January 2 2007

PHIL VICKERY MBE was today named as England captain up to and including Rugby World Cup 2007.  

The London Wasps prop replaces Leicester Tigers’ Martin Corry and will lead the side into the RBS 6 Nations which kicks off against Scotland at Twickenham on February 3.  

Vickery heads a 33-man senior squad which includes fellow 2003 World Cup winners Jason Robinson MBE (Sale Sharks) and Jonny Wilkinson MBE (Newcastle Falcons) as well as uncapped Bristol No 8 Dan Ward-Smith, London Irish No 10 Shane Geraghty and Saracens centre Andy Farrell. 

England Head Coach Brian Ashton said: “Phil is a player of massive experience who has been at the top of the world and he has a great desire to lead England back there again. He showed in the autumn that he is back playing international rugby well and both as a player and a captain he is the right man to take England forward.

“During the autumn Martin Corry handled the captaincy situation really well in what was a difficult period – and I thank him for that. He is still a vital member of the senior Elite Player Squad and we will be looking to him for support and advice in what will be a very challenging year ahead.”

Vickery, who led England to victory against Argentina in Buenos Aires in 2002, said: “It’s a huge honour to be asked to captain England. Everyone knows what a fantastic guy Martin Corry is – he led from the front in a tough autumn when he was getting a lot of stick and I feel very privileged to follow him.

“But I don’t just want the title. I want to be part of a successful team and I am looking forward to working with everyone to create that. I have always got on well with Brian and I have enormous respect for him.

“I am under no illusions about the challenge we all face but it’s also an extremely exciting time. This is a huge opportunity for people to stick their hands up and stake their claim.”  

Ashton welcomes back Jason Robinson, who announced his retirement from international rugby in September 2005, saying: “Jason is another who has won a World Cup and knows what it takes to be at the top of the world game in professional sport. Apart from being a fantastic rugby player he has outstanding values as a person which will be important to the England team in the coming year.”

A 32-man England Saxons squad, coached by Jim Mallinder and Dorian West, for the matches against Italy A (February 2, Exeter Chiefs), and Ireland A (February 9, Ravenhill, Belfast) has also been named, including Richard Hill MBE, who is back playing for Saracens after a 16-month lay-off with a knee injury.

There are six changes to the Elite Player Squad with Alex Brown (Gloucester Rugby), Hill, Robinson, Paul Sackey (London Wasps), Matt Stevens (Bath Rugby) and Ward-Smith replacing Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Shaw, Mark Van Gisbergen (all London Wasps), and the injured Andrew Sheridan, Charlie Hodgson (both Sale Sharks) and Michael Lipman (Bath Rugby). 

The senior squad will train at Twickenham Stadium on January 22, 23 and 24 and Ashton added: “I am delighted to welcome back players like Richard Hill, Alex Brown and Matt Stevens to the EPS squad but I’m sure that those players left out will see this as a gauntlet thrown down to prove that they are good enough to be part of England’s defence of the World Cup.”

England RBS 6 Nations squad