Alex Coles and Asher Opoku-Fordjour are among five England players awarded an enhanced contract by the RFU for the first time for the 2026/27 season. The forwards join fellow debut recipients George Martin, Guy Pepper and Jack van Poortvliet in the 25-player list.

Lock Coles has impressed for Northampton Saints, earning 22 Test caps over the last 12 months. Opoku-Fordjour, at 22, has become a formidable prop with eight Test caps. Their inclusions mean Ben Curry, Elliot Daly, Ollie Lawrence, Tom Roebuck and Tom Willis no longer have enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contracts.

The contracts give England final say over the players' care and conditioning, replacing individual match fees with a fixed annual salary. The full list also includes names like Maro Itoje, Marcus Smith, and Fin Smith.