Ranking seven England World Cup bolters to watch in the PREM including latest ‘rising star’ and ‘next cab off the rank’
Kepu Tuipulotu (left), Lucas Friday (centre) and Will Wand (right) could get into the England picture this season
England head coach Steve Borthwick will already have a fair idea of the core of his 2027 Rugby World Cup squad, but there are still many places up for grabs heading into the upcoming season.
Right across the PREM, there will be a number of players looking to make a case for Test selection this year, which is even more important in a World Cup year, be it some freshly-qualified talent, up-and-coming stars or consistent presences taking the next step up.
Here is a rundown of some of the key names to keep an eye on this PREM season.
Lucas Friday (Harlequins)
Scrum-half is by no means an easy position to break into at the moment, with Alex Mitchell and Jack van Poortvliet both holding central contracts and Ben Spencer, Archie McParland, Raffi Quirke and Charlie Bracken all spending time with the senior squad last year, but Lucas Friday is one of the rising stars in this area.
The Harlequins man comes into the new season off the back of his proper breakthrough year in 2025/26. After recovering from a knee injury early in the campaign, Friday notched 15 appearances for the Londoners in all competitions, a run which included eight starts too, and also established himself as England U20s number one scrum-half across their Test season too. That run of form, in which he certainly got better as the year went on, will likely result in him becoming a regular feature within the Quins 23-man squad again this season, potentially even mounting a serious fight to be their starting nine too.
Crucially for England, he seems to fit the trajectory of where this attack is going. As you would expect from a Harlequins scrum-half, he likes to play really up-tempo, pacey rugby, but blends that with genuine threat ball-in-hand and an intelligent kicking game. That is the sort of thing Borthwick will want to see from him.
It’s a long shot given the competition for spots at nine, but he’s a really, really exciting prospect.
Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath)
It’s clear that England need to think about their succession plan at hooker, and Kepu Tuipulotu seems primed to be the next cab off the rank in that department.
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The Bath man is very much on Borthwick’s radar already, spending time with the senior squad ahead of the Nations Championship and featuring for England A at various points too, but if he can kick on in the PREM, he could push himself up the rankings ahead of the World Cup.
Like Friday, he also enjoyed a proper breakout season in 2025/26, which again should see him become a regular feature in the Bath squad this campaign as well. As with any young front-rower, getting more minutes under his belt will help him hone his craft in the set-piece, which remains a key function of any hooker’s game. His work around the park is arguably his point of difference, though, with the 21-year-old a really powerful carrier in the tight and actually very creative when a chance presents itself, as proved by his cheeky grubber-kick assist in Bath’s win over Sale last year.
Jamie George, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Theo Dan, Gabe Oghre and Jamie Blamire also come into the new season with World Cup ambitions, while Nathan Jibulu is also pushing himself into Test territory, but Tuipulotu could force himself into the picture with another strong season.
Campbell Ridl (Exeter Chiefs)
Another year, another Exeter Chiefs winger emerges with Campbell Ridl enjoying a stellar campaign in 2025/26. The 21-year-old was certainly an outsider even in the Chiefs squad this time last year, despite some strong showings for England U20s, but after debuting in the PREM Rugby Cup became a regular feature in the Exeter match-day 23 and even started in the final against Northampton Saints.
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Ridl is a big, rangy winger, but offers a genuine mix of aerial and ball-in-hand threat, and importantly, knows his way to the tryline with 17 tries in his 24 outings last year. He also offers some versatility within that, capable of playing at both full-back and even outside centre if needed.
If he can replicate his form from last season into the new campaign, there is no reason he couldn’t get himself onto the radar.
Tom Lockett (Northampton Saints)
Another man who has had his flirtations with the Test side, but this feels a big year for the big Northampton Saints lock. Even with clubmate Alex Coles being handed a central contract and both George Martin and Maro Itoje key members of the current squad, there does feel like an opening for another lock to nail their place in the extended squad and give Borthwick a touch more depth in this area.
There’s a lot to like about the way Lockett goes about his business. He’s never the flashiest player, but just nails his efforts in the tight and helps set the platform for Saints to play off, and is a serious operator in the lineout.
Crucially, he can also shift over to the back-row if needed, something Borthwick likes to have tucked in the back pocket after turning Chandler Cunningham-South and Ted Hill into hybrid forwards.
Underneath the key charges at lock, there is a gap ripe for someone to come in and make it their own. A good season with the Saints could see Lockett be that man.
Archie van der Flier (Leicester Tigers)
There have been a lot of changes at loosehead for England in the past year, with Fin Baxter, Bevan Rodd, Ellis Genge, Asher Opoku-Fordour and Beno Obano all getting game time, Archie van der Flier could be edging up the pecking order after a good season with Leicester Tigers.
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He seemed to really mature as the season went along last time out, moving from the fringes of the Leicester pack to a consistent part of their 23, resulting in an England A call-up and later a senior squad inclusion ahead of the uncapped England XV meeting with France, and that bodes well moving into the new season. Van der Flier is also a strong operator in the loose, which is something England are increasingly looking for out of their props.
Competition is rife for spots at loosehead, but that doesn’t mean he is out of the picture at all.
Will Wand (Leicester Tigers)
Could certainly have felt aggrieved to miss out on a Test call-up last year, after scooping two successive PREM Player of the Month awards and becoming a key man for Leicester Tigers on their route to the semi-finals, but another big season could push him right into contention.
The 24-year-old is a very complete player, offering serious punch and pace in attack alongside some clever defensive work and breakdown threat, and would offer something potentially a bit different to what England currently have at 13 in the process.
The big question over his selection is the fact that England’s midfield finally seems to have settled down. Seb Atkinson’s central contract suggests he is going to be the number 12 moving forward, while Henry Slade has also retaken a spot in the starting XV with Tommy Freeman shifting back over to the wing. Benhard Janse van Rensburg is also right in the mix after his Test debut, as are Max Ojomoh and the omitted Fraser Dingwall and Ollie Lawrence.
But Wand showed he can very easily mix it with the best players in the league, let alone centres, and if he can replicate that form this season, Borthwick will have no choice but to take a look at him.
James Pater (Northampton Saints)
This feels like a big year for the England U20s hotshot James Pater, who seems to be the ready-made replacement for George Furbank as Northampton Saints’ full-back.
You feel he’s at the right sort of age to get an extended run in the PREM, after dipping his toe into senior rugby in the past two seasons, but it’s also his playing style that suits both Northampton and even England. Pator is almost built out of the same stuff as Furbank, able to act as that extra playmaker in the backfield and comfortable at first-receiver while also having the fundamental skills of a 15 under the high-ball and with the boot.
This might be a bold call given he is still very much finding his feet at senior level, but Borthwick has not been afraid to fast-track players in the past; just look at how quickly he capped fellow Saint Henry Pollock, and if he impresses, he could certainly catch the eye of the head coach. This could come just a bit too soon, though.
