England's head coach Steve Borthwick has announced a revised squad of 25 players who will receive enhanced central contracts for the 2026-27 season, a move designed to improve preparation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
Five players have been handed these elite deals for the first time: prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, lock Alex Coles, flanker Guy Pepper, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, and centre Seb Atkinson. These contracts are understood to be worth approximately £150,000 annually.
Notable omissions from the enhanced contract list include flanker Ben Curry, versatile back Elliot Daly, centre Ollie Lawrence, and wing Tom Roebuck. Tom Willis, who has moved to play in France, is no longer eligible for selection. Curry and Daly have both faced significant periods sidelined by injury over the past year. Lawrence and Roebuck have seen a decline in their standing within the squad, despite previously being consistent selections.
Willis, who received an enhanced contract last year after establishing himself in the England setup at the start of 2025, is unavailable for selection following his move to Bordeaux. The enhanced contract system was introduced in 2024 as part of the new Professional Game Partnership between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership clubs.
Under this system, the RFU provides a fixed annual sum to these selected players, granting Borthwick greater oversight on medical and conditioning matters. This contrasts with the previous match fee system, where non-centrally contracted players receive approximately £21,000 per game. Players with enhanced contracts still receive an additional £7,000 per game for image rights on top of their fixed annual salary.
The RFU stated that these contracts aim to "ensure the best possible preparation for the England Men's team." However, the system has encountered challenges, such as a dispute between Exeter and England over the management of winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's shoulder injury in late 2024 and early 2025.
Following a strong winning streak in 2025, the England team experienced a disappointing Six Nations earlier this year, securing only one victory. They have since shown improvement, winning two of their three Nations Championship games in July. England is scheduled to host Australia, Japan, and New Zealand in November as part of the northern hemisphere fixtures of the inaugural tournament.