Racing 92 statement: Henry Arundell confirms his future

England star Henry Arundell has agreed a contract extension with the Racing 92 until 2026, providing a hammer-blow to England ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

The 21-year-old joined the Parisian club in the summer after London Irish went bust, but was originally allowed to play for Steve Borthwick's England at the World Cup and in the upcoming Six Nations due to exceptional circumstance. However, just like with Jack Willis and Toulouse, his decision to remain in Paris will rule him out of contention to play for England until he returns to play in the Gallagher Premiership.

That means England will be without the rising star for a large chunk of the upcoming World Cup cycle, but he will nevertheless be available for the World Cup.

Racing president Laurent Travers said in a statement (translated on Google): “We are delighted to see Henry extend his commitment with Racing 92.. He has just joined our workforce  for a few weeks but has already demonstrated all these qualities of a great competitor and a great maturity.

"He fits perfectly into the club's short and medium term objectives and we are convinced that he will be one of the driving forces to achieve them."

Having only made his debut for England in 2022 as a 19-year-old, Arundell already has seven tries for England in ten matches. Though his minutes at the World Cup this year were low, he still came away with five tries- all against Chile in Lille. Life in Paris has started well for the outside back, with four tries already to his name despite only making his debut a month ago.

The Englishman is one of the most sought after players in the game currently, so this is a major coup for Racing to keep him at La Defense arena for the next three years, particularly as he will be unable to play international rugby for England during that time as it stands.