Maro Itoje has been rested for England’s summer tour, with Jamie George named as captain for the Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has stood Itoje down from the opening phase of the Nations Championship after second rows Alex Coles and George Martin came through the weekend’s action without any fitness issues.
It follows a year in which Itoje led the British and Irish Lions to a series victory against Australia, played in the autumn and Six Nations campaigns and mourned the death of his mother.
It would also be in recognition of the 31-year-old having completed more Test minutes than any other player in the game over the last decade.
Borthwick has placed George in charge, with the veteran Lions hooker seen as an ideal alternative given he skippered England throughout 2024 before being replaced by Itoje.
Chessum was another possible candidate for the role but the tour has come too soon for the Leicester skipper who is seen as an eventual successor to Itoje.
South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg has been included in Borthwick’s 36-man squad having made his England debut in the uncapped game against France on Friday night.
The 29-year-old Bristol centre does not qualify on residency grounds until July 8, meaning he will miss the tour opener against the Springboks in Johannesburg on Saturday week and must wait until Fiji on July 11 for his first Test appearance.
Noah Caluori is rewarded for his breakthrough season at Saracens in which he finished as the Gallagher Prem’s leading try-scorer by also being included among five five uncapped players.
Number eight Greg Fisilau and props George Kloska and Vilikesa Sela complete the quintet of Test rookies.
Cadan Murley impressed against France in Vannes and will push for one of the wing spots with Tom Roebuck missing out on the squad completely despite having started against the same opponents in the climax to the Six Nations in March.
Archie McParland was expected to be part of England’s touring party only to be ruled by the injury he sustained in Northampton’s Prem final victory over Exeter on Saturday.
Alex Mitchell replaced McParland at Allianz Stadium and proved his fitness after hamstring trouble by playing most of the game. Ben Spencer and Jack van Poortvliet complete the scrum-half contingent.
Mitchell’s Saints team-mate Fin Smith will embark on the 25,000-mile trip that spans three continents as first-choice fly-half, a position he reclaimed for the final two rounds of the Six Nations.
At this stage in 2025 the 24-year was heading to Australia with the Lions, but it proved to be a frustrating tour with the after-effects continuing into the current season.
“I lost a bit of confidence,” Smith said. “I had to really tap into that mental side of it and try to get myself up for games at times.
“I was feeling like I had to fake it a little bit, but that’s the job of being the sportsman, you have the highs and the lows.”
England squad – Forwards: O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), A Clark (Gloucester Rugby), A Coles (Northampton Saints), L Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), T Curry (Sale Sharks), T Dan (Saracens), B Earl (Saracens), C Ewels (Bath Rugby), G Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), E Genge (Bristol Bears), J George (Saracens, capt), J Heyes (Leicester Tigers), T Hill (Bath Rugby), G Kloska (Bristol Bears), G Martin (Leicester Tigers), B Obano (Bath Rugby), A Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), G Pepper (Bath Rugby), H Pollock (Northampton Saints), V Sela (Bath Rugby).
Backs: S Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), N Caluori (Saracens), I Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), G Ford (Sale Sharks), T Freeman (Northampton Saints), G Furbank (Northampton Saints), B Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints), C Murley (Harlequins), M Ojomoh (Bath Rugby), H Slade (Exeter Chiefs), F Smith (Northampton Saints), M Smith (Harlequins), B Spencer (Bath Rugby), F Steward (Leicester Tigers), J van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers).
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