England will begin their Six Nations campaign against defending champions Ireland (Image: GETTY)
We are just hours away from the start of the , with going up against defending champions Ireland in their opening match.
will be hoping to lead a resurgence over the coming weeks after a disappointing run of results in the Autumn Nations Series. England’s only victory was against Japan, while they were beaten by South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
This year’s Six Nations will provide an opportunity to bounce back, with victory over Ireland on the opening weekend able to bring a fresh wave of belief.
Rugby players are not paid anywhere near as much as their football counterparts, but England’s biggest stars are still due to receive a healthy chunk of money from the RFU.
Express Sport takes a look…
Many of England’s top players are tied down to Elite Player Squad contracts (Image: GETTY)
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Are England rugby players paid for the Six Nations?
Until recently, every England player would be paid £23,000 per international appearance but that is no longer the case.
It was confirmed in October that 17 players had been handed enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts, providing a salary of around £160,000 per year.
The contracts allow Borthwick to have the final say on all sports science and medical matters relating to the players, helping to ensure the best possible preparation for England games.
Key players such as Marcus Smith, George Ford, Tom Curry and Maro Itoje were given contracts but others like Sam Underhill and Chandler Cunningham-South missed out.
A player-led organisation, Team England Rugby, negotiated the deals with the RFU after players broke away from their long-standing arrangement with the Rugby Players Association.
RFU performance director Conor O’Shea said: “[The contracts] will enable Steve and his coaching team to work in partnership with the players and their clubs on their individual development plans, medical and strength and conditioning programmes.
“We believe this new collaborative approach between club, country and the players can bring greater stability to English rugby, as well as supporting the growth and performance of the England men’s team.”
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Which players have Elite Player Squad contracts?
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)Theo Dan (Saracens)Ben Earl (Saracens)Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)George Ford (Sale Sharks)Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)George Furbank (Northampton Saints)Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)Jamie George (Saracens)Maro Itoje (Saracens)Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)George Martin (Leicester Tigers)Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)Marcus Smith (Harlequins)