Jamie George has been promoted to captain following the departure of Owen Farrell. Photo: Tristan Fewings/RFU
Throughout Jamie George's international career, the 33-year-old has always been a fan as well as a player.
The new England captain has now made 85 caps and toured for his country with the Lions in 2017 and 2021. But if he wasn't on the field, one suspects the next best thing would be sitting in the stands with his mates.
This unbridled passion for his country is one of the reasons Borthwick approached George to succeed Owen Farrell as England captain. That's why Borthwick's challenge to his player to make Twickenham a fortress again excites the Saracens hooker.
England's winning percentage at Twickenham since the start of the 2021/22 season is just 50 per cent. And even before he was named England captain last week, it dominated George's thoughts. “I couldn’t agree more with what Steve says, I think the record speaks for itself,” George told Telegraph Sport. “It's not good enough. The England team must not lose at home. Twickenham must be a terrible place to play.
“I think there are a lot of factors that go into it. I look at what Queens does with their Big Game from the perspective of making it a spectacle and getting the crowd involved. I think there's a lot to learn here. Similar to what we at Saracens are doing for our big game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We as players have a lot to work on because we want people to get out of their seats. I think it depends on how we play, how much pride we show, how strong we are and how much it means to us.
“Sitting with Steve and listening to him talk about how to do Twickenham Fortress is back and bringing fans to us is something I'm really excited about. And that's what I really think about.
“Every time I play for England, if we lose, I feel like we're letting the fans down. And I'd go on a roller coaster ride with people.”
George wants to reconnect the England team and his supporters: 'My uncle doesn’t feel any connection with England”
The relationship between England and its fans seemed strained at times during the World Cup in France. The atmosphere in the victory over Argentina in Marseille was rousing, but there were times when those who had paid a lot of money to travel to France booed their team, seemingly frustrated by the limited game plan.
It was when George returned home and spent some time with his uncle Robbie, who had been head coach of Midlands One East League team Old Taukestrians for the past 30 years, that he realized the scale of the restoration work needed. He intends to use his position on the board of England's new player representation company to resolve the issue with the Rugby Football Union.
“He [Robbie] says he may not feels that connection with the team and that's a red flag for me,” added George, whose father Ian was a dashing midfielder and striker for Northampton Saints, London Welsh and the Barbarians. “I don't have the answers right now, but I understand that it's important that if I'm given any roles or responsibilities within the team, whether it's on the roster as a whole or not, I want to make sure that we're trying to build that.
“It's also a very important reason why we, the England team, created this thing, so that we could sit down with Bill Sweeney [RFU chief executive] and say: 'We as players understand the importance of this connection, how can we improve it?' /p>
These are not empty words. George was among the England players who attracted interest from French clubs after the World Cup, but once Borthwick made it clear that he was in his plans, he became one of the first players to agree to new hybrid contracts offered by the RFU and has just signed new two-year deal with Saracens
'I grew up in Twickenham and I loved it'
George is clearly thinking deeply about how England can reconnect with their fans ahead of the Guinness Six Nations next month. If there's one thing that is likely to define his tenure as England captain, it's this.
“The main message I received after the World Cup after the semi-final in South Africa was one of pride,” he added. “There have been disappointments along the way and I understand them, but the fight and the character we showed in the semi-final I think brought pride back into the shirt, so I think there's a sense of excitement leading to that. Six Nations.
“And for me that's the minimum that England should be able to create, not just at Twickenham but anywhere. Showing how much it means to play for England has always been at the forefront of my mind. I went to Twickenham as a child and loved it. I want to play with a smile on my face and I want to show what an amazing opportunity it is for me to play there. I think it also helps build a connection with the fans.
“I think there is a way to connect with the fans off the pitch and also through the way we deal with the media, through social media and also through the way we speak and talk to grassroots clubs and invite those guys into travel with us. . Because I want the England fans to feel like they are part of this England team.
“It means a lot to me because when I was sitting there as a fan myself, I felt like I was part of the team. I want everyone to feel the same way and go on the journey with us – when it's good and when it's not so good – and enjoy the moments when it's good, because at the end of the day that's what it's all about.
< p>“I feel like it's a really exciting time to be an England rugby player and it's an exciting time to be an England rugby fan because we've laid a good foundation at the World Cup and now we have the opportunity to start and Let's really show what we do with a really talented young group of players who can go out and do something special.”
Jamie George is a Funding Circle Ambassador. For more information about Funding Circle and its range of financial products, visit https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk
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