Maro Itoje stood down as Borthwick confirms new England squad

This squad is in preparation for the England XV v France XV match on Friday 19 June at Stade de la Rabine in Vannes, and ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The squad, which does not include players involved in the PREM Play-Offs, with no representatives from Northampton Saints, Bath, Leicester Tigers or Exeter Chiefs as of yet.

The squad assembles this afternoon and will train at England’s Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park until Thursday.

One notable absentee is captain Maro Itoje, who has been left out of the squad amid reports that he could be handed the summer off following a demanding season.

England begin their Nations Championship campaign against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday 4 July, followed by matches against Fiji and Argentina. All matches will be broadcast live on ITV Sport.

Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby)

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)

Theo Dan (Saracens)

Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)

Ben Earl (Saracens)

Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)

Jamie George (Saracens)

Will Hobson (Harlequins)

Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)

Nathan Jibulu (Sale Sharks)

Jack Kenningham (Harlequins)

George Kloska (Bristol Bears)

Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)

Hugh Tizard (Saracens)

Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)

Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby)

Noah Caluori (Saracens)

Tobias Elliott (Saracens)

George Ford (Sale Sharks)

Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)

Cadan Murley (Harlequins)

Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks)

Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)

Ben Redshaw (Gloucester Rugby)

Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)

Marcus Smith (Harlequins)

Few players can feel more unfortunate to miss out than Will Evans. The Harlequins flanker has consistently been one of the Premiership's standout performers, regularly topping defensive and breakdown statistics.

Despite years of elite club form, Evans remains uncapped by England and has once again been overlooked. With England continuing to search for balance and depth in the back row, his omission will raise eyebrows among supporters and pundits alike.

Owen Farrell's absence remains one of the biggest talking points following the squad announcement. The former England captain has returned to Saracens after a season with Racing 92 and will be hoping to force his way back into international contention.

With 112 England caps, Farrell remains one of the country's most experienced players, but Steve Borthwick appears focused on building depth and giving opportunities to other fly-halves and centres ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Nevertheless, many will feel a player of Farrell's calibre still has plenty to offer at Test level.

Olly Woodburn has enjoyed another impressive campaign and many felt he had done enough to earn England recognition.

The Exeter Chiefs back has been among the Premiership's most consistent performers, combining physicality, aerial prowess and a proven try-scoring record.

While Exeter's involvement in the Premiership play-offs may have influenced selection discussions, Woodburn's continued absence from the England setup remains surprising given his form.

Sale Sharks lock Ben Bamber has emerged as one of the Premiership's breakout stars this season. The 23-year-old has impressed with his athleticism, physicality and work around the park, earning widespread praise throughout the campaign.

England are always looking to strengthen their depth at lock and many expected Bamber to receive at least a training camp opportunity. Missing out will be disappointing, but his trajectory suggests international honours could soon follow.

England captain Maro Itoje is the most high-profile absentee from the squad. However, unlike the others on this list, his omission appears to be a planned management decision rather than a selection snub. Reports suggest Itoje could be rested for the summer following an exceptionally demanding season for both Saracens and England.

If that proves to be the case, the break would allow the 30-year-old to recover ahead of another crucial year as England build towards the next World Cup.