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4h ago

RFU Confirms 25 Enhanced EPS Contracts, Pollock Included and Farrell Missing

They replace per-match fees with annual salaries under a £33 million club-country partnership to strengthen England’s player pipeline.

These are the 25 players Borthwick is 'banking' on
Pollock has played only once for England but scored twice in the record rout of Wales in the Six Nations
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Overview

  • England head coach Steve Borthwick has filled the full complement of 25 enhanced EPS central agreements for the 2025-26 season after piloting 17 last year.
  • 20-year-old flanker Henry Pollock earned one of the newly confirmed contracts after a standout season for Northampton Saints, an England debut, and a British & Irish Lions tour call-up.
  • High-profile Saracens captain Owen Farrell was left out of the enhanced squad despite making himself England-eligible again following his return from Racing 92.
  • The enhanced agreements swap match fees for guaranteed annual salaries of around £150,000 as part of the RFU’s £33m-a-year club-country partnership with Premiership clubs.
  • A broader 50-man elite player pool remains in England contention while under standard club contracts, ensuring ongoing selection options beyond the centrally contracted group.