England national rugby union team

England

Emblem	Red Rose
Union	Rugby Football Union[1]
Head coach	Steve Borthwick[2]
Captain	Jamie George[3]
Most caps	Ben Youngs (127)
Top scorer	Owen Farrell (1,237)[4]
Top try scorer	Rory Underwood (49)
Home stadium	Twickenham Stadium[5]
First colours Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current	7 (as of 2 December 2024)
Highest	1 (2003, 2019)
Lowest	8 (2009, 2015, 2023)
First international
Scotland 1–0 England (Edinburgh, Scotland; 27 March 1871)
Biggest win
England 134–0 Romania  (London, England; 17 November 2001)
Biggest defeat
Australia 76–0 England (Brisbane, Australia; 6 June 1998)
World Cup
Appearances	10 (First in 1987)
Best result	Champions (2003)
Website	englandrugby.com

The England national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions (as well as sharing 10 victories), winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.

The history of the team extends back to 1871 when the English rugby team played their first official test match, losing 1–0 to Scotland. England dominated the early Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations) which started in 1883. Following the schism of rugby football in 1895 into union and league, England did not win the Championship again until 1910. They first played against New Zealand in 1905, South Africa in 1906, and Australia in 1909. England was one of the teams invited to take part in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and progressed to the final in the second tournament in 1991, losing 12–6 to Australia. Following their Grand Slam in 2003, England went on to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup, defeating Australia 20–17 in extra time. They contested the final again in 2007 in defence of their title, losing 15–6 to South Africa, and reached the final for the fourth time in 2019, once again losing to South Africa, 32–12.

England players traditionally wear a white shirt with a rose embroidered on the chest, white shorts, and navy blue socks with a white trim. England's home ground is Twickenham Stadium where they first played in 1910. The team is administered by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). Four former players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame; one of these is also a member of the IRB Hall of Fame. Seven other former players are members of the IRB Hall – four solely for their accomplishments as players, two solely for their achievements in other roles in the sport, and one for achievements both as a player and administrator.