The 2023/24 Premiership Rugby Team of the Season has been unveiled, following the end of the regular season in the English top flight. There is an assortment of six different clubs represented, as new-coming break-through talents line-up alongside departing Premiership legends.
Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Northampton Saints contribute a staggering third of the players, following an incredible season for the men in green, black and gold. The Franklin’s Gardens faithful have been in full voice for their on-field heroes, who have taken the Saints to the top of the table at the end of the regular Premiership season, and a home semi-final date against Saracens.
Harlequins’ Fin Baxter is rewarded for a terrific breakthrough season, by being named loose-head prop in the Premiership Rugby Team of the Season. The 22-year-old is joined in the front row by Northampton Saints hooker Curtis Langdon and Bath Rugby’s try-scoring machine Thomas Du Toit at the tight-head of the scrum.
In the second row, Saints’ powerhouse Alex Coles is joined by Exeter Chiefs’ towering lock Rusi Tuima, with the duo both looking to secure a regular spot in Steve Borthwick’s England squad on the back of a stellar campaign in Premiership Rugby. This could be well be a selected second row partnership for the upcoming Summer fixtures against Japan and New Zealand.
The back row is made up with Gallagher Player of the Season nominee Courtney Lawes, who takes the mantle before his departure from the league to Brive. Lawes is joined by England’s Player of the Six Nations Ben Earl of Saracens at flanker, and at No.8 Leicester Tigers powerhouse Jasper Wiese is chosen after another impressive season.
Bath Rugby captain Ben Spencer is selected at scrum-half, and he too has been on Steve Borthwick’s England radar. The Blue, black and white scrum half is joined by a fourth Saint in Fin Smith, who takes the No.10 jersey. The duo both collected Gallagher Player of the Month awards this season and impressively marshalled their sides to home semi-final ties in the upcoming Premiership play-offs.
In the centres, Gallagher Player of the Season Henry Slade of Exeter Chiefs is joined by Bristol Bears’ Benhard Janse van Rensburg. Having missed out on England selection for the Rugby World Cup 2023, Slade hit the ground running with immense performances, and ignited the new era of Sandy Park after a Summer of player exits. Centre partner Janse van Rensburg was pivotal to the Bears late season push, narrowly falling short of the play-offs, with the South African the standout player at Ashton Gate.
Finally, in the back three, Breakthrough Player of the Season Exeter Chiefs’ Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Premiership Rugby Top Try scorer Ollie Sleightholme of Northampton Saints are selected on the wings. Harlequins fullback Tyrone Green is the final player chosen for the Premiership Rugby Team of the Season. As well as scoring the Premiership Rugby Try of the Season, the South African has been among the most dangerous players all season.
Chris Jones, BBC Rugby Union Correspondent, and member of the judging panel, said:
“The great thing about this XV is the combination of the grizzled international pros like Lawes and Slade with the breakout stars such as Baxter and Feyi-Waboso.
“Then you have players like Ben Spencer continuing to remind everyone of his enduring class, while Curtis Langdon at hooker has been a revelation this campaign for the Saints.
“The fact Northampton are providing five of the XV is testament to the excellent season they’ve had.”
Premiership Rugby Team of the Season:
15. Tyrone Green (Harlequins)
14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
11. Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
1. Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
2. Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints)
3. Thomas Du Toit (Bath Rugby)
4. Rusi Tuima (Exeter Chiefs)
5. Alex Coles Northampton Saints)
6. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
7. Ben Earl (Saracens)
8. Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)
The 33-man England Squad Steve Borthwick Should Select For Summer Tour
It’s been a decade since England’s last visit to New Zealand, a challenging 2014 series under Stuart Lancaster resulting in a 3-0 defeat.
The memories of the 2008 tour aren’t any sweeter, with England tasting defeat in both Tests against the All Blacks. However, a glimmer of triumph emerged in 2003, as they secured a thrilling 15-13 victory over New Zealand just before the Rugby World Cup.
In this highly anticipated tour, Borthwick’s squad will face a formidable challenge with only two tests against the All Blacks, following a clash with Japan in Tokyo.
Here is the list of RUCK’s predicted squad organised by their current clubs:
RUCK’s England squad for the summer:
Harlequins
- Joe Marler
- Fin Baxter
- Chandler Cunningham-South
- Marcus Smith
Bristol Bears
- Ellis Genge
- Harry Randall
- Gabriel Ibitoye
Saracens
- Jamie George
- Theo Dan
- Maro Itoje
- Ben Earl
- Elliot Daly