Eight England players you might have had no idea were still playing...

Thursday, 21 May 2026 at 10:11

byRugby Rucker

drop goal in the 2014 Premiership final. Later that year, he earned his England cap before embarking on a rugby journey that has taken him through England, Japan and now Eastern Europe.

International retirement doesn’t always mean retirement full stop. While some former England stars drift quietly into coaching, punditry or the after-dinner circuit, others simply keep going — overseas, back at their hometown clubs, or just for the love of the game.

From World Cup winners to forgotten one-cap wonders, here are the ex-England internationals still pulling on the boots in 2026.

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Matt Kvesic — Back Row

Worcester Warriors (RFU Championship)

Capped by England in 2013, Matt Kvesic was once viewed as a long-term solution at openside. While his Test career never fully took off, he carved out a respected Premiership and Championship career built on consistency, work rate and durability.

Now back where it all began, Kvesic has returned to Worcester Warriors to help guide the club through its rebuild following financial collapse. It’s a fitting role for a player whose career has always been defined more by graft than glamour.

Billy Twelvetrees — Centre/Fly-Half

Worcester Warriors (RFU Championship)

Billy Twelvetrees looked to have called time on his playing days after leaving Ealing Trailfinders and moving into coaching at Hartpury. But retirement didn’t last long.

The former Gloucester favourite, England international and 2013 British & Irish Lion has come out of retirement to join Worcester Warriors as a player-coach. At 36, Twelvetrees brings leadership, experience and elite-level know-how to Sixways as the club continues its resurgence.

Teimana Harrison — Back Row

Provence Rugby (France)

Few players burst onto the scene quite like Teimana Harrison. His explosive performances for Northampton Saints earned him England caps during Eddie Jones’ early reign in charge.

Injuries and fierce competition stalled his international progress, but Harrison has rediscovered form with Provence Rugby in France’s Pro D2. Still aggressive, confrontational and relentless around the breakdown, he remains the type of forward every side values.

Paul Hill — Tighthead Prop

Edinburgh Rugby (United Rugby Championship)

English-born prop Paul Hill rose through the ranks at Yorkshire Carnegie before establishing himself at Northampton Saints and earning England caps along the way.

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Hill made the move north to Edinburgh Rugby in the URC. In Scotland, he continues to develop into a dependable, hard-scrummaging tighthead capable of handling the demands of elite club rugby.

Freddie Burns — Fly-Half

CS Dinamo București (Romania)

Freddie Burns will forever be remembered for that

Currently with CS Dinamo București in Romania, Burns has evolved into the classic experienced playmaker — controlling territory, mentoring younger teammates and proving rugby intelligence only sharpens with age.

Ollie Devoto — Centre

Chicago Hounds (Major League Rugby)

A classy operator in midfield, Ollie Devoto earned England honours during Eddie Jones’ first spell in charge after impressing for Bath and later Exeter Chiefs.

After more than a decade in the Premiership — including title-winning success with Exeter — Devoto made the move to Major League Rugby with the Chicago Hounds. The former England centre has quickly become one of the side’s standout performers, bringing composure, experience and creativity to the growing American league.

Mike Tindall — Centre

Minchinhampton RFC (England)

World Cup winner. England centurion. British & Irish Lion. Mike Tindall’s professional career may have ended years ago, but he hasn’t stopped playing entirely.

Tindall still occasionally turns out for Minchinhampton RFC in social and veterans fixtures around Gloucestershire. Ultra-competitive as ever, he’s proof that elite instincts never truly disappear.

mike tindall back in the game 49 scaled 1

Kieran Brookes — Tighthead Prop

USA Perpignan (France)

A powerful scrummaging prop with more than a dozen England caps, Kieran Brookes has remained a reliable front-row operator throughout his career.

After spells with Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Wasps and Toulon, Brookes is now playing for USA Perpignan in the Top 14. The 35-year-old continues to bring set-piece power and vast experience to one of France’s toughest leagues, showing there is still strong demand for proven tightheads well into their 30s.