ENGLAND legend Ben Youngs is confident Steve Borthwick’s ambitious side can strike gold at the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Ben Youngs, England's most-capped international men's player, shares his insights on England's prospects at the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Discover Youngs' reflections on his illustrious career, the team's recent performances, and his optimism for the future of English rugby.
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His country’s most-capped international men’s player, Youngs played in four World Cups for England and in the side which lost to South Africa in the 2019 World Cup final.
And having watched England impress at this year’s Six Nations, the 34-year-old respected scrum-half has high hopes for the national team going into the next four-year World Cup cycle.
“England won it 2003 in Australia, so why can’t they win in 2027 in Australia?” said Youngs, speaking exclusively to SportsBoom.com.
“We’ve got four years leading into the next one and England have every chance in my eyes.
“The 2023 tournament was phenomenal. When you really have a think about it, there were probably four teams who could win it.
“If you look back at all of those quarter-final matches, then any of them would have been worthy of a final.
“I will look with great fondness on this group ahead of the next four-year cycle.
“England will always produce great young talent – and they will always come through.”
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Youngs was capped 127 times by England, won the Six Nations on four occasions and famously played in the 2016 Grand Slam-winning side.
“I’ve had an amazing career and I feel so privileged and humbled to have done what I’ve done,” reflected Youngs.
“I’ve been very proud to have been part of that England team. It’s an absolute privilege to have done it on my terms.
“I’m extremely proud of what I’ve done and got so many great memories, a lifetime of memories.
“I’m unbelievably content with that what I’ve done in my career, which is hard to come by at times for top sports people.
“You always strive for a little bit more, but I genuinely walked away from the international game being very content and proud of what I’ve done.
“Do I miss it? I miss the adrenalin of running out in front of full stadiums, who wouldn’t right?
“I think if you ask any athlete in their field what they miss – and they’ve missed certain aspects, especially performing in front of a big crowd.
“But, no, it was the right time for me to retire from international rugby. The time was right to walk way.
“Yes, I’ll miss small bits, but then now I can always sit in the stands
So what excites him the most about this England team going forward?
Well, a courageous 23-22 win over defending Six Nations champions Ireland is a good place to start.
“We showed a huge amount of character to win that game,” said Youngs. “We raced into a lead in that game and Ireland came back and were leading just before half time and having, really, been out of it.
“England had been dominant but Ireland scored a try at the start of the second half, so to fight their way back like they did, was incredible.
“I just felt like that was a real turning point for England. You could see the confidence that gave them.”
Youngs might have hung up his international boots, but he’s still loving life at Leicester Tigers, the club he has played for 19 seasons and won five Premiership titles at.
“Rugby has been a big part of my life, Leicester have been the only professional team I have ever known,” reflected Youngs.
“I still have a huge amount of joy every time I play at Welford Road – and it’s something I get to do for a bit longer.
“But it’s not all done yet, there’s still a little bit of adrenalin left to enjoy, although it’s not in front of 80,000 at Twickenham.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.