Exclusive: Former England captain discusses stirring up controversy at the RFU, securing Grand Slam victories, and making headlines on both the front and back pages.
After spending sufficient time with Will Carling, one quickly realizes his enduring passion for rugby still shines brightly, fueled by a fervent desire to see the sport prosper. Has this passion led him into trouble in the past? Undoubtedly. This is evident when, at the young age of 22, he famously lashed out at the media during his third press conference as England captain. Carling is convinced that his unwavering passion for the game often put him at odds with the Rugby Football Union’s committee members throughout his eight-year captaincy tenure, despite achieving notable successes such as reaching the 1991 Rugby World Cup final and securing three Grand Slams to end an 11-year drought.
“In all seriousness, I found myself in confrontations with three of them at various events because of my immense frustration,” Carling reflects during a lunch conversation.
Whether it was negotiating payment for attending events during the amateur era or advocating for players’ partners to accompany them to away games, Carling reflects on how swiftly the RFU likely regretted Geoff Cooke’s decision to appoint him as the youngest captain in English rugby history.
“They probably assumed that a 22-year-old, with a military background and a private education, would be the perfect choice for England captain. Instead, they got someone who constantly challenged them, pushed for changes from the players’ perspective, and was never content,” Carling muses.
“There was a laundry list of incidents where they just wished Carling would disappear,” he reflects. “I knew they’d been gunning for me for some time. After the 1991 Grand Slam, we refused to hold a press conference because we were tired of reporters incessantly calling our hotel rooms. The players had had enough. I remember Dudley Wood, the RFU secretary, insisting, ‘You will get in that room.’ I told him, ‘No, I won’t.’ They were livid. But hey, sort it out, guys. You don’t look after us in any way.”
“And let’s not forget the almost comical situation when I was stripped of the captaincy before the 1995 Rugby World Cup,” he adds. “Caught on a hot mic referring to the committee as ’57 old farts,’ it was quite the debacle. I was at home watching the Pilkington Cup final between Wasps and Bath, and with the volume low, I couldn’t make out what the crowd was chanting. My teammate and Wasps’ No. 10, Rob Andrew, later informed me, ‘You ruined that game, didn’t you? The crowd spent the whole time chanting your name.'”
After Andrew and Dean Richards turned down the captaincy offer, Carling bumped into Martin Bayfield before the press conference where he was set to be reinstated as England captain, provided he publicly apologized, just two days after being stripped of the title.
“Bayfield said, ‘I’m devastated,'” Carling recalls. When Carling asked why, Bayfield replied, “Take That have broken up and you are being reinstated as captain. I don’t know how much a man can take.”
While today’s England players are a world away from those of Carling’s era, facing different political challenges and playing a game vastly different from 30 years ago, certain core principles endure. This is why Carling’s role as a leadership mentor in the previous regime under Eddie Jones, given his experience of captaining England in 59 of his 72 Tests, made perfect sense. He particularly worked closely with Owen Farrell.
“I find it unfortunate if that marks the end of his England career and that’s how it concludes. Owen is an incredibly proud and passionate England rugby player, and a very talented one at that. I’m aware there was a lot of commentary in the media and on social platforms, much of it not flattering. In my opinion, a significant portion of the frustration directed at Owen stemmed from dissatisfaction with England’s on-field performance, which ultimately wasn’t solely his responsibility.”
“Farrell’s generation grapples with social media pressures, whereas in the 1990s, I dealt with relentless paparazzi attention,” Carling reflects. “I was so much in the public eye that I even appeared on primetime television alongside Mr. Blobby. The funniest part was accidentally hurting Noel Edmonds when I stepped on his feet – I could hear him squeal!”
“In today’s world, there’s often the question of whether you could handle the pressure with social media being what it is. It was pretty intense back then, but when you captain England, you understand that you’ll be under more scrutiny than most.”
“However, my friendship with Princess Diana was on a whole different level of scrutiny.”
“The difference between the front page and the back page is stark. Yeah, it wasn’t pleasant. But hey, a lot of that was my own doing, so I can’t really complain. You have to learn from your mistakes. They were particularly fascinated by the relationships I mishandled… but looking back, it was all blown out of proportion. It made for a good story.”
“When asked about the moment in his career that fills him with the most pride, I expected him to mention ending England’s Grand Slam drought in 1991. Instead, Carling reminisces about his old midfield partner Jeremy Guscott convincing him to hobble to a pub on crutches after Carling’s final game as captain in 1996. The narrative when he was appointed was that of the ‘posh little idiot’ trying to win over some of England’s tough guys like Paul Ackford, Mike Teague, Peter Winterbottom, Paul Rendall, and Richards. That night at the pub, he walked in and found them all waiting for him.”
“That moment really moved me,” Carling admits, visibly emotional. “They were my heroes long before I ever played for England. For me, that was the pinnacle. It wasn’t about the 80,000 people in the stadium because they didn’t really know who I was. It was about those guys. They had witnessed everything, they had tolerated this annoying, posh little kid who was supposed to be their captain. If they thought I had done alright, it meant the world to me.”
“Richards was the toughest nut to crack out of that group,” Carling continues. “The offer of a beer left on the floor of the changing rooms at Murrayfield was perhaps a rare sign of acceptance.”
As the conversation shifts to current rugby topics, Carling shares his thoughts on Test eligibility. “The one issue I have is once you’ve made your choice, that should be it,” he asserts. “I don’t believe players should be allowed to switch countries once they’ve already represented one. That just doesn’t sit right with me, call me old-fashioned if you will. If you have a grandparent from another country, that’s fine, those are the rules. But changing your allegiance seems a bit… you can’t have it both ways.”
“When I see someone like Bundee Aki, who qualified for Ireland through residency, I don’t sense any lack of passion or commitment,” Carling observes. “I don’t think the Irish have any regrets about that decision. And I don’t think Aki does either.”
“Why shouldn’t he play for Ireland?” Carling continues. “He’s living here, his family is here. This is where his roots are, where his family and friends are. It’s only natural for him to want to represent this country, and I don’t have any issue with that.”
“When it comes to rugby, there’s a delicate balance between embracing its physicality and ensuring player safety,” Carling suggests. “Technology should be utilized to minimize injuries, but let’s not forget that rugby is inherently physical. For many of us, the appeal lies in its gladiatorial nature and the bravery of those who participate.”
He also shares insights from his own career, reflecting on the early years of professionalism: “I played during the first few years of professionalism, which were arguably the most mundane years of my life because nobody knew what being a professional really meant.”
Carling expresses admiration for the current England women’s team: “They are fantastic role models for young girls, demonstrating bravery, commitment, respect, and discipline.”
Regarding his own role in shaping the sport’s leadership, Carling remains open to the idea: “I have a deep love for the game. Depending on the direction of leadership in the sport, who knows what the future holds? The man who challenged the old guard running the show—what a surprising twist that would be.”
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