Premiership clubs will face fines of up to £250,000 if they fail to field a quota of England-qualified players (EQPs) this season.

In the 2024-25 campaign, the 10 teams must, on average, have 15 England-qualified players (EQPs) in their 23-man squads over the course of the league season.

Dipping below that number in designated periods – between round one this weekend and round nine at the end of December – will incur financial sanctions.

Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, has previously voiced his concern that homegrown players were being blocked by internationals  from other nations, such as Cameron Redpath and André Esterhuizen.

He has been particularly forthright on the subject of inside centres and the line-ups for round one have continued that pattern. Among those picked to start at inside centre for the 10 Premiership sides this weekend, seven have represented countries other than England.

There are three Wales internationals, Joe Hawkins (Exeter Chiefs), Nick Tompkins (Saracens) and Max Llewellyn (Gloucester), an Ireland international, Sammy Arnold (Newcastle Falcons), a Scotland international, Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Solomone Kata (Leicester Tigers), a Tonga international, and Rob du Preez (Sale Sharks), who has won one cap for South Africa.

Under rules set out by World Rugby, the global governing body, Arnold is theoretically eligible for England given he was born in Redhill and it is more than three years since his last Ireland appearance. Will Butt, of Bath, James Williams, of Bristol Bears, and Lennox Anyanwu, of Harlequins, who was name-checked by Borthwick last season, are the remaining England-qualified inside centres to start.

No club appear to have picked fewer than 15 EQPs for round one and, in more encouraging news for the England pathway in another position of concern, the reigning Under-20 world champions will contribute two starting tighthead props. Gloucester will field Afo Fasogbon from the start against Saracens, with Sale opting for Asher Opoku-Fordjour in the number three shirt.

Earlier this week, Bath boss Johann van Graan suggested that a third tighthead prop from that team, Billy Sela, would make his Premiership debut at some point in the coming months. Van Graan has not yet sent the youngster on loan to a Championship club.

Elsewhere around the competition, senior England internationals have been reintegrated gradually. Although there are starts for players such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso at Exeter and Ollie Chessum, who will captain Leicester at Sandy Park, others will begin their domestic seasons from the bench.

Saracens will be led by Maro Itoje, their new club captain, but have held back Jamie George and Ben Earl, with Marcus Smith among Harlequins’ replacements for their trip to Sale.

The 2024-25 campaign will kick off under the guidance of a new professional game partnership (PGP), which will limit players to 30 game involvements per season and possibly sanction any clubs whobreak those rules.

Over the coming weeks, Borthwick is due to finalise a group of up to 25 players who will receive enhanced elite player squad (EPS) contracts. According to the PGP, he will have the “final say” on medical matters involving that cohort.