England, the home of rugby

The England national rugby team, governed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), is one of the oldest sides in international rugby. Their first ever test, against Scotland in 1871, was the first international rugby match ever played, making England and Scotland the two pioneers of test rugby. England remain one of only two European nations (with France) to have reached a Rugby World Cup final more than once, and the only one to have lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, in 2003 against Australia in Sydney thanks to Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal in extra time.

England are the most successful nation in the championship's history: 29 outright titles across the Five and Six Nations eras and 13 Grand Slams. The rivalries with France ("Le Crunch"), Scotland (Calcutta Cup) and Ireland (Millennium Trophy) light up every campaign. Under head coach Steve Borthwick, England head into 2027 with a young squad and a clear ambition to reclaim the title.

Allianz Stadium, formerly Twickenham

Allianz Stadium, formerly Twickenham (and still affectionately known as such by purists), has been England's home since 1909. Renamed in 2024 under a naming-rights agreement, the ground remains one of the most iconic venues in world rugby. With a capacity of 82,000, it is the largest rugby-dedicated stadium in the world. Nicknamed the "Home of Rugby" and located in south-west London, Twickenham hosts every England home fixture, several major club finals and the showpiece matches of the Premiership.

England's five matches

Fri 5 February 2027 ยท 20:10 GMT ยท Round 1
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช Ireland  vs  ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Details
Sun 14 February 2027 ยท 15:10 GMT ยท Round 2
โšก Le Crunch
๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England  vs  ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France
Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), London
Details
Sat 20 February 2027 ยท 16:40 GMT ยท Round 3
๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England  vs  ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy
Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), London
Details
Sat 6 March 2027 ยท 16:40 GMT ยท Round 4
๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ Wales  vs  ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Details
Sat 13 March 2027 ยท 16:40 GMT ยท Super Saturday
๐Ÿ† Calcutta Cup
๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England  vs  ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Scotland
Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), London
Details

English rugby, a tradition stretching back over a century

England played the very first international rugby match in history, against Scotland in Edinburgh in 1871. Since then they have won the championship 29 times (the most of any side), with 13 Grand Slams. On the world stage, England remain world champions of 2003 (beating Australia 20-17 after extra time in Sydney) and were runners-up in 1991 and 2007.

The modern era of English rugby was shaped by the "Wilkinson generation" of the early 2000s (Rugby World Cup 2003, Grand Slam 2003), followed by more uneven spells before another title in 2020 under Eddie Jones. Returning to the very top of the world game is one of the recurring storylines of English rugby in the 2020s.

Rivalries

Beyond Le Crunch against France, England play each year for:

  • Calcutta Cup against Scotland โ€” one of the oldest trophies in the sport (1879)
  • Millennium Trophy against Ireland
  • Triple Crown โ€” to be won by beating Scotland, Ireland and Wales

๐Ÿ“Š ENGLAND AT A GLANCE

Stadium: Allianz Stadium / Twickenham, London (82,000)
Nickname: England, the Red Rose
Colours: white and red
Anthem: God Save the King (with Swing Low, Sweet Chariot sung by supporters)
Six Nations / Five Nations titles: 29
Grand Slams: 13
Rugby World Cup: winners 2003
Union: RFU (Rugby Football Union)

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