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England have unveiled the first 17 recipients of the “enhanced EPS” contracts that will afford Steve Borthwick greater control over a core group of key players.
The new Professional Game Partnership (PGP) between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby empowered the England head coach to hand out up to 25 of the new deals.
Included among the 17 are three fly halves in George Ford, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith, as well as young wings Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Senior leaders including captain Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Henry Slade receive deals after renewing their club contracts last season.
There is no enhanced EPS for Sam Underhill, though, despite the Bath flanker starting every Test for Borthwick’s side so far in 2024, and there is just one prop contracted in Ellis Genge, illustrating an uncertain future in the front row.
“I am delighted to be in a position to name the 17 players who are first to receive the enhanced EPS contracts,” said Borthwick.
“I am confident that these contracts, and our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will play a significant role in England Rugby’s continued development.”
The length of the deals, which are understood to vary, have not been disclosed. Earlier this year, a senior group of players elected to split from the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) to hammer out the deals on their own.
Team England Rugby (TER) is a first-of-its-kind player-led organisation which has England stars Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson on its board.
It has brokered the new Elite Playing Squad (EPS) agreement covering all aspects of playing for the national team, including commercial and welfare considerations. The deal begins with immediate effect and runs through to 2028.
The enhanced contracts provide Borthwick with a “final say on all sports science and medical matters”, and sit alongside a wider 50-man EPS. The composition of that group has not been revealed.
It comes out of a desire for England to start campaigns faster. Borthwick was left angry when Ollie Lawrence reported to camp ahead of the Six Nations with an injury that the England medical staff had been unaware of.
Perhaps the most instructive of the contracts awarded is to Ford, who is out of contract with Sale at the end of the season but looks likely to stay within English rugby.
England Men’s enhanced EPS contracts:
1. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
2. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
3. Theo Dan (Saracens)
4. Ben Earl (Saracens)
5. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
6. George Ford (Sale Sharks)
7. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
8. George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
9. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
10. Jamie George (Saracens)
11. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
13. George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
14. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
15. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
16. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
17. Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Additional reporting by PA
