Lawrence and Daly lose England central contracts as Borthwick reshapes squad for World Cup year
Ollie Lawrence and Elliot Daly have been dropped from England's central-contract squad, with head coach Steve Borthwick cutting both backs from his 25-man elite group exactly a year before the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Central contracts — the Rugby Football Union's enhanced deals that put the national team's interests ahead of club availability and are worth around £150,000 a season per player — are the clearest signal of who Borthwick considers central to his plans. Losing one does not end an international career, but it does mean the player falls outside the inner circle and his club side regains primary control of his workload.
Lawrence, a powerful inside centre who has been a regular starter under Borthwick, was omitted outright. Daly was nursing an arm injury at the time of the decision, though Borthwick made no suggestion that fitness alone explained the call. Both men featured prominently in previous squads, making their absence the headline takeaway from a group trimmed and refreshed with five changes.
They were not the only familiar names missing. Ben Curry, the Sale flanker whose career has been disrupted by injury, was also left out, alongside club-mate Tom Roebuck, the wing. Tom Willis, who moved to Bordeaux in France's Top 14, missed out too — a year after receiving his first elite deal.
Perhaps the most striking omission was Courtney Lawes. The veteran forward, available again for England after moving from French rugby to Sale and publicly stating his intention to go to the World Cup, was overlooked. Borthwick also opted against handing a contract to Benhard Janse van Rensburg, the South African-born centre who made his England debut in the summer of 2026.
The incoming names paint their own picture. Alex Coles, the Northampton forward, played in all 12 England Tests over the past year and started the summer matches against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina while captain Maro Itoje was rested. His consistency earned a contract. So did Asher Opoku-Fordjour, the Sale prop with just eight caps but the rare and valuable ability to pack down on both sides of the scrum — a skill that makes him a natural bench option in a World Cup squad of 33.
Three more players joined Coles and Opoku-Fordjour in stepping up from outside the previous group: Seb Atkinson, who has emerged as Borthwick's first-choice inside centre, flanker Guy Pepper, and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet.
For fans, the message from Borthwick is one of evolution rather than revolution. The core remains — Itoje, the installed captain, stays central, and the majority of the 25 held their places. But with the World Cup squad set to expand to 33 players for the tournament itself, the contracts handed out now are less a final verdict and more a statement of who leads the pecking order heading into the decisive year. Lawrence, Daly and Lawes can still force their way back in. They will just have to do it the hard way — through club form and whatever international windows open before Borthwick names his travelling party.
The 2027 World Cup begins in Australia next year, with England aiming to improve on their semi-final exit in France in 2023. The Guardian
