Henry Pollock and Noah Caluori are two breakout stars of English rugby, both enjoying stellar rises despite their tender years. Now the man who captained them both in England’s youth teams is ready to break into the senior setup too.
Gloucester’s Ben Redshaw, 21, has skippered both England Under 18s and Under 20s, helping the latter to a famous Junior World Cup win in 2024 alongside the maverick Pollock. The year before, he had been summoned by England boss Steve Borthwick to train with England’s senior team in France ahead of the 2023 World Cup opener with Argentina. Redshaw, largely a flying full-back, was just 18, but his call from Borthwick reflected how highly he’s rated within English rugby circles.
‘It’s been super impressive to see Pollock pushing on and doing what he’s done,’ Redshaw tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘You can just see he’s taken every opportunity. Noah was with us with England Under 20s in Verona last summer. He’s pushed on really well and his aerial skills are unreal.
‘Jack Bracken (son of 51-cap England scrum-half Kyran) is another young player who has had senior club games. You see those lads get the opportunities they have and that’s exciting. I know a lot of people have talked about our year group.
‘I’ve been held back a little bit (by injury). Watching what Pollock and others have done leaves you wondering what might have been a little bit. But for me, it’s about how can I do the same and take every chance to put myself in a similar position? Training with England in 2023 was an unreal experience. It’s always been my dream to play for England.’
Pollock, now 21, rose from nowhere to become a star for Northampton and a British & Irish Lion in Australia last summer. He is also now a regular in Borthwick’s England squads. Saracens wing Caluori, meanwhile, is 19 and has exploded on to the scene this season. He’s scored tries for fun in PREM Rugby, topping the charts with 12, and trained with England last autumn.
Gloucester’s Ben Redshaw is determined to make up for lost time after suffering injuries
When Gloucester faced Harlequins late last year, he announced himself to the Cherry and White faithful with two tries, the first of which was a tremendous solo effort
England Under 20s, led by Redshaw (back row, under ‘2024’), celebrate winning the 2024 World Cup in Cape Town
The latest product of the rugby hotbed that is Sedbergh School in Cumbria, which produced the likes of Will Carling, Will Greenwood and current England hooker Bevan Rodd, Redshaw has the talent to follow suit, now hopefully with fitness issues behind him.
Back-to-back serious ankle injuries, the second of which came at the 2025 Junior World Cup, hindered his development. But with PREM Rugby now back after the Six Nations, Redshaw is keen to make a mark.
‘It’s been a pretty tough run with injuries, but hopefully I’m out of that cycle now,’ he says. ‘When I started at Gloucester, I had 10 weeks of my foot being in a boot and then a further six getting fit. I wasn’t at my best. I had contact with Steve more when I’d just left school and was still with Newcastle. In the past year, I haven’t been able to string a run of games together. That’s the aim for me now.’
Born in Leeds, Redshaw also qualified for Scotland through his mother Christine. But when he made a try-scoring appearance off the bench for England’s A side against Spain last autumn, he committed himself to a white shirt rather than a blue one. ‘The England setup has always been the best place for my development,’ he says.
He also decided to leave Newcastle for Kingsholm prior to his boyhood club’s takeover by energy drinks giant Red Bull last summer. When Gloucester faced Harlequins late last year, he announced himself to the Cherry and White faithful with two tries, the first of which was a tremendous solo effort.
It showed just what he can do and he scored again in another win against Harlequins last weekend. And Redshaw hopes to continue his fine form when Gloucester face a revived Leicester at Aston Villa’s Villa Park on Saturday.
The Cherry and Whites have had a disappointing season so far, their two wins over Harlequins their only successes from 11 league games. But change is afoot at Kingsholm, with former Northampton boss Chris Boyd joining as a technical director and Rob Burgess moving from Bath to become general manager.
Wales co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, South African lock Jean Kleyn and scrum-half Dan Robson – currently in France with Pau – have all signed for next season too. Redshaw will be another central figure in the team’s rebuild.
Redshaw has seen his Under 20s team-mate Henry Pollock (left) go on to star for England and the Lions, and now wants to emulate Tommy Freeman (right) by moving to the centres
Saracens winger Noah Caluori, another of Redshaw’s World Cup-winning team-mates, is also on England’s radar – he leads all PREM rugby players with 12 tries this season
Redshaw can play in a number of positions so could be of great use to England
‘Hopefully, I showed against Harlequins my ability on the edge,’ he says. ‘The way I read the game is my biggest strength. It allows me to be one step ahead and be in the best position I can to get on the ball. I’ve always backed myself with my speed and in a one-on-one.’
Redshaw’s favoured position is full-back. But he is also comfortable at fly-half, centre and wing which makes him a very interesting player. Borthwick often likes to operate with a 6-2 bench split between forwards and backs, so Redshaw’s versatility could make him a valuable proposition in a similar way to Elliot Daly.
‘I’ve played everywhere since school, but the vision I get from the back of the field is what I enjoy most about full-back,’ Redshaw says.
‘I wouldn’t rule out pushing myself into midfield in the future, though, as Tommy Freeman has done. Having that versatility at international level is important.’