BREAKING: England offer 20 players 'hybrid contracts'

As per The Telegraph's report, the forthcoming 'professional game partnership,' anticipated to be officially announced in December, will see a transformation in the current 45-player elite player squad (EPS).

This transformation will involve replacing it with a novel setup that grants England's head coach, Steve Borthwick, considerably more authority over an inner core group of 20 players starting from the next season.

The standout aspect of this new agreement will empower Borthwick to exercise greater oversight and influence over the conditioning, skill development, and workload management of a select group of elite players, who will be identified as the cornerstone of the 2027 World Cup squad. This will be implemented through a new two-tier system while still retaining a larger EPS group.

"This is about creating a winning England and winning clubs,” said one senior source. “It is a win-win for clubs and country.”

At present all clubs are paid £40,000 for every player provided to England’s Elite Player Squad, regardless if they are an established starter or unused player.

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