Steve Borthwick urges his England players to attract a new dynasty of rugby fans on summer tour of Japan and New Zealand… as he hails ‘incredible’ Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate ahead of Euro 2024

England coach Steve Borthwick has urged his team to attract a new dynasty of fans by making history this summer after discussing with Gareth Southgate the ‘privilege’ of leading his country.

Both Borthwick and his English counterpart Southgate face quite a few weeks in different hemispheres.

Southgate’s team begin their EURO 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday, while the England rugby squad are in Japan ahead of their summer opener in Tokyo on Saturday.

“I’ve spoken to Gareth a few times and exchanged a few WhatsApps,” Borthwick said.

“He has incredible experience in preparing a team at the top of international sport. I know (rugby captain) Jamie (George) and the players will send a message and we wish them all the best and hopefully a very successful European Championship.

England are preparing for big tests against Japan and New Zealand in the coming month

Southgate’s side start their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening

“It’s a discussion I’ve had with some top coaches about what a privilege it is to work with a team like this and get into big teams and big tournaments.

‘That’s special and privileged, that’s the best word I can use to describe it. I want this experience with the England team to be the time of their lives for the players.

“I want them to have a great time and win Test matches.”

England’s rugby stars have been given the green light to watch the country’s football matches this summer, although the time difference between the hemispheres could make that difficult.

“We will ensure that the players have access to it while prioritizing our preparation. We have some very enthusiastic footballers in the squad,” said Borthwick.

England take on Japan – now coached by their former boss Eddie Jones – on Saturday before traveling to New Zealand for two big tests with the All Blacks.

The match against Japan will be England’s first senior international not to be shown on regular television in more than 20 years.

With no real interest in the match from traditional broadcasters, it will instead be shown on RugbyPass TV, owned by World Rugby, the game’s governing body.

When asked if that was a concern for the marketing power of English rugby, Borthwick said he has urged his players to embrace the age of social media to raise their profile and that of the team. “I’ve spoken to a group of players and it’s clear we want to make sure we help grow rugby in this country,” Borthwick said.

England begin their summer tour against Japan on Saturday, now led by former head coach Eddie Jones

“One of the challenges we have is the younger age groups and their focus on rugby. I encourage the players to find different ways to connect with those younger age groups.

“We have some great role models on this team, so the more exposure we can get, the better. The number one thing we can do is build a successful England team.

‘That is what we strive for. At the same time, having positive role models is very important for me and this England team.

In Jamie we have a captain who is a very positive role model and we plan to take another step forward in building a successful team in this series.”

With Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, among others, England has a new generation of players on the way.

It is understood that the England stars have access to a media library of photos and videos from the RFU, from which they can pull content to use on social media.

It’s also been noticed that since landing in Japan, English players have been posting more behind-the-scenes content from the Far East, including trips to sumo wrestling and unusual animal cafes.

England have a new generation of players emerging, including Marcus Smith (pictured), Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

Borthwick has urged his players to embrace the ‘social media age’, with their clash against Japan set to be England’s first senior international not to be shown on mainstream television in more than two decades.

“The RFU have been very supportive with other aspects that we are looking at to raise awareness of the team and also increase the influence of the players,” Borthwick said.

“This is a very diverse England team and it is a young England team that has the ability to connect with people who follow the media in different ways.”