Bath flanker Ted Hill has been called back into Steve Borthwick’s 36-player England training squad for the forthcoming 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship.
Hill trained with the national side throughout the Autumn without getting selected in a matchday squad but once again joins clubmates Ollie Lawrence and Will Stuart in the squad as preparations are set to get underway next week ahead of the opening game of the tournament on Saturday, February 1 when England play Ireland in Dublin.
There is no place in the squad for Bath captain Ben Spencer despite the scrum-half having played in the Autumn Nations Series while Alex Mitchell was injured.
Maro Itoje is named as the new captain, becoming the 136th player to hold the role since Frederick Stokes first led an England side in 1871. Itoje will be supported by vice-captains Ellis Genge of Bristol Bears and Jamie George of Saracens, with the latter handing over the arm band.
The 36-player squad – consisting of 20 forwards and 16 backs – will gather at the Honda England Rugby Performance Centre, Pennyhill Park, next Tuesday before flying to Girona to begin their preparations for the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship.
There are two uncapped players named in the squad in Harlequins duo Oscar Beard and Cadan Murley.
England head coach Steve Borthwick said: “I’ve selected a squad where every player brings something unique to the group. The Six Nations is always a fiercely contested and exciting tournament, and this year will be no exception. We’re looking forward to the squad coming together in Girona to kick off our preparations for the opening challenge against Ireland in Dublin.”
Following the clash with Ireland, Steve Borthwick’s team will face France at Allianz Stadium on Saturday 8 February (kick-off 4.45pm GMT), before taking on Scotland at the same venue on Saturday 22 February (kick-off 4.45pm GMT).
England then host Italy at Allianz Stadium on Sunday 9 March (kick-off 3pm GMT), with their final match of the Championship taking them to Cardiff to face Wales on Saturday 15 March (kick-off 4.45pm GMT).
England’s 36-player training squad.
Forwards:
Fin Baxter (Harlequins, 6 caps) Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers, 23 caps) Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 7 caps) Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks, 44 caps) Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 11 caps) Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 6 caps) Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 56 caps) Theo Dan (Saracens, 16 caps) Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 20 caps) Ben Earl (Saracens, 37 caps) Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears, 66 caps) – vice-captain Jamie George (Saracens, 97 caps) – vice-captain Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 caps) Ted Hill (Bath Rugby, 2 caps) Maro Itoje (Saracens, 88 caps) – captain George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 19 caps) Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 1 cap) Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 7 caps) Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 45 caps) Tom Willis (Saracens, 1 cap)
Backs:Oscar Beard (Harlequins, uncapped) Elliot Daly (Saracens, 69 caps) Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 2 caps) George Ford (Sale Sharks, 98 caps) Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 15 caps) Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 31 caps) Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 18 caps) Cadan Murley (Harlequins, uncapped) Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 11 caps) Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, 3 caps) Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 69 caps) Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, 5 caps) Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 6 caps) Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 39 caps) Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 35 caps) Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers, 16 caps)
Rehabilitation group: Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), and Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby).