"I quit" - Three England players who've ruled themselves out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup

Several players have declined the opportunity to be called up, rejecting the chance to represent their country on the grand stage of the tournament.

Despite these challenges, Borthwick remains determined to assemble a formidable squad for the upcoming competition.

In light of this, he has recently unveiled a preliminary group of 28 players who will embark on the rigorous preparations required to excel in France. With this group, Borthwick aims to mold a cohesive and talented team that will represent England with pride and ambition in the World Cup.

The training squad, excluding individuals from Gallagher Premiership semi-finalists Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks, and Saracens, convened at Pennyhill Park on Sunday, while further preparations were initiated in Bagshot on Monday, June 12, for the Rugby World Cup scheduled to kick off in September 2023.

 “We are excited to get into camp and begin the first phase of our preparations,” said Borthwick. “The World Cup is full of top quality teams and high quality players, and we’re relishing the challenge in front of us. That all starts today at Pennyhill Park.

“We have lots to get through before our first summer series fixture in August against Wales in Cardiff, so the hard work starts now. We are looking forward to it.”

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The number 8 has opted out of contention for England’s Rugby World Cup training squad as he prepares to join Montpellier.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has announced a preliminary group of 28 players to commence preparations for the upcoming tournament in France. 

Despite not having played under Borthwick before, the former Exeter No 8 engaged in open discussions with the coach and subsequently made himself unavailable for selection in the training squad of 28 players, according to The Telegraph..

Nowell has ruled himself out of World Cup training squad selection with England, insisting he will make the most of family time before his summer switch from Exeter Chiefs to La Rochelle.

The 30-year-old Cornishman has been part of England's last two World Cup squads, including 2019 when they reached the final under previous coach Eddie Jones, but he has indicated he will be no part of this year's tournament in France.

Nowell, who won his 45th England cap when appearing off the bench last November against the Springboks, was excluded from the Guinness Six Nations campaign by England head coach Steve Borthwick.

Asked on the latest RugbyPass Offload show what his summer plans were now that he was leaving the Chiefs, Nowell said: “No World Cup, I’m not doing the World Cup. I am just going to chill. I need to get my knee sorted. Obviously, it was a bit of a hard decision not to put myself in for selection for the World Cup. I thought it was probably one I had to make for myself and for my family as well.

Quizzed further about the reason why he has called it quits with England rather than fight for a place in the 2023 RWC squad, Nowell continued: “Eddie leaving and Steve coming in. I was in contact at the start with Steve and he let me know I wasn’t going to be involved in the Six Nations which was completely fair enough. New coach, new ideas.

“There comes a stage where everyone has got to make a decision about the team, so I was happy with that. It was pretty cool – it was my last year at the club anyway, so I really get to focus on trying to do the best I can for the club and trying to get us into the big games at the end of the season.

“Like I have said, I didn’t have a lot of communication with Steve. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot, so you come to that stage where you are, ‘Right, probably that ship has sailed on me now in terms of the England stuff’.

“The boys did very well in the Six Nations that were playing on the wing and there does come a stage where you do have to start thinking about your family and thinking about your future and stuff like that. I had these opportunities to speak to other clubs and discuss my future. When you do sign abroad, or you do sign anywhere you do get an option to sign pre-World Cup or post-World Cup.

“For me, I made that decision then that it was probably best for my family and myself to sign the contract pre-World Cup. I’m sure it would be a bit different it was I was talking to Steve all the time. Since then, I have spoken to Steve, I had to let him know my decision because I think I was in plans for the World Cup, especially the first get-together as a big squad.

“But I made a decision not to do that and to make sure my family get settled in France and make sure I get settled in France so I get to go to my new club and be the best I can and win some more trophies. As much as I would have liked to have done this one and given it a good crack, sometimes you have to read between the lines and probably understand you are probably not in the coach’s favour.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to have fought for my position, I would love to have got myself back into playing but family comes first for me, and I had to make sure they are looked after first.”

During a Gallagher Premiership match against the Leicester Tigers, Bath welcomed Barbeary onto the field for his highly anticipated debut shortly before halftime in early March.

The young talent wasted no time in leaving a lasting impression on Bath fans, igniting their excitement for what he could bring to the team in the future.

Demonstrating his explosive potential, Barbeary initiated the second half with a remarkable line break, showcasing his dynamic abilities.

However, amidst the exhilaration, a wave of sympathy washed over the spectators as Barbeary's incredible display came to an abrupt halt. Following another impressive carry, his knee and muscles seemed to betray him, resulting in an unfortunate injury that concluded his debut prematurely.

This setback was particularly disheartening for Barbeary, who had encountered a series of injuries in recent times.

While his injury may have dashed his hopes of being considered for the upcoming World Cup, Barbeary's primary focus now lies in recuperating and regaining full fitness for Bath in preparation for the promising 2023/24 season.