England name their elite squad

Luger in, Catt left out in the cold

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced the 59 English players who will make up the Elite Player Squad (EPS) for the 2004/05 season.

Following a recent agreement between the RFU and the Zurich Premiership clubs, members of the EPS are guaranteed an 11-week break per season and will play no more than 32 games a year.

Each player will also benefit from individually agreed playing, training and rest programmes. 

The groug of 59 men will come under the direction of England coach Clive Woodward, National Academy manager Brian Ashton and Sevens coach Mike Friday.

Most of the usual suspects are included within the senior squad of 40 players, with the notable exception of England veteran Mike Catt who was capped during England's tour of Australasia in June and who has yet to announce his retirement from Test rugby.

Bath playmaker Olly Barkley and Sale Sharks forward Chris Jones - who played pivotal parts in England's 2004 Six Nations campaign - also receive snubs, albeit of a less severe nature.

The pair are included in the 15-man Senior National Academy squad alongside Wasps winger Tom Voyce and Bath prop Matt Stevens - both members of England's June tour.

Perpignan flyer Dan Luger is included in the senior squad despite not having featured for England since the 2003 Rugby World Cup, whilst Leicester Tigers hooker George Chuter and Gloucester lock Alex Brown also benefit from full recognition.

Newcastle Falcons' 18-year-old centre Mathew Tait and 19-year-old London Wasps flanker Tom Rees have both been included in the Senior National Academy squad.

Other notable absentees from the group of 59 include Dave Walder, Michael Lipman, Tim Payne, Michael Stephenson, Will Green, Fraser Waters and Phil Christophers - although exclusion from the EPS does not necessarily equate to exclusion from international duty.

Meanwhile, the new EPS deal stipulates that clubs will receive £30,000 (US$55,000) per annum for each player they provide to the scheme.

Leicester Tigers - who supply 10 players - will earn £300,000 (US$550,000) for their contribution, whilst London Irish - the only Zurich Premiership club not represented in the squad - will receive nothing.

ELITE PLAYER SQUAD 2004-2005: 

SENIOR SQUAD:

Abbott, Stuart - London Wasps
Balshaw, Iain - Leeds Tykes
Borthwick, Steve - Bath
Brown, Alex - Gloucester
Chuter George - Leicester Tigers
Cohen, Ben - Northampton Saints
Corry, Martin - Leicester Tigers
Dallaglio, Lawrence - London Wasps
Dawson, Matt - London Wasps
Flatman, David - Bath
Gomarsall, Andy - Gloucester
Greenwood, Will - NEC Harlequins
Grewcock, Danny - Bath
Hazell, Andy - Gloucester
Hill, Richard - Saracens
Hodgson, Charlie - Sale Sharks
Kay, Ben - Leicester Tigers
King, Alex - London Wasps
Lewsey, Josh - London Wasps
Luger, Dan - Perpignan
Moody, Lewis - Leicester Tigers
Noon, Jamie - Newcastle Falcons
Paul, Henry - Gloucester
Regan, Mark - Leeds Tykes
Robinson, Jason - Sale Sharks
Rowntree, Graham - Leicester Tigers
Sanderson, Alex - Saracens
Scarbrough, Dan - Saracens
Shaw, Simon - London Wasps
Simpson-Daniel, James - Gloucester
Thompson, Steve - Northampton Saints
Tindall, Mike - Bath
Titterrell, Andy - Sale Sharks
Vickery, Phil - Gloucester
Vyvyan, Hugh - Saracens
White, Julian - Leicester Tigers
Wilkinson, Jonny - Newcastle Falcons
Woodman, Trevor - Sale Sharks
Worsley, Joe - London Wasps
Worsley, Mike - NEC Harlequins

SENIOR NATIONAL ACADEMY:

Barkley, Olly - Bath
Christophers, Phil - Leeds Tykes
Deacon, Louis - Leicester Tigers
Ellis, Harry - Leicester Tigers
Forrester, James - Gloucester
Jones, Chris -Sale Sharks
Palmer, Tom - Leeds Tykes
Rees, Tom - London Wasps
Sheridan, Andy - Sale Sharks
Skinner, Will - Leicester Tigers
Smith, Ollie - Leicester Tigers
Stevens, Matt - Bath
Stuart-Smith, Clive - Worcester
Tait, Mathew - Newcastle Falcons
Voyce, Tom - London Wasps

SEVENS:

Dowson, Phil - Newcastle Falcons
Haughton, Richard - Saracens
Monye, Ugo - NEC Harlequins
Sanderson, Pat - Worcester