mens
nations-championship
Ben Earl is ready to step up his pursuit of becoming a scratch golfer as his self-imposed World Cup deadline fast approaches.
England’s explosive No.8 jokes that he has become “a professional golfer who plays a bit of rugby on the side” as he tries to bring his 4.6 handicap down to zero by the time Steve Borthwick’s side land in Australia for next year’s global exhibition.
Now that he has completed his 15,000-word dissertation on rugby rule changes as part of his Masters in Sporting Director at Manchester Met, Earl can commit to his cause.
“I have to really start focusing,” said the 28-year-old, who also played cricket for Kent as a teenager. “I have a lot of free time, so I’m interested in playing.
“It seems unlikely at the moment. I really blew it, I pushed myself a little bit too hard. We’ll see.
“I love any excuse to play more golf, and that just means I have to practice a little more in the winter.
“The day I’ve chosen for it is September 16 and it just so happens to be the day we land in Australia, so I could be in tears then!
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I’m obviously very passionate about my golf and I love playing. People have been very generous about it.”
Earl has started all eight of England’s Tests so far in 2026 and is expected to continue in the back row when Borthwick names his squad for the autumn opener against Australia at Allianz Stadium.
With Ollie Chessum likely to be the pick at blindside, the biggest uncertainty is at number seven where the Curry twins, Tom and Ben, and Henry Pollock compete for the Nations Championship showdown on Sunday.
Borthwick must choose between Alex Coles and George Martin to partner Maro Itoje in the second row, while Henry Slade, Will Joseph and Joe Marchant are in the running to join Seb Atkinson in midfield.
Fin Smith has a final training session on Friday to prove his fitness after struggling with a calf injury, putting George Ford and Marcus Smith on standby as his replacements.
Australia have had an inconsistent 2026, but one area for sure is that they will compete hard at the breakdown, an area of the game that is less competitive in the attack-focused Gallagher Prem.
England could be underprepared on the floor, but Earl said, “I’ve always felt that the transition was doable.
“Increased competition is a really good thing and I know I can push the envelope a bit more. It’s higher octane and that’s what we play for.”