Hammer blow for England as age-grade star snubs Steve Borthwick’s advances and Premiership move – report
England head coach Steve Borthwick and U20 lock Junior Kpoku.
England’s inability to compete with the riches on offer in France has seemingly continued with Junior Kpoku reportedly rejecting the chance to return to the Premiership.
The powerhouse forward is currently playing for Racing 92 having signed for the club from Exeter Chiefs in 2023.
However, players are not precluded from featuring for England’s U20 side – unlike the senior team – if foreign-based and Kpoku was part of the Red Rose age-grade outfit in 2024.
U20 champion
He played a key role as they won the World Rugby U20 Championship for the first time since 2016 earlier this year and the RFU were hopeful of getting him back to the Premiership in 2025.
According to the Telegraph, England were potentially looking at using the hybrid contract model in an attempt to lure him across the Channel, but Kpoku appears to have decided against a return to England.
Introduced by the governing body earlier this year, hybrid deals have previously been reserved for current internationals who will play a key role in the build-up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. At the moment, 17 players have signed contracts with the RFU but there is scope for it to be increased to 25.
That shows how highly Steve Borthwick rates Kpoku after watching him feature in a superb U20 front five, which included the likes of Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Afolabi Fasogbon, who have already made a mark in senior rugby.
Starring in the Top 14
Borthwick, who has visited the lock in Paris, will also have noted his performances in France, with the gargantuan second-row shining for Racing in the Top 14.
Kpoku has started six matches this season at the Parisians, including five in a row between September 28 and October 26, with head coach Stuart Lancaster clearly impressed by the youngster.
His contract was set to conclude in 2025 but, according to Midi Olympique, the forward has penned an extension at the Top 14 outfit until at least 2027 with the option of an extra year.
He will also qualify for JIFF (joueurs issus des filières de formation) status in 2026, with rules stipulating that clubs must have an average of 16 of those individuals in their 23-man matchday squads.
