Changing of the guard: The English rugby legends bowing out in 2025

With the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership season coming to a close, English Rugby says goodbye to seven of its all time greats.

Leicester Tigers' trio Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Mike Brown, Saracens' Alex Goode and Harlequins' Danny Care join former Leicester Tigers and Bath winger Anthony Watson and Harlequins' mercurial prop Joe Marler in hanging up their boots in the 2024/25 season.

With 600 international caps between them, it would be easy to underestimate the impact that their retirements could have not just on their individual clubs, but on English Rugby as a whole.

To truly understand the level of consistency and longevity demonstrated by these elite professionals, look no further than England's famous win over the All Blacks in 2012.

England ran out 38-21 winners in a performance that encapsulated everything good about the English game. Dan Cole, Ben Youngs, Mike Brown and Alex Goode all started that day with Danny Care waiting in the wings on the bench.

Now fast forward seven years to the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi final against the same opposition.

This was another famous victory for England, running out 19-7 victors in what is widely seen as one of the nations' greatest ever rugby performances.

Dan Cole, Ben Youngs, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson were all part of the squad that day, with Danny Care and Mike Brown only missing out due to injury.

There is a real feeling of change in elite level rugby of late. Clubs and countries are moving away from tried and tested veterans in favour of giving young players more of a chance.

This was a big reason for Dan Cole's decision, with the prop stating: "I am 10 years older than most of the guys in there with me and that's challenging as well. I don't want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long."

At club level, Danny Care (294), Alex Goode (281) and Mike Brown (280) are second, third and fourth respectively for All-Time Premiership appearances only behind recently retired Richard Wigglesworth (322).

While their careers as players have come to an end, their influence and contributions to the game will be around for generations.

Ben Youngs

Ben Youngs retires as a one-club man for Leicester Tigers and England's most capped player of all time.

Breaking through into the Leicester Tigers team at 17, Youngs has gone on to play 338 times for the club, scoring 47 tries and winning five Premiership titles and three Anglo-Welsh Cups.

He played 127 tests for England, scoring 20 tries and winning four Six Nations titles, as well as two British & Irish Lions tests in the 2013 series win over Australia.

Dan Cole

Another Leicester Tigers academy graduate, Dan Cole broke through at the club in 2009 following loan spells at Bedford Blues and Nottingham Rugby.

He went on to play 343 times for the Tigers - scoring six tries and winning four Premiership titles.

Cole is England's second most capped player with 118 caps, four tries and three Six Nations Championships to his name.

He also featured on two British & Irish Lions tours but only made the test team for the 2013 matches against Australia.

Mike Brown

Mike Brown made his Harlequins debut in 2005. He quickly established himself as one of England's best fullbacks, making 382 appearances for Harlequins and scoring 600 points in 16 years with the club.

He was a key player as the London club won their only Premiership titles in 2012 and 2021. He also won the European Challenge Cup in 2011.

Brown made 72 appearances for England at senior level, scoring 13 tries and winning three Six Nations titles.

After leaving Harlequins, Mike Brown ended his career with short stints at Newcastle Falcons and, most recently, Leicester Tigers.

Danny Care

Danny Care will retire as the second highest Premiership appearance maker of all time and a key player in Harlequin's most successful decade of their history.

Alongside Mike Brown, Care made 394 appearances for the club after breaking through in 2006, scoring 594 points and winning two Premiership titles and one European Challenge Cup.

For England, Danny Care spent much of his career as Ben Youngs' understudy, making 101 appearances, scoring 84 points and winning three Six Nations titles alongside a Commonwealth Games silver medal in Rugby 7s.

Alex Goode

Having broken through at Saracens in 2008, Alex Goode has played 402 times for the club in 17 years, scoring 629 points.

At club level, Alex Goode is one of the country's most decorated players, boasting six Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups as well as being named European Player of the Year in 2019.

Goode was largely overlooked at international level, however did still make 21 appearances for England scoring eight tries.

Joe Marler

One of rugby's great personalities, Joe Marler has recently shot to prominence through reality TV and social media, including featuring on a series of The Traitors.

He was a key member of the Harlequins side which won two Premiership titles and a European Challenge Cup, making 286 appearances for the club in total.

Internationally, Marler made 95 appearances for England, winning three Six Nations Championships. He also toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2017, although didn't make a test appearance.

Anthony Watson

Arguably the most talented player on this list, Anthony Watson burst onto the scene for London Irish in 2011 before earning a move to Bath in 2011.

Despite only making 171 club career appearances, mostly due to a series of serious injuries, his 42 career tries show the level of promise he had as a player.

Internationally, Watson was a key player for England when fit, making 56 appearances for his country, scoring 24 tries and winning three Six Nations Championships.

Watson toured twice with the British & Irish Lions (2017 & 2021) making 5 test appearances, the most out of these seven players.