4. David Ribbans (Toulon)
Unavailable due to playing overseas.
5. Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
awes has thrown his hat into the ring for the British & Irish Lions’ 2025 tour to Australia, despite calling time on his international rugby career following the recent World Cup.
firmly shut down any speculation about reversing his retirement to bolster England’s back-row amid a growing injury crisis in the upcoming Six Nations.
The Northampton Saints legend concluded his England tenure with his 105th cap in a semi-final defeat to South Africa in Paris last month, citing a desire to prioritize family time with his wife and four young children.
Addressing the potential of a third Lions tour on Tuesday, Lawes, who played in all five Tests across New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa in 2021, expressed, “If I got another Lions call I would probably do that, yeah, yeah. I would get to complete the set, I have done two and doing Australia, which is one of my favourite places to tour, would be cool.”
Despite downplaying his chances for the 2025 Lions squad due to the wealth of back-row talent in Great Britain and Ireland, Lawes reflected on his surprise inclusion in the 2021 tour. He recalled being “pretty surprised” at making the
6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Curry is set to sit out the entire Six Nations and is likely to be absent for the remainder of the season as Sale has disclosed the necessity for him to undergo surgery to address a hip injury.
The lingering issue has been a concern for Curry since his active participation in England’s recent World Cup, where they secured a third-place finish. A consultation with a specialist confirmed that a comprehensive joint clearance is the only viable solution.
Despite being an automatic choice for England when in optimal health, the 25-year-old flanker will have the operation scheduled for the upcoming week after next.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Tom has been back down to London to have further extensive x-rays under movement with a different consultant and this is the best thing for him in the short term.”
7. Jack Willis (Toulouse)
Unavailable due to playing overseas.
8. Sam Simmonds (Montpellier)
Unavailable due to playing overseas.
Despite downplaying his chances for the 2025 Lions squad due to the wealth of back-row talent in Great Britain and Ireland, Lawes reflected on his surprise inclusion in the 2021 tour. He recalled being “pretty surprised” at making the squad, especially considering a lack of preliminary emails about his availability.
Quiz: Can you all of the Guinness Six Nations winning captains?
Securing victory in the Guinness Six Nations is undoubtedly special, but achieving this triumph as a captain is a feat that remains a distant dream for many.
In the storied history of Rugby’s Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.
Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It’s worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.
Surnames only will be accepted.