England rugby players are some of the best in the world. However, England rugby has been known to be white and posh with private schools dominating the leagues. This system was designed after a split between the wealthy and poor teams that led to the exclusion of black and players of color from the sport.
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However, efforts are now being made to have equal representation with England’s former coach Eddie Jones selecting one of the most ethnically diverse teams for the World Cup. In this list, we highlight black England rugby players.
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Courtney Linford Lawes
Courtney Linford Lawes is one of the black England rugby players. He debuted at the junior levels, first touring with England Under 18s in 2007. He played for the U20 side in Tokyo’s 2009 IRB Junior World Championship.
In 2009, he made his first appearance for the senior team and played his first game against Australia at Twickenham. So far, he’s made over 100 starts with his last coming in 2023. Courtney played in the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups.
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Etuale Manusamoa Tuilagi
Etuale might not have been an England player because he almost lost his opportunity to live in the UK. The authorities found out he entered on a holiday visa and stayed illegally but was then granted an indefinite stay.
Like his brothers, he went on and played rugby at the highest level, playing for the England Saxons, the national team and the British & Irish Lions.
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Joe Marchant
Joe Marchant started his senior career at Worthing before he joined the Harlequins. His performance here and in other teams earned him a call-up to the junior rugby teams starting with the England U18 & U20 and then England. He has played at major rugby tournaments like the Six Nations Championships and the Rugby World Cup.
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Kyle Sinckler
Kyle Sinckler joins our list of England rugby players having represented the country at different levels. He began in the England U18 team and later joined the U20.
After that, he was called up to the senior team and later the British & Irish Lions. Snicker has played in the Six Nations Championships and the Rugby World Cup.
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Oghenemaro Miles “Maro” Itoje
Maro started playing rugby in high school at the age of 11. He captained the U18 and U20 side that won the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.
In the same year, he won the IRB Junior World Championship. After his successes, Maro Itoje made the cut to the England Saxons, the second national rugby team in 2015.
The following year, Eddie Jones called him to the senior England team for the Six Nations, which they won. His selection to the British & Irish Lions followed, and he was the youngest to make the team at the age of 22.
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Nick Isiekwe
Nick Isiekwe began his England career with the U16 team and quickly climbed up the rank, joining the U17, U18 and the U20. In 2017, after his U20 appearance at the Six Nations U20 Championships, Isiekwe received a call-up to the Senior team and has so far played 11 times.
England rugby now recognizes the importance of having a diverse team and it’s not just for the sake of meeting the quota. It’s a way of giving everyone a fair chance in the game. It doesn’t mean they have to pick every black player, but they make efforts to scout them, place them in an environment where they can sharpen their skills and let them compete at the highest level.
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