| Full name | Benjamin Arthur Earl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Redhill, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 107 kg (236 lb; 16 st 12 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Tonbridge School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Queen Mary University of London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Benjamin Arthur Earl (born 7 January 1998) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and the England national team.
Earl's mother worked as a retail industry CEO and his father as a solicitor.[2][3] Earl attended The New Beacon and Tonbridge School.[3]
At school level, Earl played much more cricket than rugby; he was an all-rounder and played for Kent until he was 15.[3] He also was a serious competitive swimmer until he was 13.[4] He has said he was overweight until age 17.[4] He studied comparative literature at Queen Mary University.[3]
Earl started his playing career at Sevenoaks RFC and came through the Saracens academy.[4] He has stated that he prefers the freedom of playing flanker, but also plays Number 8.[4] In November 2016 Earl made his club debut against Gloucester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the following season he scored a try on his first Premiership start against Exeter Chiefs.[5][6] He started for the Saracens side that lost to Northampton Saints in the 2019 Premiership Rugby Cup final.[7]
In 2020, Earl agreed a new contract with Saracens and after it was confirmed the club would be relegated for the 2020-21 campaign, he joined Bristol Bears on a season-long loan along with teammate Max Malins.[8] During his loan spell, he started for Bristol in the final of the EPCR Challenge Cup as they defeated Toulon to win their first ever European trophy.[9]
He helped Saracens win the Premiership title in 2023, starting in the final as Saracens defeated Sale Sharks.[10]
Earl represented England at under-16 and under-18 level.[4][6] He was a member of the England under-20 team that completed a grand slam during the 2017 Six Nations Under 20s Championship and scored a try during the opening round against France.[11] He was selected for the 2017 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and scored a try in the final as England finished runners up to New Zealand.[12] The following year Earl captained the team as they finished runners up in the 2018 Six Nations Under 20s Championship and he scored a try in the final round against Ireland.[13]
In May 2018 Earl received his first call-up by coach Eddie Jones to the senior squad for their tour of South Africa and he was subsequently selected for the 2019 Six Nations Championship.[3] Earl was called up again for the 2020 Six Nations Championship and on 8 February 2020 made his Test debut off the bench as a replacement for Sam Underhill against ScotlandatMurrayfield.[8][14] He subsequently played in the final round of the tournament as England won away against Italy to win the competition.[15] Later that year Earl came off the bench as England defeated France in extra-time to win the Autumn Nations Cup.[16]
as of 22 June 2024[update][17]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 October 2023 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Argentina
|
8–0 | 26–23 | 2023 Rugby World Cup |
| 2 | 10 February 2024 | Twickenham Stadium, London, England |  Wales
|
5–7 | 16–14 | 2024 Six Nations Championship |
| 3 | 9 March 2024 | Twickenham Stadium, London, England |  Ireland
|
18–17 | 23–22 | |
| 4 | 22 June 2024 | National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan |  Japan
|
38–3 | 52–17 | 2024 Summer International |
|
England squad – 2023 Rugby World Cup third place
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| Forwards |
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| Backs |
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Head coach: Steve Borthwick | |
