England head coach Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad to prepare for the 2026 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Championship, including three uncapped players: Bath Rugby tighthead prop Vilikesa Sela, Exeter Chiefs number eight Greg Fisilau, and Northampton Saints prop Emmanuel Iyogun. All three have recently represented England A, marking an exciting injection of fresh talent into the team.
The squad will convene at the England Rugby Performance Centre, Pennyhill Park, on Tuesday, 27 January for an initial day of training before heading to Girona to continue preparations ahead of their opening match against Wales.
Bath boasts six players in the squad, with Sela stepping in for the injured Will Stuart, sidelined due to an Achilles injury. Other Bath players include flankers Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill, club captain Ben Spencer, winger Henry Arundell, and Max Ojomoh, who earned his spot following a standout ‘player of the match’ performance against Argentina last autumn. Bath centre Ollie Lawrence will also join the team in Girona to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury.
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Exeter Chiefs’ Greg Fisilau has been one of the league’s standout number eights this season and is joined by his clubmates Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade. Meanwhile, Bristol Bears contribute loosehead prop Ellis Genge, and Gloucester Rugby have two players included: lock Arthur Clark and centre Seb Atkinson.
Reflecting on the squad selection, Borthwick said, “We’ve picked a squad with a good balance of experience, leadership, and exciting potential. The margins in the Guinness Six Nations are incredibly fine, so our aim over the coming days is to come together quickly, prepare thoroughly, and ensure we’re ready to perform. If we prepare well and keep demanding the highest levels from one another, it puts us in the strongest possible position when the Championship begins.”
Here is England’s 36-player training squad for the Six Nations:
Forwards:
Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Trevor Davison, Ben Earl, Greg Fisilau, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje (captain), Emmanuel Iyogun, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Bevan Rodd, Vilikesa Sela, Sam Underhill.
Backs:
Henry Arundell, Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Cadan Murley, Max Ojomoh, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward, Jack van Poortvliet.
Players currently in rehabilitation in Girona include Fin Baxter, Ben Curry, Ollie Lawrence, Tom Roebuck, and Fin Smith.
Those not considered for selection this time include Oscar Beard, Charlie Ewels, Curtis Langdon, George Martin, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Adam Radwan, and Will Stuart.