stadium

Seasons|

| Home|

* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909

|

Five|

* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931

Home|

* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

Five|

* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

Six|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* 2026

Squads|

| Five|

* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

|

Six|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Head-to-head
records|

| England|

* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Scotland
* Wales

|

France|

* England
* Ireland
* Italy
* Scotland
* Wales

Ireland|

* England
* France
* Italy
* Scotland
* Wales

Italy|

* England
* France
* Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Scotland|

* England
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Wales

Wales|

* England
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Scotland

Honours|

* Triple Crown
* Grand Slam
* Auld Alliance Trophy
* Calcutta Cup
* Centenary Quaich
* Cuttitta Cup
* Doddie Weir Cup
* Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
* Millennium Trophy
* Wooden Spoon

* Championship records
* Hat-tricks
* Players of the Championship
* Under 20s Championship
* Women's Championship

* v
* t
* e

Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year winners

* 2000: Manchester United F.C.
* 2001: France national football team
* 2002: Australia national cricket team
* 2003: Brazil national football team
* 2004: England national rugby union team
* 2005: Greece national football team
* 2006: Renault F1
* 2007: Italy national football team
* 2008: South Africa national rugby union team
* 2009: Chinese Olympic team
* 2010: Brawn GP
* 2011: Spain national football team
* 2012: FC Barcelona
* 2013: European Ryder Cup team
* 2014: FC Bayern Munich
* 2015: Germany national football team
* 2016: New Zealand national rugby union team
* 2017: Chicago Cubs
* 2018: Mercedes F1
* 2019: France national football team
* 2020: South Africa national rugby union team
* 2021: FC Bayern Munich
* 2022: Italy national football team
* 2023: Argentina national football team
* 2024: Spain women's national football team
* 2025: Real Madrid

* v
* t
* e

National sports teams of England

* Badminton
* Bandy
* M
* W
* Basketball
* M
* M U18
* M U16
* W
* W U20
* W U18
* W U16
* Beach soccer
* M
* W
* Cricket
* M
* M U19
* Lions
* W
* W U19
* Blind
* Deaf
* Field hockey
* M
* W
* W U21
* Football
* M
* M U21
* M U20
* M U19
* M U18
* M U17
* M U16
* W
* W U23
* W U21
* W U20
* W U19
* W U17
* CP
* Futsal
* M
* W
* Ice hockey
* M
* W
* Kabaddi
* Korfball
* Lacrosse
* M
* W
* Netball
* M
* W
* Quadball
* Roller derby
* Roller hockey
* Rugby league
* M
* Knights
* W
* Wheelchair
* Rugby union
* M
* M U20
* M U18
* M 7s
* W
* W 7s
* Shinty
* Squash
* M
* W
* Volleyball
* M
* W

* Commonwealth Games
* European Championships

*[Ref.]: Reference
*[Pld]: Games played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[PF]: Points for
*[PA]: Points against
*[Pos]: Position
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Win %]: Wins of games played
*[PD]: Point difference
*[No.]: Numbers
*[Ref]: Reference
*[Refs]: References