England Rugby Central Contracts Shake-Up Ahead of World Cup

England head coach Steve Borthwick has announced a reshaped 25-man central contract list, notably omitting Ollie Lawrence and Elliot Daly as he focuses on the 2026 World Cup. The pair were absent from the summer Nations Championship matches, with Daly also nursing an arm injury, and their exclusion signals a shift in selection priorities. Five players—Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Alex Coles, Guy Pepper, Jack van Poortvliet, and Seb Atkinson—have received their first England central contracts, reflecting a youth-oriented approach.