Throughout Jamie George’s international career, the 33-year-old has been as much a fan as he was a player.
The New England captain now has 85 caps for his country and toured with the Lions in 2017 and 2021. But had he not been on the pitch, one suspects the next best thing would have been sitting in the stands with his mates.
This unbridled passion for his country is one of the reasons why Borthwick turned to George to replace Owen Farrell as England captain. That’s why the Saracens hooker was so excited when Borthwick challenged his player to turn Twickenham into a goal again.
England’s win rate at Twickenham stands at just 50 per cent since the start of 2021-22. Even before he was appointed England captain last week, the issue dominated George’s thoughts. George told Telegraph Sport: “I couldn’t agree more with what Steve said, I think the record speaks for itself.” “Not good enough. An England team should not lose at home. Twickenham must be a terrible place to come and play.
“I think there are a lot of factors that influence that. I look at what Quins are doing with their ‘Big Game’ in terms of turning things into a spectacle and getting the crowd involved in that sense. I think there are lessons to be learned from there. The same thing we’re doing as Saracens for our big game at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
“We’ve got some work to do as players because we want people to get out of their seats. I think it comes down to the way we play, how proud we are, how physical we are and how important that is to us.
“Sitting down with Steve and listening to him talk about making Twickenham a home base again and bringing the fans in is something I can relate to a lot. And it’s something that’s really at the forefront of my mind.
“Every time I play for England, I feel like we let the fans down if we lose. “And I would go on that rollercoaster with people.
‘My uncle does not feel a connection with England’
The relationship between the England team and their fans appeared strained at times during the World Cup campaign in France. The atmosphere in the back-to-the-wall victory over Argentina in Marseille was exciting, but there were also times when those who had paid big money to travel to France found themselves booing their own team, seemingly frustrated by the limited game plan.
When George returned home and spent some time with his uncle Robbie, who has been head coach of Midlands One East League side Old Towcestrians for the past 30 years, he realized the extent of the rebuilding work required. He plans to use his position on the board of the new England Team company set up to represent players to take up the issue with the Rugby Football Union.
“HE [Robbie] “He’s probably talking about not feeling that connection with the team and that’s a red flag for me,” added George, whose father Ian is a dashing scrum-half and winger for Northampton Saints, London Welsh and the Barbarians. “I don’t have the answers at the moment but from what I understand there’s no room within the team. If I’m given a role or responsibility, I want to make sure it’s on the team as a whole or not. We are trying to build this.
“There’s also a really important reason why we, as Team England, have arranged this thing to be able to sit down with Bill Sweeney.” [the RFU chief executive] and we say: ‘We as players see the importance of this connection, how can we improve it?’”
These are not words to be thrown around. George was among the England players who attracted interest from French clubs following the World Cup, but Borthwick has only just been transferred, becoming one of the first players to accept new hybrid contracts offered by the RFU after stating he was part of their plans. He signed a new two-year deal with Saracens.
‘I grew up going to Twickenham and loved it’
It’s clear George is thinking hard about how the England team can reconnect with their fans before the Guinness Six Nations Championship kicks off next month. If anything will define his tenure as England captain, it is this.
“The most important message I got from the World Cup after the South African semi-final was pride,” he added. “There have been disappointments throughout this journey and I understand those, but the fight and character we showed in the semi-final brought pride back into the jersey, so I think there is a sense of excitement that has led to this Six Nations.
“And to me that’s the minimum that the England team should be able to create, not just at Twickenham but everywhere. For me it’s always been about showing how important it is to play for England. I grew up going to Twickenham as a kid and loved it. It’s a look on my face.” I want to play with a smile and show what an amazing opportunity it is for me to play there and I think it creates a connection with the fans as well.
“I think the way we talk and speak to the media, social media, grassroots clubs is a way of connecting with fans off the field as well and taking those guys on a journey with us… because I want England fans to feel like they are part of this England team.
“It means a lot to me because when I sat there as a fan, I felt like part of the team. I want everyone to feel that way and come on the journey with us – when it’s good and when it’s not – and enjoy the moments when it’s good because in the end that’s what matters.”
“I think it’s a really exciting time to be an England rugby player and it’s an exciting time to be an England rugby fan too because we’ve laid some good foundations in the World Cup and now this is an opportunity for us and some really talented youngsters who can do some special things.” “We will really show what we do with a group of players.”
Jamie George is an ambassador for Funding Circle. For more information about Funding Circle and its range of financial products, visit: https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk