Best England Rugby Players

The England national rugby team has come a long way since their first match against Scotland in 1871. They’ve won the Rugby World Cup (the only nation in the northern hemisphere to do so) and 29 Six Nations Championships and have entertained us with some incredible talents over the years. Undoubtedly, many excellent players were left out as we found it challenging to pick the best from the best. However, we present our best players for ‘The Red Roses” over the years.

Jason Robinson

Jason Robinson was born in July 1974 and is one of the few players who successfully crossed into Rugby Union from the Rugby League. The Wing had 51 caps for England between 2001 and 2007, bagging 176 caps for Bath, Sale Sharks, and Fylde in 15 years.

Meanwhile, his top speed, agility, and quick footing helped him fit into the star-filled English team as he propelled them to the 2003 World Cup championship. Jason also represented the British & Irish Lion between 2001 and 2006. He is the first black man to captain the England National Rugby Team.

Peter Winterbottom

Peter represented the England National Rugby team as a Flanker between 1982 and 1993. He was born in May 1960 and made 58 appearances for the national team and seven appearances for the English and Irish Lions during his active period.

Meanwhile, he’s known for his support play, link-up work, relentless ball chasing, and physicality. These qualities made play easier for his teammates and a nightmare for opposing fly-halves. Peter is regarded as one of the best true opensides of all time.

Jeremy Guscott

During his active days, Jeremy Guscott was a top Outside Centre, where he bagged 65 caps for England and eight caps for the British and Irish Lions. Born in July 1965, he sometimes plays as Wing and started playing in 1989. He represented the team for ten years and played for Bath at the club level.

Jeremy is known for smooth running and his ball-kicking skill, scoring a memorable drop-goal in the 1997 South Africa tour. Further, he helped England win three consecutive Five Nations Grand Slam victories. Jeremy is fondly called Prince of Centres.

Richard Hill

Richard Hill is a 50-year-old former Flanker for England and Saracens. Richard Hill was so good as a back-row for the England Rugby team that the head coach never dropped him. His smartness, work rate, and consistency make him the engine of the World Cup-winning squad in 2003.

Meanwhile, Hill started playing in 1993 before gaining his first cap for England in 1997. He represented the team 71 times and the English and Irish Lions 5 times. His versatility, power, and intellect made him influential in the national team in his era.

Will Greenwood

Another player who deserves to be on this team is the English Centre, Will Greenwood. The former Leicester Tigers represented England between 1997 and 2004 with 55 caps. He started playing in 1994 and bagged over 500 points at the club level. 

Further, Will had a successful career, and his excellent attacking contribution and tactical greatness contributed to his success. He won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with the team, Grand Slams, Six Nations titles, and Triple Crowns for England. He retired in 2006.

Owen Farrell

Owen Farrell is the current captain of the England National Rugby team and is the highest point scorer for the team, with over 1200 points. Born in September 1991, the fly-half started his career in 2008, playing for Saracens and debuted for England in 2012.

Further, his over 100 caps are the highest for England, and he also led the team to Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup Final and was third placed in 2023. Owen is 6x champion of Premiership Rugby, won Six Nations Championship 3 times, 3 European Rugby Championships, and many more. With his outstanding form, Owen has carved his name as one of the best England has produced and is still active.

Lawrence Dallaglio

Lawrence Dallaglio is another top talent to have represented the England National Rugby team. He was born in August 1972 and had 85 caps for England between 1995 and 2007. The Flanker also played for London Wasps with 326 caps. He captained the Wasps to their first professional English league and helped England to Sevens World Cup and Rugby World Cup victories.

Further, Lawrence is known for his excellent athleticism and power, which often made him easily play the best number 8 role. Similarly, he had incredible pace, skill, and aggression, making him one of the best in the game. He became a World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee in 2016.

Jonny Wilkinson

Jonathan Wilkinson is one of the best Fly-half England ever produced, and he was born in 1979. Standing at 5 ft. 10. He represented the England national team 91 times between 1998 and 2011, scoring 1179 points. Jonny is the first black man to captain the England team. His iconic 2003 Rugby World Cup final drop kick helped the team to its only Championship.

Despite being affected by injury spells during his active period, he did excellently well, helping England to: 

• 4 Six Nations Championships 
• 3 Triple Crowns 
• A World Cup and 
• A Grand Slam. 

Jonny played for Newcastle Falcons and Toulon before his 2014 retirement. He is a World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee.

Rory Underwood

Another name we could take away from this list is Rory Underwood, who was born in June 1963. The five ft. 8 Winger is a prolific try scorer with a record 49 tries in his 85 England caps. He is the most capped back player for England and one of the best Wingers the country has produced.

He started playing in 1983 for Leicester Tigers before getting called up for the national team a year later. He also represented the British and Irish Lions, the Bedford Blues, before his 1998 retirement. He played alongside his brother, Tony, for England, being the first brothers to do so. 

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson is one of the greatest locks of all time and the only England Captain to lift the Rugby World Cup. Born in 1970, he is known for his excellent decisions, power, and aggression. With a towering 6 ft 7 height, he represented England 84 times between 1993 and 2003.

Meanwhile, his debut was in 1989 for Leicester Tiger, and he played with King Countries and the Barbarians before his 1999 retirement. Johnson won: 

• 6 Triple Crowns 5 
• Six Nations Championships
• 5 Premierships
• 2 Grand Slams 
• 2 Heineken Cups
• A Rugby World Cup

FAQ

1. What is the England Rugby National Team’s nickname?

The England National Rugby Team’s nickname is The Red Roses, normally portrayed in their white uniform showing red roses. The emblem originated from the British royal house victories in the Wars of the Roses.

2. Who is the captain of the England Rugby team?

Owen Farrell is the new England Captain, and the 32-year-old Fly-half plays for the Premiership Rugby side Saracens.

Conclusion

The list of the great rugby players who have represented the English team can go on and on. We still have many great players committed. For instance, the current England national rugby team captain has been incredible, scoring the highest number of points. While we can’t do justice to this list, we hope you are informed. You can access other interesting articles below.