Jamie Benson Ireland Rugby: Ex-England U20s Fly-Half Called Up

Jamie Benson’s Ireland rugby call-up is the surprise of Andy Farrell’s squad: the 24-year-old Ulster back, a former England Under-20 international, was named on Wednesday, October 21st for November’s Nations Championship. He is one of two uncapped players in the 36-man group, alongside Ulster back row James McNabney, and he has made just four appearances for his new province.

For me, the fly-half spot is where this squad will be judged. Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne are both injured, so Benson joins Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley in the mix, and his versatility makes him a clever selection. Here is who he is, why he can play for Ireland and what comes next. Our Andy Farrell Ireland squad page has the wider picture.

Jamie Benson Ireland Rugby: Who Is The Ulster Back?

Benson was born in Kensington in 2002, attended Hampton School and studied at Downing College, Cambridge. He came through the Harlequins academy and made his Premiership debut in November 2024. He spent four seasons at the club and made 44 senior appearances.

Fly-half was never an easy shirt to win at the Stoop with Marcus Smith around. Benson played 19 times last season, but only five of those came at number 10, as RUCK pointed out.

His best day in a Quins shirt came against Saracens in March 2025. Introduced at half-time with Harlequins 12-0 down, he kicked 13 points, with three late penalties and two conversions, in a 23-12 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was the club’s first away league victory over Saracens in 13 years.

Detail	Jamie Benson
Age	24
Previous club	Harlequins (44 senior appearances)
Ulster appearances in 2026/27	Four, three starts at centre
Positions	Fly-half, inside centre, outside centre, full-back
England record	Four U20s caps, England U18s, England A squad (no appearance)

He signed a two-year deal with Ulster, announced in April. His first start at fly-half for the province came against Zebre last weekend, when he partnered Nathan Doak at half-back and kicked two conversions in a 40-21 win.

Jamie Benson England U20s: Why He Can Play For Ireland

Benson qualifies through his mother, who grew up in Belfast. He represented England at U18 and U20 level and was included in a wider England A squad last November, but he did not play for the A side and never featured for the senior team. That left him free to pick Ireland.

He was open about the link when Ulster signed him. “I have strong family connections to the province through my mum, who grew up in Belfast,” he told Ulster’s website.

Farrell had already seen him up close. As the head coach told RTÉ: “Jamie Benson came into camp with us in the summer before we went away, so it was great to get to know him and see what he’s all about. But he started the season really well in a few different positions for Ulster, so that shows his versatility.”

Away from the pitch, Benson studied neuroscience at Cambridge and co-authored a study on how rugby training affects the knee-jerk reflex, published in the journal Cureus in February 2026. He also scored a hat-trick for Harlequins against Newcastle Red Bulls last season.

Ireland Nations Championship Squad 2026: The Fly-Half Picture

Farrell has had to work around a long injury list. Captain Caelan Doris, Crowley, Byrne, Jack Boyle, Jack Conan, Iain Henderson, Paddy McCarthy, Calvin Nash and Bryn Ward are all out. Conan hurt his shoulder in Leinster’s 48-23 win away to Clermont Auvergne last weekend.

“It’s always going to test you when you’ve got a couple of injuries in one position,” Farrell said. Dan Sheehan captains the side in Doris’s absence.

Andrew Porter, Ryan Baird, Mack Hansen and Tommy O’Brien return after missing the summer matches. Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park is in despite not playing for Leinster this season with a groin injury. Zac Ward, Cormac Izuchukwu and Jeremy Loughman miss out.

By province, there are 17 Leinster players, nine from Ulster, eight from Connacht and two from Munster: Tadhg Beirne and Craig Casey. Farrell also described McNabney, who returned this summer after a year out with an ACL injury, as “some specimen of a man”.

Ireland Fixtures And Full Squad

Date	Fixture	Kick-off (UK)
Friday, November 6th	Ireland v Argentina, Aviva Stadium	8.10pm
Saturday, November 14th	Ireland v Fiji, Dublin	8.10pm
Saturday, November 21st	Ireland v South Africa, Aviva Stadium	4.40pm
November 27th-29th	Finals Weekend, Allianz Stadium, London	TBC

Forwards: Ryan Baird, Tadhg Beirne, Billy Bohan, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Furlong, Sam Illo, Sean Jansen, Rónan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy, James McNabney, Darragh Murray, Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan (captain), Tom Stewart, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier.

Backs: Bundee Aki, Rob Baloucoune, Jamie Benson, Craig Casey, Nathan Doak, Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Stuart McCloskey, Jimmy O’Brien, Tommy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale.

Ireland’s 2026 has been mixed. They won the Triple Crown but finished behind France in the Six Nations, then beat Australia and Japan in the summer before losing to New Zealand. With the World Cup less than a year away, Farrell wants his side to “keep progressing”.

Jack’s Verdict

Calling Benson up is the right gamble, but I would not hand him the 10 shirt against Argentina. He has started one game at fly-half for Ulster and played only five of his 19 Harlequins appearances there last season, so Frawley, who has been in this system longer, should start. The case for Benson is real: he can cover four positions and kicked 13 points off the bench against Saracens. A late-game cameo is the ideal way to test him. The best outcome is Frawley starting against Argentina and Benson winning his first cap from the bench against Fiji, which would give Farrell cover in the backline without risking the autumn.

Your questions answered

Who is Jamie Benson?

Jamie Benson is a 24-year-old back who joined Ulster from Harlequins in the summer. He plays mainly at fly-half but can cover both centre positions and full-back. He is uncapped by Ireland and was named in Andy Farrell’s 36-man Nations Championship squad on October 21st.

Why can Jamie Benson play for Ireland after England U20s?

He qualifies through his Belfast-born mother. Benson won four caps for England U20s, played for England U18s and was named in an England A squad, but he never played for England A or the senior side. That kept him available for Ireland.

Could Jamie Benson make his Ireland debut in November?

It is possible. With Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne injured, he is competing with Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley at fly-half. Ireland play Argentina on November 6th, Fiji on November 14th and South Africa on November 21st, before Finals Weekend in London.

Who else is uncapped in the Ireland squad?

Ulster back row James McNabney, 23, is the other uncapped player. He has been in Ireland training squads before, including an alignment camp on August 31st. He returned this summer after missing the whole 2025/26 season with an ACL injury.

When does Ireland’s Nations Championship campaign start?

Ireland begin the second half of their campaign against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, November 6th (8.10pm). Fiji follow on Saturday, November 14th (8.10pm) and South Africa on Saturday, November 21st (4.40pm), with Finals Weekend in London a week later.

For more, see our international rugby news, the case for the Ciarán Frawley Ireland fly-half debate, our Premiership Rugby coverage and rugby on TV today.