Borthwick's uncapped recruits
Eight uncapped players have been named in Steve Borthwick's squad for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations Championship.
Chandler Cunningham-South
Position: Back Row
Club: Harlequins
Chandler Cunningham-South was born in Sidcup and at the age of four his family emigrated to New Zealand where he went on to train with the New Zealand Warriors in Rugby League.
Cunningham-South has previously represented England at U20 level during the 2022 and 2023 Under-20 Six Nations.
In February 2022 Cunningham-South joined the London Irish academy making his senior club debut in May before moving to Harlequins the following summer.
Speaking to the media, Borthwick said: “He is an incredibly talented rugby player and from an English rugby point of view it has been great to see him thrive in the Premiership this season.
Ethan Roots
Position: Flanker
Club: Exeter Chiefs
New Zealand-born Ethan Roots played rugby for North Harbour and the Crusaders before going on to make an appearance for the Māori All Blacks.
In March 2021 Roots made a move to Europe and signed for the Ospreys making 36 appearances. After two years in Wales Roots signed for Exeter Chiefs joining the squad for the 2023-24 season.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
Position: Wing, Centre
Club: Exeter Chiefs
Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso started his rugby career with Rumney RFC and went on to play for Cardiff Schools at U11 and U15 level.
Cardiff Blues’ academy signed Feyi-Waboso prior to the 2020–21 season and he made his debut in the first round of the Pro14 Rainbow Cup. Academic reasons caused him to relocate to Birmingham, where he enrolled at Aston University.
Feyi-Waboso joined Wasps in February 2022 before they entered into administration, going on to sign for Exeter Chiefs later that year.
Speaking to the media, Borthwick said: “Immanuel has really impressed us. We can all see the power and speed that he brings and how he finds a way through contact.”
Fin Smith
Position: Fly Half
Club: Northampton Saints
The Northampton Saints fly half has impressed Borthwick for the second time with his all-round performance across the pitch. Since his arrival at Northampton he has played 32 games for the club, scoring 285 points.
Smith's rugby roots run deep; his Grandad was capped for Scotland and went on the 1955 Lions tour in South Africa. Fin first played rugby aged four at Shipston on Stour RFC, and began his career with Worcester Warriors having gone through their academy setup and into the first team. He started in the team that beat Gloucester in the final of the 2022 Premiership Rugby Cup.
Another product of the England U20s pathway, Smith was part of the Grand Slam winning Six Nations squad of 2021, starting in four games and scoring against Scotland.
This is not the first time Smith has been called up to Borthwick’s squad having been selected last year for the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship.
Tom Roebuck
Position: Wing / Centre
Club: Sale Sharks
Roebuck started his rugby journey at Chester RFU at the age of five before joining the Sale Sharks academy. He went on to make his senior debut for the club in the opening match of the Premiership Rugby Cup in October 2018, signing his first senior contract with Sale the following month.
The 2021/22 Premiership season was a breakthrough campaign for him, as a run of six tries in six games in January 2022 cemented his place in Alex Sanderson’s squad.
Roebuck has represented England since the age of 16 when he was first called up to an Under-17 training camp in February 2018 before graduating to the U18 team that summer. He moved up through the ranks to the Under 20s and was named as part of the squad for the 2021 Under-20 Six Nations Championship.
Eddie Jones called him up to the Senior Men’s England squad in 2022, joining the team in Jersey as they made their preparations for the Autumn Nations Series.
Fraser Dingwall
Position: Centre
Club: Northampton Saints
Dingwall first started playing rugby at Cambridge RUFC and linked up with Northampton Saints at 14 years old to go on and sign with the Senior Academy in 2017. He made his professional debut for Northampton in a Premiership game against Leicester Tigers in 2018.
He started his international career with Scotland at U18 level qualifying through his father before switching to England U20s in 2018. He was chosen to captain England at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.
Dingwall first received a call up to the senior England squad in January 2020 for the Six Nations Championship.
Max Ojomoh
Position: Centre
Club: Bath
Bath-born Max Ojomoh is the son of former Bath and England player, Steve Ojomoh. Max began his rugby career playing at Bath before moving to Chippenham RFC where he spent five years. He returned to Bath, joining the academy at 14 years old before going on to make his debut for the side in 2019 against Exeter Chiefs.
In the same year, Max scored a try on his debut for England U18 Men against France. The following year he earned four caps for England U20 Men during the 2020 U20 Six Nations Championship.
This is not the first time he has been called up to the senior team. In June 2021 Max received his first call-up to the senior England squad for a summer training camp.
Will Muir
Position: Wing
Club: Bath
Sevens sensation Will Muir represented the University of Northumbria in the BUCS Super Rugby competition and starting out his rugby career playing sevens.
Nicknamed the Horse, he was named 2019 England Sevens Men’s Player of the Year – the first male player to win the award in their first season of England Sevens - and scored two tries in his country’s opening 2019/20 World Sevens Series.
Muir switched to XV rugby in 2020, joining Bath ahead of the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership campaign. He scored seven tries in his first 12 Premiership appearances. Following a successful debut season Muir signed a two year contract with Bath and recently extended his tenure with the West Country club.
