Benhard Janse van Rensburg has been included in an England squad for the first time, raising the prospect of making his international debut this summer. The Pretoria-born centre is part of an extended 42-man training group named by head coach Steve Borthwick after qualifying for England on residency grounds from July 8.
Qualification and Background
The 29-year-old joined London Irish in 2021 and has spent the last three seasons at Bristol, where his powerful carrying, creative skills, and consistency placed him on Borthwick's radar. Although the Nations Championship opener against South Africa in Johannesburg on July 4 will come too soon for his first cap, he will be available for the Tests against Fiji on July 11 and Argentina a week later.
Janse van Rensburg made a 20-minute cameo as a replacement for South Africa Under-20s in 2016, but World Rugby ruled that did not tie him to the Springboks due to exceptional circumstances following an appeal by the Rugby Football Union.
Notable Omissions and Inclusions
There is no place in the training squad for centres Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh, while wing Henry Arundell is another big-name omission. Arundell started the first three matches of the Six Nations, which ended with England finishing in fifth place, but paid the price after making several mistakes that exposed his defensive limitations.
The inclusion of rookies Charlie Bracken and Archie McParland increases the number of scrum-halves to five and rewards the promise they have shown at Saracens and Northampton respectively this season. Noah Caluori, the Gallagher Premiership's top scorer in 2025-26, is also present, and the teenage try machine could be given his Test debut next month.
Injuries and Returns
George Martin makes a welcome return after overcoming a long-term shoulder problem, with the abrasive 24-year-old second row having made a successful comeback for Leicester in recent weeks. Bath's rising hooker Kepu Tuipulotu is present among the front rows as Borthwick looks to build depth in the position, with options thinned by Luke Cowan-Dickie's broken wrist.
Summer Tour Considerations
England are considering resting some of their British and Irish Lions for the brutal summer itinerary, which consists of Tests on three continents and features over 25,000 miles of travel. Captain Maro Itoje could be among those stood down with next year's World Cup in mind, while Tom Curry, Ellis Genge, Ben Earl, Ollie Chessum, and Tommy Freeman were also heavily involved in the Lions' 2-1 series triumph over Australia in 2025. All of them have been selected in the current training squad that is to begin preparations to take on back-to-back world champions South Africa at Ellis Park.
