The England rugby team is one of the sport’s most successful sides. To date, they remain the only team from the northern hemisphere to ever capture the Rugby World Cup. They were also the first team to top the World Rugby Rankings and they’re the most successful side in the history of the Six Nations, with 29 outright wins.
From England’s Six Nations record to their Rugby World Cup performances, keep scrolling to learn everything there is to know about the England national rugby union team.
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The highly acclaimed five-part documentary Chasing the Sun is now available for viewers to watch globally, and for free, on RugbyPass TV.
The England rugby team is one of the sport’s most successful sides. To date, they remain the only team from the northern hemisphere to ever capture the Rugby World Cup. They were also the first team to top the World Rugby Rankings and they’re the most successful side in the history of the Six Nations, with 29 outright wins.
From England’s Six Nations record to their Rugby World Cup performances, keep scrolling to learn everything there is to know about the England national rugby union team.
The England rugby union team is the tournament’s most successful side of all time. To date, the England Six Nations team has celebrated 29 outright titles, a feat that puts them just ahead of Wales. Additionally, England have also enjoyed 10 shared wins and 13 Grand Slams.
As one of the four founding Home Nations teams, England have competed in every format of the tournament since its inception in the 1800s. In fact, England’s Six Nations record includes inaugural victories in each of the Championships: England won the first Home Nations (1883), Five Nations (1910) and Six Nations (2000).
To date, the England rugby team has only missed two editions of the Six Nations. England were excluded from the 1888 and 1889 Home Nations due to their refusal to join the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) – now known as World Rugby. One year later, England joined the IRFB and they were reinstated in the competition.
Since then, England players have delivered some of the tournament’s most impressive performances. For example, the 2001 England Six Nations squad featured Jonny Wilkinson, who set the record for the most individual points in one Six Nations match – he scored 35 points against Italy. Meanwhile, Cyril Lowe’s record dates back to 1914, when he scored eight tries in one competition.
England at the Rugby World Cup
The England rugby team has participated in every edition of the Rugby World Cup. In 2003, England secured their first Webb Ellis Cup with a win against Australia at Stadium Australia. This was England’s second Rugby World Cup final – their first was in 1991 – and their second against Australia.
Although the Wallabies delivered a strong performance, it was Jonny Wilkinson’s boot that stole the show. With just 28 seconds left on the clock in extra time, Wilkinson scored his famous tournament-winning drop-goal. Two decades later, England are still the only northern hemisphere side to have won the Rugby World Cup.
Since their 2003 victory, England have reached the Rugby World Cup final a further two times. Sadly, they lost against South Africa on both occasions (2007 and 2019). Additionally, England have also appeared in two bronze-final matches; the team secured fourth place in 1995 and finished third in 2023.
Despite many impressive performances, England have also endured disappointing Rugby World Cup finishes. The team was eliminated in the quarter finals in 1987, 1999 and 2011, and they crashed out during the pool stage at the 2015 tournament, which they also hosted.
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Owen Farrell Fly Half The history of the England national rugby union team dates all the way back to 1871. Although the side lost their first ever test match – and the first test match ever played – against Scotland, they quickly began to dominate the Home Nations Championship.
When the Rugby World Cup was founded in 1987, the England rugby team was invited to take part in the tournament’s inaugural edition. Their golden era came 16 years later in 2003, when they went from being ‘nearly men’ to champions.
This was the year that the England rugby team conquered all who came before them. They dominated on the international stage, winning the Six Nations Championship, the Grand Slam and the Rugby World Cup. Consequently, when the World Rugby Rankings were introduced in 2003, England became the first team to be ranked at number one.
England Rugby Players
With the success of the England rugby team, it’s no surprise that many famous faces and star players have represented the nation. Former England rugby squads have featured greats of the game. This includes the likes of Martin Johnson and Jason Leonard, who are in the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Added to this, England also boasts the Rugby World Cup’s highest ever point scorer. The legendary Jonny Wilkinson scored 277 points between 1999 and 2011.
The current England rugby squad features some of the finest players in the world. The team includes captain Owen Farrell, lock Maro Itoje and fly-half Marcus Smith.
England National Rugby Union Team 
