England confirms they've called up Racing 92 star for summer tests

Wednesday, 11 June 2025 at 10:39

byRugby Rucker

Henry Arundell has joined the England squad for a four-day training camp at the Honda England Rugby Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park. There has been plenty of speculation that Arundell would soon be returning to the England camp, as the wing will be joining Bath Rugby ahead of the 2025/26 Premiership Rugby season.

The Parisian club succumbed to an underwhelming 10th placed finish in the Top 14, as a litany of back-room issues and off-field decisions hindered the usual titans of the French first division. Arundell had been injured for much of the second half of Racing's league campaign, but is by all accounts fit and firing to get back into the mix ahead of a potential Summer tour inclusion.

England head out across the Atlantic this Summer, for a tremendous cross-continental tour of the Americas. Steve Borthwick's side take on Argentina for a two Test series, before a standalone fixture against the United States set to put rugby in the spotlight out in Washington DC. However, Arundell could be back in England colours before the side jets out 'across the pond', with an uncapped exhibition fixture against a France XV set for the Allianz Stadium on Saturday, June 21st.

Henry Arundell of England during the Summer Nations Series Match between England and Wales at Twickenham, London on 12 Aug 2023 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)

Arundell rose to prominence with London Irish, with his break-through season coming in the 2021/22 Premiership season. The wing earned his England debut whilst still on the Exiles books, with his try scoring debut coming away to Australia in the Summer of 2022. Arundell pressed on to earn a spot in Borthwick's squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, in which he stole the show by scoring five tries in a single pool stage match, as England crushed Chile 71-0.

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The camp, which began on Tuesday, does not include players selected for The British & Irish Lions, or those from Bath Rugby and Leicester Tigers, who are preparing for this Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership Final.

This week’s training forms part of the preparations for the upcoming match between an England XV and a France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday 21 June (kick-off 3.15pm). Tickets are available from £25.

Arundell will join Bath Racing 92 this summer.

Farrell adds THREE more players to his British & Irish Lions squad

The trio will link up with the squad in Portugal next week as preparations continue for the fixture against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, 20 June, followed by the Lions’ tour opener against the Western Force in Perth on 28 June.

Here’s a closer look at each of the new faces:

? Asher Opoku-Fordjour (England, Tighthead Prop)

Age: 20
Club: Sale Sharks
Caps: 1 (England)

A name on the rise, Opoku-Fordjour’s call-up caps off a breakthrough season for the Sale Sharks tighthead. The 20-year-old made his England debut during the autumn internationals and quickly turned heads with his power at the scrum and mobility around the park. He was also shortlisted for Premiership Young Player of the Season, a testament to his growing influence.

With Tadhg Furlong (injury), Will Stuart (unavailable), and Zander Fagerson (injured) all missing, Farrell has turned to one of England’s brightest front-row prospects to bolster the Lions' depth.

? Jamie George (England, Hooker)

Age: 33
Club: Saracens
Caps: 101 (England)

One of the most experienced hookers in world rugby, Jamie George brings leadership, set-piece precision, and a wealth of big-game experience. A three-time British & Irish Lions tourist (2017, 2021), George offers Farrell a reliable and proven option amid a hooker shortage—with both Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher tied up with Leinster.

George remains a cornerstone for Saracens and England, and his addition adds serious quality to the training setup in Portugal.

? Finlay Bealham (Ireland, Prop) - replaces injured Zander Fagerson

Age: 32
Club: Connacht
Caps: 41 (Ireland)

A versatile front-rower capable of playing both sides of the scrum, Bealham has quietly become a key contributor for both Connacht and Ireland. He was part of Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning Six Nations squad in 2023 and featured prominently at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

With his solid scrummaging, hard carries, and a knack for linking play, Bealham adds valuable depth and experience—particularly with so many Leinster players unavailable due to the URC final.

? Lions Under Pressure

With 12 Leinster players, as well as stars from Bath and Leicester, currently tied up in domestic finals, Farrell is working with a skeleton crew—especially in the front row. These new call-ups will provide crucial support in training and could push for tour match involvement if injuries persist.

Expect official confirmation of the full extended squad on Monday as the Lions gear up for a demanding summer campaign.

British & Irish Lions Squad – Portugal Training Camp

Forwards:

Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/Ireland) #838
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851
Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853
Ben Earl (Saracens/England)
Jamie George (Saracens/England) #819
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/England)
Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) #825 (C)
Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks/England)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/England)
Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland)

Backs:

Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837
Elliot Daly (Saracens/England) #822
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England)
Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/Ireland)
Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins/England) #855
Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland)
Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby/Wales)

2025 British & Irish Lions Fixtures

1888 Cup

20/06/25: Lions v Argentina, Aviva Stadium, Dublin –
KO 8:00pm

2025 Qatar Airways Lions Series

28/06/25: Western Force v Lions, Optus Stadium, Perth – KO 10:45am
02/07/25: Queensland Reds v Lions, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane – KO 10:45am
05/07/25: NSW Waratahs v Lions, Allianz Stadium, Sydney – KO 10:45am
09/07/25: ACT Brumbies v Lions, Gio Stadium, Canberra – KO 10:45am
12/07/25: Invitational Australia & NZ XV v Lions, Adelaide Oval – KO 10:15am
19/07/25: Wallabies v Lions, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane – KO 10:45am
22/07/25: First Nations & Pasifika XV v Lions, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne – KO 10:45am
26/07/25: Wallabies v Lions, MCG, Melbourne – KO 10:45am
02/08/25: Wallabies v Lions, Accor Stadium, Sydney – KO 10:45am

TOUGH QUIZ: Can you name EVERY British & Irish Lions captain of the past 50 Years?

To make this a little bit more difficult, some of the more recent tours included multiple captains, with both needed to be named if you want to ace this Lions Tour quiz. You have six minutes to get all of your answers down, and your time starts... Now!

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