Steve Borthwick has picked his England squad for the 2025 Six Nations championship with a change of captain
Maro Itoje has been named as England captain for the 2025 men’s Six Nations Championship.
The 30-year-old lock will replace club teammate Jamie George who assume the role of vice captain alongside Elli Genge. Steve Borthwick announced the change along with his full 36-player training squad for the upcoming Six Nations.
The squad saw veteran tighthead prop Dan Cole also miss out on selection as well as Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer. Charlie Ewels, Trevor Davison and Alex Lozowski also miss the cut.
Two uncapped players have been named, Harelquins duo Oscar Beard and Cadan Murley.
On the change of captaincy, Borthwick said: “With 88 England caps, Maro has been a central figure in this squad for many years, bringing a vast amount of experience both on and off the field.
“He’s a calm, influential leader, renowned his commitment to upholding high standards and his ability to motivate those around him.”
The England Six Nations squad finished third in 2024, with three wins (including a famous victory over Ireland at Twickenham) and two away defeats.
The tournament marked the start of a a major rebuild for head coach Steve Borthwick, as several experienced players (including captain Owen Farrell) had either retired or made themselves unavailable after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Read more: Six Nations fixtures 2025
England Six Nations squad
Forward
Fin Baxter
Ollie Chessum
Alex Coles
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Chandler Cunningham-South
Ben Curry
Tom Curry
Theo Dan
Alex Dombrandt
Ben Earl
Ellis Genge (VC)
Jamie George (VC)
Joe Heyes
Ted Hill
Maro Itoje (C)
George Martin
Asher Opoku-Fordjour
Bevan Rodd
Will Stuart
Tom Willis
Backs
Oscar Beard
Elliot Daly
Fraser Dingwall
George Ford
Tommy Freeman
Ollie Lawrence
Alex Mitchell
Cadan Murley
Harry Randall
Tom Roebuck
Henry Slade
Ollie Sleightholme
Fin Smith
Freddie Steward
Jack Van Poortvliet
England Six Nations squad: Line-ups from every match in 2024
Round 1: v Italy (Stadio Olimpico, Rome)
Starting XV: Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall, Elliot Daly, George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George (captain), Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl
Replacements: Theo Dan, Beno Obano, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Danny Care, Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Result: Italy 24-27 England
Round 2: v Wales (Twickenham)
Starting XV: Freddie Steward, Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Fraser Dingwall, Elliot Daly, George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George (captain), Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl
Replacements: Theo Dan, Ellis Genge, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Danny Care, Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Result: England 16-14 Wales
Round 3: v Scotland (Murrayfield)
Starting XV: George Furbank; Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Elliot Daly; George Ford, Danny Care; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum, Ethan Roots, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, George Martin, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Spencer, Fin Smith, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Result: Scotland 30-21 England
Round 4: v Ireland (Twickenham)
Starting XV: George Furbank; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Tommy Freeman; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl
Replacements: Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Chandler Cunningham-South, Alex Dombrandt, Danny Care, Marcus Smith, Elliot Daly
Result: England 23-22 Ireland
Round 5: v France (Groupama Stadium, Lyon)
Starting XV: George Furbank; Tommy Freeman, Henry Slade, Ollie Lawrence, Elliot Daly; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Ellis Genge, Jamie George, San Cole, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Theo Dan, Joe Marler, Will Stuart, Ethan Roots, Alex Dombrandt, Danny Care, Marcus Smith, Manu Tuilagi
Result: France 33-31 England
England Six Nations squad 2024
Forwards
Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens) – captain
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
Backs
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs,)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Will Muir (Bath Rugby)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks)
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