England’s next big thing is often to be found in designer boutiques on the Champs-Elysees, but on Friday night he will be on duty for Racing 92 in Salford – ready to make another thunderous statement about his towering potential.
Junior Kpoku has only just turned 19, but he is taking French rugby by storm, on the back of his key role in a monstrous pack, as England Under 20s won the junior World Cup in Cape Town back in July.
The 6ft 8in giant, who can operate at lock or blindside flanker, is making a name for himself so rapidly that he is regarded as the subject of a cross-Channel tussle for his services.
So, before coming on to his refreshingly candid declarations of intent, let’s immediately address some essential house-keeping.
The most pressing problem to Kpoku leading England to global glory is that he needs to come home first in order to be eligible.
England head coach Steve Borthwick recently visited Kpoku, in the hope of convincing the former Saracens academy prospect – who had a brief stint at Exeter – to return to the Premiership. But, despite wielding an enhanced Elite Player Squad contract from the RFU, Borthwick was unable to talk Kpoku out of agreeing terms to stay in the French capital.
Future England star Junior Kpoku has only turned 19, but he’s taking French rugby by storm
England head coach Steve Borthwick has already visited Kpoku to discuss the player’s plans
‘I’ve signed a deal until 2027 here,’ said Kpoku, in an interview with Mail Sport near his club’s plush training centre in the south-western outskirts of Paris. ‘I’m at a club where I’m stable, playing every weekend, I’ve got a good coaching staff and some of the best players in the world around me who I can learn from – the likes of Owen Farrell, Cameron Woki and Gael Fickou.
‘Re-signing for Racing doesn’t mean I’ve binned off playing for Steve Borthwick. It’s about how I can improve here so that I will be at the standard he wants me to be at, so I don’t need to play catch-up when I go back to the UK – if that’s next year, the year after, or the year after that. Steve understands my decision and respects my decision.’
At such an early stage of his career, it is flattering for the youngest of three Kpoku brothers playing in France to discover that he is already on England’s radar.
‘It is a huge honour and privilege for me to be in my country’s sights at the moment and maybe play for my country at the highest level,’ he added. ‘But I have to keep getting better at the basics here, then when I get back to the UK, if Borthwick gives me that opportunity, I can play my best for my country.’
The RFU’s strict policy against players based abroad being picked for the national team is bound to prevent Kpoku from being fast-tracked, even though his remarkable talent at such a young age could be considered as worthy of activating the ‘exceptional circumstances’ selection clause. Then there’s the not-so-small matter of his potential eligibility for France, on residency grounds, from 2026.
‘Yeah, that has come up,’ said Kpoku. ‘But France is not my country, it is just where I play rugby. For me, it wouldn’t feel right to represent a different country, that I wasn’t born in. I wouldn’t like it.
‘France is a great country, but I don’t think the Marseillaise would be for me. Playing for England is in my blood – I was born there, and my parents, my family, my friends are all from there. It’s better for me to represent my own country, not a foreign country.’
England fans should rejoice at this news from a forward of such imposing presence and clout, aggression and ambition. Kpoku has all the tools to become a mainstay of the Red Rose pack, whenever he is deemed available. He has been making waves in the Top 14 league and is primed to accelerate his rapid rise in Friday’s Champions Cup showdown with Sale.
Kpoku recently re-signed with the French team to extend his time at the club until 2027
The player has no shortage of self-assurance and all the tools to become a Red Roses mainstay
Kpoku is armed with supreme self-assurance. He is not afraid to call out established rivals, including his older brother, Joel, who is now at Pau after a productive spell with Lyon.
In an era of media-trained players having all their personality stripped out of them to avoid the spotlight, you will need to strap in for what Junior has to say about Joel.
‘When we play them again, I’m going to beat him up,’ he says. ‘I’m not the little brother when I’m on that pitch. He knows that. It’s going to be hard for him.
‘He says he’s going to rough me up, but let’s see if he can do that. I want to beat him up. I want to show everyone who’s the better Kpoku.’
Is that a younger-brother desire to settle a score from when they were growing up in north London? ‘Yeah. He used to beat me up. They (Joel and twin brother Jonathan) used to use me as a lineout jumper, to practise their lifting.
‘It was in the bedroom, when we were younger, living in Southgate. My dad would throw the ball in and they’d chuck me up. That was when I was about six or seven. I still remember it. Now, it’s time to get my revenge.
‘Once Joel made it professional, that’s when I really knew that rugby was my thing. It made it click even more when I saw Joel and Jonathan on the TV. I thought, “I want to do that, but I want to do it 10 times better than both of them”. I was saying, ever since then, “I’m coming for you”.’
Joel certainly isn’t the only target in the crosshairs. Junior makes no secret of his desire to take down renowned opponents and usurp experienced team-mates. He has no regard for reputation. When asked how he has been welcomed at Racing, he said: ‘They call me “Batard”, which means bastard. I’m just a bastard on the pitch. I’m the most annoying person on that pitch.
In a world of bland media-trained sports stars, Kpoku’s candour is refreshingly disarming
One of his rivals is his brother Joel, who is now playing at Pau after a productive spell at Lyon
‘I saw Henry Pollock (England Under 20 and Northampton flanker) said in an interview that he’s not afraid to say to international players, “That’s my shirt now”. That’s what I’m saying to Will Rowlands or Cameron Woki or Ibrahim Diallo here. I’m saying, “That’s my shirt, just keep it warm for me”.
‘That shows them, this guy means business. I always want to be the best player on any field that I step on. In my head, I always tell myself that I’m the best. You can’t have doubt. You always need to say that you’re the best, until a coach comes up to you and says, “No, you’re rubbish!”
That has not happened, far from it. Instead, those in charge at Racing – led by former England head coach Stuart Lancaster – are content to let Kpoku be himself. That means openly seeking high-profile scalps, including singling out one of the most intimidating figures in the sport.
‘When I played against Will Skelton, he’s a powerhouse but I managed to have him,’ said Kpoku, who is deadly serious. ‘La Rochelle have got one of the biggest packs in France and I wanted to go after the biggest – Skelton. That’s who I want to be.
‘I say, “Come on then, run at me, let’s go”. I start the war. We could be in a ruck, I’d clear him out and say, “Come on then, get up and come at me. Let’s go”. We’d get in a little scuffle, then he’d run at me and I’d get him. He’d say, “Alright, good luck”.
‘Sometimes, I can be arrogant, but that’s who I am. I’m not going to change. Our forwards coach will say, ‘”unior is one of the best forwards at the club and works his arse off, so let him talk”. If you are talking and not backing it up with actions, that’s a problem. I don’t want to look like a muppet.
‘If someone shuts me up or I’m not doing the things I’m saying I’ll do, I’ll take a step back. But, at the moment, I am going to stay true to who I am and not change a single thing about myself.’
There is a palpable, collective confidence about the tyros who have graduated with honours from England’s all-conquering Under 20s, having won the Six Nations before they swept to global glory a few months later. Pollock is making his mark at Northampton, Sale’s Asher Opoku-Fordjour is at the vanguard of a new generation of destructive props – including Gloucester’s Afo Fasogbon and Bath’s Billy Sela – and Kpoku is wreaking havoc with Racing. They all believe they can rule the world.
Led by former England head coach Stuart Lancaster, Racing is all too happy to unleash Kpoku
Mail Sport’s Chris Foy sat down with the player in Paris, where he moved to last autumn
‘It’s our mindset,’ said Kpoku. ‘We know what we can achieve and what we can bring to England rugby. In a few years, we could win the World Cup, I think.
‘What are they waiting for? We are hungry. Pollock is hungry to take Curry’s spot or Ben Earl’s. It’s the same with Asher, he has taken someone’s spot. Afo can follow in his footsteps.’
Kpoku describes the Top 14 as a ‘battlefield’ where his game has developed significantly since he moved to Paris last autumn. Having seen himself as an out-and-out lock, he has been deployed to telling effect in the back row. Now he wants to surpass one of England’s modern-day greats.
‘Having different positions; four, five, six, reminds me of Courtney Lawes,’ said Kpoku. ‘He’s my height – but he’s probably smaller (weight) than me. Can I get to his level? Can I be better than him? That’s what I am asking myself. How can I be the best four, five, six in the world?’
Kpoku’s family moved over from the Democratic Republic of Congo to live in Hackney, before having five children: Stephen, Patricia, Joel, Jonathan and Junior. The youngest of the clan had presence from the outset.
‘I’ve always been a unit, ever since I was in my mum’s belly, apparently,’ he joked. ‘I was the heaviest out of all the siblings – and hopefully the best!’
Junior has been back to his birthplace twice and wants to go again soon. He likes to sample his mother’s cooking, which provides a link to the family’s African heritage, including Congolese dishes such as madesu – beans with sauce, and makayabu – salt fish with vegetables and spices. ‘It’s really good food and it gets us big and strong like Fijians!’ he said.
Growing up, Kpoku admits he lacked focus at school. ‘I was naughty,’ he said, ‘the class clown.’ But as a professional sporting career beckoned, he became aware of a need to take responsibility. ‘I decided that I needed to help my family and the only way I could do that was by playing rugby.
Kpoku’s ferocious work effort is in part inspired by his desire for financial stability – and a love of designer footwear
‘It gives me motivation every day to work hard, then perform at the weekend, so I can buy things for my family. Christmas is coming up and I need to get some stuff for my three nephews. I like being able to help people. If I see someone (sleeping rough) on the streets, I give them money.
‘I am privileged to be able to go to shops and buy anything I want. Back in the day, I couldn’t buy what I wanted. I couldn’t go to Dior or Nike or Adidas and say, “Mum, dad, can I get that?”.
‘We didn’t have the money to do that. Now that I do, I give some to other people, even if it’s not clothes – or give them food. I’d rather do that for other people than just treat myself every day.’
Watch Kpoku in action on the field and few would have him down as a keen shopper and follower of fashion, with an impressive footwear collection.
‘I’ve got about 20, 22 pairs,’ he said. ‘They’re mostly designers. I’ve got five pairs of Travis Scotts. I love Travis Scott. He’s a rapper in the USA and he does a collab with Nike, so I decided to buy his shoes. I’m wearing some here.
‘There are two sides to Junior. When I’m working, there’s rugby in my head. When I’m not working, when I switch off, I’ll be out buying clothes and shoes, or going out with my mates. I love having two personalities. I’m in the shops on the Champs-Elysees all the time.’
As soon as possible, Borthwick and everyone in the England setup will be hoping that, for Kpoku, the shopping excursions are closer to home.
Perhaps he will find what he wants in Oxford Street or Regent Street – and at Twickenham, where the next big thing is destined to end up one day, in the only international colours that he wants to wear, singing the only anthem he wants to sing.
