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Ben and Tom Curry: The twins set to make England Rugby history

When the Curry twins first broke through at Sale Sharks as two young 18-year old prospects, their path to becoming the first ever twins to play for England felt inevitable.

Six Nations

In many ways, Tom and Ben Curry's life and sporting careers mirror their identicality.

"Twintuition" has long been somewhat of an urban legend. Twins have shown the ability to know what the other is thinking, answer questions the same way and even choose the same outfits.

As their early life reflects, only 90 minutes separates the oldest twin, Tom, and the youngest twin, Ben.

Playing for the same teams, in the same sports, in the same positions at the same time, Ben and Tom Curry's careers looked set to stay on the same trajectory.

It was only as they started to develop as top-level professional rugby players, that their play styles, progression and international prospects started to show signs of independence.

Nothing highlights this more than Tom Curry's 56 England Caps at the age of 26 compared to the six collected by his identical twin brother.

Although not always at the same rate, their journeys to the pinnacle of English Rugby have been linked from the very start.

Early Life

"They respect each other. But that competition between them is live and real and drives them massively."

The words of the Curry twins' first rugby coach, and father, David Curry, show a strong bond and relationship between the two which is one of support but fierce competition.

Growing up with both parents as teachers pushed the two brothers to their absolute best, prioritising training and homework over downtime and video games.

Competition is a theme within their entire lives, competing in Gymnastics, athletics, swimming, cricket for Cheshire academy and football for Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra's academies.

The twins would push themselves to the absolute limits, taking part in football and rugby at both school and boys club level every single weekend.

Competition was not just limited to sports. Academically, both brothers would push themselves to their absolute best, with Ben receiving seven A-stars and three As, and Tom receiving three A-stars and seven As at GCSE.

Premiership Breakthrough

Such has been the indistinguishable nature of their rise to the top, it's poetic that both twins made their professional debuts in the 2016/17 season, were U20 Six Nations champions and made their first England squad. All at the same time.

At the tender ages of 18, Sale Sharks found themselves two back-row prodigies to occupy their six and seven shirts for many years to come.

Stellar performances for their club side and at international age grade levels encouraged then England Head Coach, Eddie Jones, to call both brothers up for the 2017 summer tour of Argentina.

England Careers

Alongside England's tour of Argentina, 2017 was also the year of the British and Irish Lions' much anticipated tour of New Zealand.

This has historically allowed head coaches of the Home Nations to blood some new young players into their squads.

Eddie Jones took this opportunity with Tom Curry, handing him his debut in the first test against Argentina as England's youngest starter in over 90 years, five days before his 19th birthday.

By 2019, Tom Curry had established himself as an ever present for England, appearing in every match in that year's Six Nations, playing in a World Cup final and earning himself a nomination for World Rugby Player of the Year.

For (marginally) younger brother Ben, international appearances didn't come quite as easily.

In fact, it wasn't until England's 2021 tour of the USA, also a British and Irish Lions year, that Ben Curry was able to make his debut for his country.

This historic moment of two twins playing for England could have come much sooner, had Tom Curry not received the call up to be a part of that year's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.

In what would have been summers of huge honour for Ben and Tom, there would've been an air of bitter-sweetness that they weren't able to share the international stage together for the first time.

Missed Opportunities

Since his debut in 2021, Ben Curry has played for England just five times.

A lack of form and injury problems have all played their part in Ben Curry's stop-start England career thus far, and this has further delayed the brothers playing together.

However, 2024 was a year of breakthrough for the now 26-year-old flanker. He appeared in the Six Nations Championship in 2024 and also played against New Zealand in the autumn.

The match against New Zealand was the only game within the Autumn Series in which both the Curry brothers made the matchday squads and the twins claimed to have been given assurances by Head Coach, Steve Borthwick, that he wanted them to play together.

It wasn't to be, and Ben replaced his brother Tom in the second half of the match to make his sixth England appearance without playing together.

Six Nations 2025

When both players were listed in the England squad for the 2025 Six Nations, there would've been hope and an excitement within the Curry household that maybe this could finally be the year for them to play together for their country.

Head Coach Steve Borthwick, this time, has not disappointed. Ben and Tom Curry will start against Ireland in round 1 of the 2025 Six Nations and become England Rugby's first ever twins.

How will they play together?

Ben and Tom Curry insist that despite their similarities as people and roles on the pitch, they complement each other and offer the team different things.

Both openside flankers by trade, they are strong in the jackal and get through an insane amount of work.

The England back row for their Six Nations opener will be lacking in bulk, and therefore the Curry twins will need to make up for this in work rate and in turnovers.

Steve Borthwick has never shied away from making big calls within his England tenure, but the back-row composition he has named for this game is a risk.

Should it pay off, Ben and Tom Curry could find themselves partnered on the international stage for the entire Six Nations and beyond.

Other Rugby Playing Twins

The Curry brothers aren't the only twins to have played rugby together.

Below is a list of the other sets of twin brothers to have played the sport:

  • Gary and Alan Whetton - New Zealand

  • Anthony and Saia Fainga'a - Australia

  • Richie and Rory Arnold - Australia

  • Dan and Jean-Luc du Preez - South Africa

  • Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis - South Africa

  • Chuma and Chumisa Qawe - South Africa

  • Carlos and Sergio Souto - Spain

  • Diogo and Clemente Saavedra - Chile

  • Felipe and Manuel Contepomi - Argentina

  • Marcello and Massimo Cuttitta - Italy

  • David and Diogo Mateus - Portugal

  • Talon and Takoda McMullin - Canada

  • Poppy and Bryony Cleal - England Women

  • Emma and Jane Mitchell - England Women

  • Marine and Romane Ménager - France Women

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