Owen Farrell Signs Two-Year Deal with Racing 92, Ending England International Career

England international Owen Farrell has signed a two-year contract with French club Racing 92, effectively ending his international career with England. Farrell, currently on a break from Test rugby for mental health reasons, had been in discussions with Racing 92 about a move to the Top 14 when his contract with Gallagher Premiership club Saracens expires at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Racing 92 confirmed the signing on their official website, revealing that Farrell will join them from July 1 for a two-year period. The 32-year-old fly-half, who has 112 caps for England, served as captain during the 2018 summer Test series in South Africa and was officially appointed as Dylan Hartley’s successor for the following year’s Six Nations. However, following England’s third-place finish at the Rugby World Cup, Farrell decided to step away from international rugby.

Farrell’s move to France means he will be ineligible to play for England due to RFU regulations which currently prohibit head coach Steve Borthwick from selecting players based abroad. His Saracens teammate Jamie George has been named as England captain for the upcoming Six Nations.

Racing director of rugby and former England head coach Stuart Lancaster, who handed Farrell his international debut in 2012, expressed his delight at the signing. Scotland international Finn Russell, who previously played for Racing 92, also voiced his belief that Farrell can succeed in the Top 14.

The transfer of Farrell to Racing 92 has sparked discussion about the increasing number of English players moving to foreign clubs. Journalists Riath Al-Samarrai and Martyn Ziegler highlighted this trend in a discussion on Sky Sports News.