Saints’ Pollock & Saracens’ Willis get first elite England deals

Back rows Henry Pollock and Tom Willis are among the players handed an enhanced England contract for the first time in a set of 25 deals for the 2025-26 season.

Pollock has made just one appearance off the bench for England, when he scored two tries in a 32-minute cameo during the 68-14 win over Wales in March.

However the 20-year-old’s excellent late-season form for Northampton earned him selection for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia this summer.

Number eight Willis, 26, was part of England’s impressive series win over Argentina, having returned to the Test scene during this year’s Six Nations following a year and a half out of favour.

There is no deal for Owen Farrell, who will make his return to Saracens this season, having been ineligible for England selection while playing for French side Racing 92 last year.

Specialist fly-halves Fin Smith, George Ford and Marcus Smith are all included, while head coach Steve Borthwick shows faith in Bath centre Ollie Lawrence, who will miss the start of the new season at least as he recovers from an Achilles tendon injury.

Henry Slade is the second centre included, with no space for Seb Atkinson or Fraser Dingwall.

Fin Baxter, also part of the two wins over the Pumas, is among the loose-head prop options alongside Test Lion Ellis Genge, while Ben Curry joins brother and fellow back row Tom on the list.

Saracens hooker Theo Dan loses his central contract however, as Luke Cowan-Dickie, who missed out last time, is preferred alongside Jamie George.

Northampton’s Alex Mitchell remains the only scrum-half in the group, with Ben Spencer and Harry Randall left out.

Henry Arundell, who has signed for Bath from Racing, is also overlooked, as are Chandler Cunningham-South, Sam Underhill, Freddie Steward and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.

The contracts, introduced last year, give England final say over the players’ medical care and conditioning, and replace match fees with a fixed annual salary, which was about £160,000 last season.

England men’s enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts: