Thirteen players who’ve led the men’s side in the professional era – including the man who’ll be England’s rugby union captain in the upcoming Six Nations
England men’s rugby captains have always been great individual players that lead from their performances. Maro Itoje is the current star with the title and he more than delivers every time he steps onto the pitch.
Itoje’s leadership skills have also seen him be named British and Irish Lions skipper.
taking over from Saracens teammate Jamie George, Itoje led the side out for the first time at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 1 February. The talismanic second row follows in the footsteps of Lawrence Dallaglio, Owen Farrell and Martin Johnson, all of whom also appear in our selection of the best England rugby players of the professional era.
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Not every player who’s led the national team over the last three decades appears on this list, however. Many England legends, such as Jason Leonard, Jason Robinson and Mike Tindall, have deputised for the odd game here and there, while Jonny Wilkinson was named skipper in 2004, onyl for a succession of injuries to keep him out of action.
The England rugby union captains below have all been appointed to lead the team for Five/Six Nations campaigns, overseas tours or world Cups – to varying degrees of success. We should also add that this list only covers the professional era, kicking off with Will carling, who led the side from 1988 through to 1996.
Men’s England rugby union captains
Table of Contents
Maro Itoje (2025-)
Itoje has always looked like an England rugby union captain in waiting (Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
It’s always felt unavoidable that Maro Itoje would one day be England rugby union captain – a bigger surprise is that it’s taken so long for him to take the armband full time. That wait came to an end in 2025, when…
Owen Farrell (2018-2023)
Only Martin Johnson has captained England more than Owen Farrell (getty Images)
Owen farrell may have broken into the England team at a young age, but his combative playing style and highly attuned rugby brain ensured his leadership qualities stood out from the off.
Having been one of Dylan Hartley’s vice-captains, Farrell was full-time skipper by the time England made their run to the 2019 World Cup final. Questions have been asked about his demeanour when talking to referees, but he’s the kind of leader other players love to follow into battle. His 48 matches as England rugby union captain put him second in the all-time list behind Will Carling.
dylan Hartley (2016-2019)
Lewis Moody (2010-2011)
Having played in all seven games of England’s run to the Rugby World cup run and also a couple of British & Irish Lions tests, Lewis Moody was one of the star names in Martin Johnson’s England team.
He was an obvious choice to step up to the captaincy when Steve borthwick was injured against Scotland during the 2010 Six Nations, and – aside from being ruled out of the following year’s championship – Moody was Johnson’s first choice as skipper up to the end of the 2011 World Cup. Alas, England’s journey to the quarter-finals is remembered more for what happened off the field than on it, and moody retired from the game after the tournament.
Steve Borthwick (2008-2010)
The current England head coach had previously captained the side
Leicester Tigers great Martin Corry was part of England’s triumphant World Cup squad in 2003,and twice toured with the British & Irish Lions. But he was unfortunate that his ascension to the rank of England rugby union captain came at a difficult time for the team.
New head coach Andy Robinson had the thankless task of rebuilding the side after the unprecedented success of Clive Woodward’s tenure, and he appointed Corry in March 2005 after injuries to first picks Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson. Only eight players have captained England more times than Corry, but – through no fault of his own – this was not a vintage era for the side.
###Martin johnson (1999-2003)
Is there anything left to be said about martin Johnson the England rugby union captain who led two Lions tours (including the legendary 1997 victory in south Africa) and remains the only man from the northern hemisphere to lift the Webb Ellis Cup.
Inheriting the armband after Lawrence Dallaglio’s unfortunate encounter with the tabloids (see below), Johnson became the talismanic leader at the heart of Clive Woodward’s World cup-winning pack. The RFU hoped he might inspire the next generation as England manager, but – despite a Six Nations victory in 2011 – he resigned after the team’s disa### Phil de Glanville (1996-1999)
Despite Jeremy Guscott typically picked ahead of him in the centres, phil de Glanville was a surprise choice to lead the national side. But England head coach Jack Rowell knew the player well from their Bath days, and controversially broke up the successful Carling/Guscott axis to get his new skipper into the team.
The team won six out of eight matches during de Glanville’s spell as England rugby union captain, and he lost the job when Woodward appointed Dallaglio in his place.
### Will Carling (1988-1996)
Carling is the longest-serving England rugby union captain in history (Mark Leech/Getty Images)
Appointed at just 22 years old and the longest serving England rugby union captain in history, Carling’s 55 tests as skipper coincided with a team stamping its authority as the dominant force in northern hemisphere rugby.
He led his team to a trio of grand slams and a World Cup final,and achieved a level of celebrity nobody else on this list – not even the Class of 2003 – coudl match.He was sacked weeks ahead of the 1995 World Cup after describing the RFU committee as “57 old farts”, but was reinstated after a national outcry. He quit the role a year later.