Bristol Bears captain Fitz Harding has set out his aim of playing for England and going to the World Cup, eight years after he was turning out for Durham University’s fourth XV. In an interview with The Guardian before Bristol’s trip to Saracens on Saturday afternoon, the 27-year-old flanker said he wants to make himself “impossible not to pick” before England’s November Tests.
What happened
The Guardian reports that at the start of each season, Harding writes his goals for the next 12 months on the first page of a new notebook. He told the paper: “I want to win the Prem, I want to play for England, I want to go to the World Cup.” He also made clear that a squad place alone would not satisfy him. “I don’t just want to be in England’s squad. I want to play for England,” he said, adding that a phone call before the November Tests “wouldn’t mean very much to me.”
His route to the top level of English rugby was unusual. According to The Guardian, he was playing in Durham University’s fourth XV only eight years ago and had not been picked for any county age-group side or academy. “I don’t think anyone really saw it coming. I didn’t see it coming,” he said. When he left university in 2021, he said, he “very nearly just got a normal job” because he thought the gap to professional rugby was too big. That changed after he came to Bristol on trial and trained alongside established back-rowers including Ben Earl, Dan Thomas and Nathan Hughes. The paper reports that the club’s senior players then urged director of rugby Pat Lam to give him a contract.
Harding is now 105kg and 6ft 2in. He has captained Bristol for several seasons and has already represented England A and the Barbarians. Lam describes him as “a coach’s dream”. Fellow Bears forward Joe Batley told The Guardian: “Fitz has been captain for the last few years and it doesn’t take much to see why when you watch what he puts his body through on the pitch. You want to follow him and back him up.”
Harding was open about the kind of player he is. “I’m not necessarily X Factor, I’m not like a Henry Pollock,” he said. “But I feel my biggest strength is that I’m tenacious. I’m also desperate to win.”
Why it matters if you live in United Kingdom
If you have moved to the UK and are starting to follow rugby union, this story explains how the England selection debate works. The national head coach, Steve Borthwick, already has several established back-rowers. The Guardian names Tom Curry, Henry Pollock, Ben Earl and Guy Pepper. Players at Premiership clubs push for an England place mainly through their club form, and Harding’s case shows how that works in practice.
According to The Guardian, Bristol have already beaten Curry’s Sale and Pollock’s Northampton this season. Earl’s Saracens are next, followed by Stormers, Exeter, Leicester and Bath. Each of these games is a direct test against players who compete for the same England positions. The paper also notes that Sam Underhill is injured, which could open the door for someone in Harding’s position.
For fans in and around Bristol, the Saturday fixture is significant on its own terms. The Guardian reports that the Bears have never won at Saracens’ home ground, the StoneX Stadium. Harding warned against complacency: “We can’t rest on our laurels.”
Harding’s story also matters to anyone involved in grassroots or university rugby, whether as a player or as a parent of a young player. He was not part of the academy system that produces most professional players in England, yet he became a Premiership captain. The Guardian presents his rise as encouragement for late developers and as a reminder that selectors should keep an open mind.
What to watch next
The first thing to watch is Bristol’s match at Saracens on Saturday afternoon. A first win at the StoneX Stadium, with Harding leading the side against Earl, would strengthen his case. The Guardian says that if Bristol perform well in that run of fixtures, “the ball will be in Borthwick’s court.”
The second is England’s squad announcement before the November Tests. Harding admitted he is realistic about his chances. “I’m not ignorant to the fact Steve’s probably got his back-rowers in his head,” he said. “He’s got to give the lads he’s picked a chance. But it’s not going to stop the way I approach the game or my determination. I think there’s still more in me.”
Looking further ahead, The Guardian argues that England could do with several leaders in their World Cup squad, and that Harding’s experience as Bristol captain could count in his favour. For now, his stated aim for the season is simple: “I’ve got to make myself impossible not to pick.”
Source: The Guardian
Sources
- The Guardian: ‘I don’t think anyone really saw it coming. I didn’t’: Meet Bristol’s World Cup hopeful Fitz Harding, accessed 9 October 2026
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