Who are the 5 Uncapped Players in the England squad for the Nations Championship?

England head coach Steve Borthwick named his wider training squad yesterday afternoon, with his regular captain Maro Itoje given a well-earned rest at the end of the 2025/26 season. The squad will instead be captained by former skipper Jamie George, with five uncapped hopefuls currently pushing for inclusion at the Pennyhill Park training camp.

In this article, we are taking a deep dive into the quintet of talents that are all out to make their mark in the white jersey this Summer. Borthwick has plenty of tough calls to make ahead of the incoming trip down to Johannesburg, with a blockbuster battle with the Springboks kicking off the campaign on Saturday 4th July. Here's a run-down of the five uncapped hopefuls that will be out to impress, ahead of the first ever Nations Championship Southern Series.

We kick off this five man short-list of hopeful England debutants, with a player that has divided opinion upon the rugby social media discourse. Having completed the necessary five-year residency across stints with London Irish and Bristol Bears, South African-born Benhard Janse van Rensburg looks set to make his full England debut in the upcoming Nations Championship.

His debut could well come back in his homeland, with England's first stop of their Summer expeditions being out in Johannesburg with a clash against the Springboks at Ellis Park. Janse van Rensburg earned his first England honours last weekend, in the uncapped exhibition contest against France A in Vannes, with the versatile back-line operator running out in the midfield for a replacement appearance. Whilst his first time in England colours was an underwhelming defeat to Les Bleus, van Rensburg has certainly earned his spot albeit with the online critics.

Since first running out for London Irish in 2021, van Rensburg has been one of the Premiership's 'can't miss' players. A versatile centre that can switch between the 12 and 13 shirts with ease, van Rensburg brings the steely South African power up the centre channel, whilst also wielding an impressive offloading arsenal and a thunderous boot. The modern day 'multi-tool' midfielder, England fans will be excited to see the Bristol man get his long-awaited debut, even if his heritage will ruffle a few feathers.

Joining Benhard Janse van Rensburg amongst the 'stories of the season' for the 2025/26 PREM Rugby campaign, is none other than Saracens wonder-kid Noah Caluori. The electrifying wing has enjoyed an astonishing break-out season with the North London club, having ended his loan spells with Ampthill to become one of the first names on the Saracens team-sheet this season.

Caluori's mesmeric stats speak for themselves, with the hot-stepper finishing top of the PREM Rugby scoring charts at the end of the regular season, with 18 trips across the whitewash. Caluori's efforts were drawn by Northampton Saints' Tommy Freeman, yet only after the Saints had two extra play-off matches to bring the England international level in the rankings.

The 19-year-old earned his England call-up back in the 2025 Autumn Nations Series, following his first of two five-try contributions against Sale Sharks. Caluori donned the red rose for two England A level games, with uncapped honours bagged against an All Blacks XV and the Spain national team throughout the 2025 November international window. Caluori has since starred for the England U20s in the 2026 U20 Six Nations, and fell just short of seeing his Saracens into the PREM Rugby Play-Offs. With plenty of excitement around the young flyer, it could well be his time to shine at full Test level.

The third man hoping to make his mark for a full international cap is Exeter Chiefs back row Greg Fisilau, who took home a silver medal from the latest Gallagher PREM Rugby Final. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a stellar end to the club rugby season, with his try against Bath in the semi-final pivotal to the Chiefs' return to the show-piece match at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.

Fisilau has really come into his own this season at Sandy Park, with the young back row forward holding a tight grip upon the eight jersey. Fisilau has been in tremendous form for the men from Devon, having been able to keep England and Italy internationals Ethan Roots and Ross Vintcent out of the spot. Rob Baxter clearly has full faith in the young star, with such confidence displayed in Fisilau's on-field attitude. The number eight has been in and around the England environment before, but this Summer could well mark the Test debut in the Nations Championship.

Fisilau got his first taste of the England set-up back in the 2024 Autumn Series, when he ran out for the England A team against Australia A at Twickenham Stoop. This has since been followed by England A caps against Ireland A, the All Blacks XV and Spain with Fisilau high upon the radar for those next-in-line stars. The Summer tours have long been a proving ground for the future Test match talents, so expect Fisilau to make his debut against either South Africa, Fiji or Argentina next month.

With the ability to cover both tight-head prop and hooker, George Kloska comes into the England squad as the ultimate utility front row forward. Having starred at hooker from his 2018 senior debut and all the way to the start of the 2021/22 Premiership season, Kloska has plenty of experience between the pillars.

Whilst the Bristol Bears man has primarily been utilised in the three shirt since 2021, the unpredictable landscape of life on tour could well see Kloska called in to cover multiple positions for Steve Borthwick's side. Kloska has been on the England radar since the 2025 Six Nations international window, where he took on Ireland A at his home ground of Ashton Gate.

The prop has since battled the Emerging Ireland talents once more, with the reverse fixture coming the following season out in Thomond Park. The 26-year-old's latest contribution with the red rose on his chest came in this past weekend's defeat to France A in Vannes, where he started on the tight-head of the scrum and put in a solid shift. With Will Stuart side-lined with injury, Kloska will likely jostle for the three shirt with Leicester Tigers prop Joe Heyes this Summer, and could well earn his debut in the process...

... should Vilikesa Sela not beat him to the match day squad. Whilst George Kloska has provided plenty of reasoning for a run in the England shirt this Summer, he is set to compete against Bath's Vilikesa Sela in a tight-head tug-of-war. As Joe Heyes is expected to be the first choice number three throughout July, the stage is set for Sela and Kloska to go head-to-head in the battle to be the number 18 off the bench.

Sela has had another impressive year with Bath, and has stepped up excellently following the injury to Will Stuart mid-way through the season. The blue, black and whites lost their England international tight head in the first round of the Champions Cup, with Sela enjoying a consistent run in support of Thomas du Toit in Stuart's absence. The responsibilities will only grow next season for Sela, with du Toit bidding farewell to Bath, as he returns home to South Africa with a move to the Sharks.

Sela would love nothing more than to head into Bath pre-season a fully fledged England international, and begin a battle for the blue, black and white three jersey against Will Stuart. At just 21-years-old, Sela's progression has been rather rapid-fire compared to his positional counter-part George Kloska, with the prop moving from the England U20s and into the 'A' squad throughout just a matter of months. His senior calling would be the latest fast-tracked age grade talents to rise to the occassion, and follow the likes of Chandler Cunningham-South and Henry Pollock in the process.