Danny Care and Zach Mercer have been named in Steve Borthwick’s 28-player training squad for England’s first World Cup preparation camp.
Care won the last of his 87 caps on the 2022 Summer tour to Australia, while Mercer’s two caps came in the 2018 Autumn Nations Series.
The squad, which meet at Pennyhill Park today, does not include players from the four Gallagher Premiership semi-finalists, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks and Saracens.
Three of the 28 players are yet to be capped by England, Cadan Murley, Tom Pearson and Val Rapava-Ruskin.
Billy Vunipola, Ollie Chessum and Luke Cowan-Dickie will also attend the camp to continue their rehabilitation from injury, while Joe Launchbury was not considered due to his own minor niggle.
Borthwick said: “We are excited to get into camp and begin the first phase of our preparations.
“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.”
England have four Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, starting on August 5 in the first of a double header against Wales.
They then travel to Dublin to face Guinness Six Nations champions Ireland at the Aviva Stadium, and then face Fiji back at Twickenham before making the trip over the English Channel for their Rugby World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9.
Steve Borthwick will announce his 33-player Rugby World Cup squad on Monday 7 August. 28-player training squad: Forwards (15)Jamie Blamire (Newcastle Falcons)Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)Ted Hill (Bath Rugby)Joe Marler (Harlequins)Zach Mercer (Montpellier Hérault Rugby)Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)Tom Pearson (London Irish)Val Rapava-Ruskin (Gloucester Rugby)Kyle Sinckler (Bristol Bears)Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)Jack Walker (Harlequins) Backs (13)Henry Arundell (London Irish)Danny Care (Harlequins)Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby)Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish)Will Joseph (London Irish)Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)Joe Marchant (Harlequins)Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)Cadan Murley (Harlequins)Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)Marcus Smith (Harlequins)Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)England Rugby World Cup Warm-Ups:
