Owen Farrell has the full support of England head coach Steve Borthwick after deciding to take a break from international rugby to prioritize his and his family’s mental health.
This means England captain Farrell, who has led his country to the last two World Cups and has 112 caps, will not feature in this season’s Six Nations Championship.
Following his absence (no date has been announced for his Test return) and the international retirement of Courtney Lawes, Bristol’s Ellis Genge is his likely successor as captain.
England captain Owen Farrell will take a break from international rugby to prioritize his and his family’s mental health
Owen has the full support of everyone at England Rugby 🌹
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) 29 November 2023
George Ford will be the favorite to take on Farrell’s fly-half role in the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on February 3, with Marcus Smith also a contender.
Borthwick said: “Everyone at England Rugby is fully behind Owen’s decision.
“Since his debut he has been an integral part of the England structure for over a decade and the demands placed on elite athletes are extremely demanding.
“He is an exemplary player, captain and leader and always does his best for his country.
“It was typically courageous for Owen to make the decision to open in this way.
“Along with all of us at England Rugby, I will do everything I can to ensure he gets the support he needs going forward.”
In a statement announcing the surprise and thought-provoking development, Farrell’s club Saracens said: “Owen Farrell has decided to take a break from international rugby to prioritize his and his family’s mental health.
“This means he will not be available for selection for the 2024 Six Nations.
Owen Farrell will take a break from international rugby to prioritize his and his family’s mental health. Owen has the full support of RPA. pic.twitter.com/q9JvPxPW90
— RPA (@theRPA) 29 November 2023
“He will continue to play for Saracens and captain the club.
“As always, Owen will have the full support of everyone at the club.”
Meanwhile, the Rugby Players’ Association added: “Owen Farrell has the unconditional support of everyone at the RPA.
“He is a leader and a figure in English football, but also an individual, a husband and a father. “His well-being comes first and we will support him in any way we can going forward.”
Former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward, who led the team to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, praised Farrell for his “brave and correct decision”.
Woodward told the Daily Mail: “It is also a great sadness and disappointment that Farrell’s move did not come as a huge surprise, given the extraordinary weight he has had to shoulder and the unfair criticism he has had to face. Only he will know how much of an impact this had on his decision.
“Farrell is one of England’s best ever players. He is the national captain and the country’s record scorer. He achieved incredible success with England, Saracens and the Lions.
“But that wasn’t enough for some. For whatever reason, he never got the credit he deserved. In fact, he was criticized a lot, often personally and unfairly. I wonder if that had an impact.
“I hope that thanks to the decision and the overwhelming support he has received, Farrell will now be able to look forward with newfound freedom.
“I hope Farrell sets the tone and inspires new thinking in this area. Why isn’t it more common to take paid leave?”
I’ve said this many times @owen_faz our captain and potentially England’s best ever player. The level of abuse he receives is sickening. It turned out @standardspor You can use the pod this week, but I really think it’s time for player permissions, those are the demands of today’s game. pic.twitter.com/0ZTEQS7wuz
— Lawrence Dallaglio (@dallaglio8) 29 November 2023
Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio spoke of the “sickening” level of abuse Farrell was subjected to.
Dallaglio posted on social media: “I’ve said it many times @owen_faz (Farrell) is our captain and potentially England’s best ever player.
“The level of abuse he received is sickening. “I really think it’s time for player leave, those are the demands of today’s game.”
Farrell guided England to a third-place finish at last month’s World Cup in France, but the course of the tournament was anything but straightforward for him.
He received a red card in a World Cup warm-up match against Wales, but sparked a huge outcry when an independent disciplinary panel cleared him following a shoulder tackle on the head of Wales striker Taine Basham. An important ban.
World Rugby later appealed this decision and England were handed a four-match ban, which included the opening two World Cup fixtures against Argentina and Japan.
Farrell’s father – Ireland head coach Andy Farrell – described media coverage of the episode as “a circus”, while Borthwick said in August: “The comments around the incident seem to be moving from an issue with the tackle to personal attacks on the man’s character, which I think is completely wrong.”
Farrell, 32, has faced significant attacks on social media and was occasionally booed by sections of the crowd during England matches during the World Cup.
Farrell, who made his England debut in 2012, recently broke the England record with 1,237 points, surpassing Jonny Wilkinson.
He captained England at the World Cup in the 2019 and 2023 tournaments and also featured on three British and Irish Lions tours.