View source for Will Carling

{{Short description|British Lions & England international rugby union player}}
{{For|those of a similar name|William Carlin (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
<!--as William Carling redirects here-->
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name             = Will Carling
| image            = 
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|OBE}}
| birth_name       = William David Charles Carling
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1965|12|12|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Bradford-on-Avon]], [[Wiltshire]], England
| height           = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight           = {{convert|90|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| school           = [[Sedbergh School]]
| university       = [[University of Durham]]<!--Hatfield College doesn't award degrees-->
| position         = [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]]
| ru_currentteam   = 
| amatyears1       = 
| amatteam1        = 
| years1           = 1987–2000
| clubs1           = [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]]
| apps1            = 
| points1          = 
| repyears1        = 1988–1997
| repyears2        = [[1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand|1993]]
| repteam1         = [[England national rugby union team|England]]
| repteam2         = [[British & Irish Lions|British Lions]]
| repcaps1         = 72
| repcaps2         = 1
| reppoints1       = 54
| reppoints2       = 0
| repsevensyears1  = 
| repsevenscomp1   = 
}}

'''William David Charles Carling''' (born 12 December 1965) is an English former [[rugby union]] player.<ref name=whoswho/> He was [[England national rugby union team|England]]'s youngest captain, aged 22, and won 72 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] from 1988 to 1996, captaining England 59 times. Under his captaincy, England won [[Six Nations Championship|Five Nations]] [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]]s in 1991, 1992 and 1995, and reached the [[1991 Rugby World Cup final|1991 World Cup final]].

He played for [[Rosslyn Park F.C.|Rosslyn Park]] and [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] at club level. In the [[1992 New Year Honours]], he was appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE).<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52767 |date=30 December 1991 |pages=10 |supp=y}}</ref>

Since retiring, Carling has pursued interests including corporate speaking and punditry. In 2018 he joined the England coaching staff of [[Eddie Jones (rugby union)|Eddie Jones]] as a leadership mentor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kitson |first1=Robert |title=Former captain Will Carling to bring leadership qualities to England |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/29/will-carling-eddie-jones-leadership-role |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=29 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
The son of [[Lieutenant Colonel]] Bill Carling, an officer in the [[Royal Regiment of Wales]], Carling was born in [[Bradford-on-Avon]]<ref name=whoswho>{{Who's Who |author=Anon |title=Carling, William David Charles |id=U10174 |year=2007 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U10174 |edition=online [[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford}}</ref> and educated at [[Terra Nova School]] in Cheshire and then [[Sedbergh School]], on an army scholarship.<ref name="wonline">{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Simon |title=Will Carling at 55, the man once 'universally hated' by the Welsh public |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/real-carling-55-man-once-19859564 |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=[[Walesonline|WalesOnline]] |date=19 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref>{{efn|In his autobiography Carling states this was actually an art scholarship, "worth all of £45", having discovered a passion for the subject at Terra Nova School.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carling |first1=Will |title=Will Carling : My Autobiography. |date=1999 |publisher=Coronet |location=London |isbn=0340696591 |page=14 |edition=Updated}}</ref>}} He disliked being sent to prep school but showed an aptitude for rugby and played above his age group, arriving at Sedbergh – a "big rugby school" – with a reputation as a serious talent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McRae |first1=Donald |title=Will Carling: 'I didn't open the curtains for a year, I was so battered' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/22/will-carling-i-didnt-open-the-curtains-for-a-year-i-was-so-battered |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=22 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

On 2 April 1983 he made his debut for England Schools in a 16–0 victory over Ireland.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bills |first1=Peter |title=Carling: A Man Apart |date=1994 |publisher=H F. & G. Witherby |location=London |page=72}}</ref> He narrowly missed out on a junior Grand Slam, with an England Schools side that included [[Kevin Simms]], [[Victor Ubogu]] and Carling's future Durham and [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] teammate [[Andy Mullins (rugby union)|Andy Mullins]], losing 13–12 to Wales.<ref>Bills, 1994, p. 73.</ref> Carling was made captain of the rugby 1st XV in his final year at school, albeit for [[Lent term]] only.<ref name="bills2">Bills, p. 66.</ref> Having also shown some talent for cricket, he sought the additional captaincy of the cricket team, but lost out to [[Mark Alban]].<ref name=bills2 />

===University===
Having decided for a career in the [[British Army]] like his father, Carling – after a gap year – took an in-service degree in Psychology at [[Durham University]].<ref name=whoswho/><ref name="bills4">Bills, pp. 81–83.</ref> This meant the "occasional weekend exercise", but otherwise military activities were rather limited.<ref name=bills4 /> He was an undergraduate student at [[Hatfield College, Durham]] (which had built a strong sporting reputation post-war), and was reunited with Mullins.<ref name=bills4 /> Carling did not enjoy the transition from school to university rugby, and claimed to have "stagnated" in terms of development.<ref name="durhamrugby">Carling, 1999, pp. 21–22.</ref> Playing his first year at [[fullback (rugby union)|fullback]], he had to accept a style of rugby that offered less creative freedom than he was used to.

{{Blockquote
 |quote = "Caution was the watchword and it was not something I was used to. Instead of running everything, as you are encouraged to do in the idealistic world of schoolboy rugby, I was coached to kick, to play safety-first rugby."<ref name=durhamrugby />}}

Carling strongly considered giving up rugby after failing to enjoy his first year on the pitch at Durham, but found himself rejuvenated during an old boys' match at Sedbergh; and this reignited a desire to succeed in the sport.<ref name=durhamrugby /> By his own admission he did not take his studies seriously and was often absent for lectures. He left with an [[British undergraduate degree classification#Ordinary degree|ordinary pass degree]] in 1988.<ref name=bills3 /> In January that year, Carling, still an undergraduate, made his debut for England against {{nrut|France}} at the [[Parc des Princes]].<ref name=wonline /> In May he was invited to tour with England abroad, but the start date clashed with his final exams. Consequently, he took his exams two days early, and to safeguard examination security, was driven straight to [[Newcastle International Airport|Newcastle Airport]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moyes |first1=Arthur |title=Be The Best You Can Be: A History of Sport in Hatfield College, Durham University |date=2007 |publisher=Hatfield Trust |location=Durham |page=150}}</ref>

Despite a less than stellar academic record, Carling had the opportunity to continue his education at the [[University of Cambridge]] and represent [[Cambridge University R.U.F.C.]], who had already recruited his Durham colleague [[Chris Oti]].<ref name="bills3">Bills, p. 86.</ref>{{efn|During the 1970s and 1980s, Cambridge often recruited Durham graduates as a way of enhancing their rugby squad. From 1974 to 1984, the Cambridge XV in [[The Varsity Match]] had at least one former Durham student, and usually more.<ref>H. C. Nicholson,'The Cambridge Connection', Durham University Rugby Football Club Magazine 1984.</ref>}} Carling did not follow up the invitation, believing it would be unethical to accept a place he had not earned.<ref name=bills3 />

==Career==

===Early career, 1987–1991===
The England rugby team were in a period of transition following failure at the [[1987 Rugby World Cup]]. There was a new manager, [[Geoff Cooke (rugby union)|Geoff Cooke]], and a new coach, [[Roger Uttley]], replacing [[Mike Weston]] and [[Martin Green (rugby union coach)|Martin Green]]. England's recent record was one of considerable underachievement, described by one writer as a "sprawling desert of failure, stretching back as far as 1963" — they had only won a single [[Five Nations Championship]] since then, [[1980 Five Nations Championship|in 1980]].<ref>Bills, pp. 108–109.</ref> The new season offered good prospects for younger players, as league rugby was introduced for the first time, establishing a "proper system which rewarded progress"; [[Divisional Championship (rugby union)|Divisional Championships]], which brought the best club players into regional teams, would not necessarily be the main method of selection in future.<ref>Bills, p. 110.</ref>

In February 1987 Carling made his debut for [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]] against the Metropolitan Police.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Llewellyn |first1=David |title=Rugby Union: Carling retires - reluctantly and with a hint of rancour |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/rugby-union-carling-retires-reluctantly-and-with-a-hint-of-rancour-1137865.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=The Independent |date=10 January 1998 |language=en}}</ref> He soon played for England B in a 22–9 win over France B.<ref name="herald">{{cite news |title=End nears for man Scots loved to hate |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12281067.end-nears-for-man-scots-loved-to-hate/ |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=[[HeraldScotland]] |date=7 January 1998 |language=en}}</ref> Carling sensed he had a chance of earning his first senior England cap when [[Kevin Simms]], a former England Schoolboys teammate, was selected to play against [[Romania national rugby union team|Romania]]. As Carling knew the strengths and weaknesses of Simms and "wasn't in awe of him", expectation that he might match this achievement grew.<ref name="callup">Carling, 1999, pp. 30–31.</ref>

{{Blockquote
 |quote = "...Simmsy was one of us. He unpicked the myth and also provided the motivation. If he could do it, then so could I. Maybe those blokes in the England side weren't so special after all."<ref name=callup />}}

Around Christmas 1987, Carling took part in an England trial for the [[1988 Five Nations Championship|upcoming Five Nations Championship]].<ref name=callup /> Initially he and Simms were set to be part of a junior team set to test more experienced "probables" including [[Simon Halliday]] of [[Bath Rugby|Bath]] and [[John Buckton]] of [[Saracens F.C.|Saracens]]; but both Halliday and Buckton pulled hamstrings, which saw Carling and Simms "bumped up". The team list was officially published the following Monday, and after some uncertainty, Carling realised he'd earned his first callup when a university friend phoned to congratulate him.<ref name=callup /> His debut against France on 16 January was a defeat, with England losing 10–9 in Paris due to a late French score. Later comparing the atmosphere in the dressing room afterwards to a "morgue", Carling was nonetheless pleased with his own performance.<ref name=carlingfrance /> Carling started the remaining games against [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]], [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] and [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]], with England winning the latter two to finish third in that years Five Nations Championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Five Nations 1988 |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/series/18050.html?template=results |website=ESPNscrum |access-date=31 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Five Nations 1988 points table |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/series/18050.html?date=19+Mar+1988;template=pointstable |website=ESPNscrum |access-date=31 August 2022}}</ref>

Though still expected to pursue a military career, Carling abandoned these plans.<ref name=wonline /> He has stated that, contrary to media suggestions, he was never "fully commissioned".<ref name=wonline /> By Carling's own account, he was due to attend [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|Sandhurst]] for the full officer training course in August 1988, but his status as an England international meant the army would not be able to accommodate his rugby ambitions. As a result, Carling opted to "buy himself out" of the army for £8,000.<ref name="carlingfrance">Carling, 1999, pp. 35–37.</ref>{{efn|This is Carling's version of events. It has also been reported that he simply resigned his commission when he returned from the [[1988 England rugby union tour of Australia and Fiji|tour to Australia and Fiji]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maule |first1=Raymond |title=The Complete Who's Who of England Rugby Union Internationals |date=1992 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |isbn=9781873626108 |page=33}}</ref>}} As rugby was an amateur game at this point, he accepted an executive post with [[Mobil Oil]] to make ends meet.<ref name=herald />

===1991–1995===
Under Carling England started to challenge and beat the established rugby union powers such as [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]] and Australia, and their success helped to make rugby union a more popular sport in England. English victories over New Zealand and South Africa in 1993 were perhaps the peak of England's performance under Carling.

Carling's career included the 1993 [[British and Irish Lions|British Lions]] tour to New Zealand. He underachieved on that tour, a pattern attributed by coach [[Ian McGeechan]] and manager [[Geoff Cooke (rugby union)|Geoff Cooke]] as at least partly due to his failing to secure the captaincy (this instead going to [[Gavin Hastings]] of Scotland) but also due to the ascendency in the centre of both [[Jeremy Guscott]] and [[Scott Gibbs]] of Wales. McGeechan and Cooke disclosed that Carling came close to voluntarily withdrawing from the squad; he did regain his test place and played a notable role in the third test. McGeechan commented in his autobiography that Carling's failure to rise to the occasion as a Lion (in contrast to Guscott) may be seen by some as the difference between his legacy as a good player and a great player.

Also in 1993, he became the second captain after [[John Pullin]] to lead and beat all of the “Big Three” Southern Hemisphere sides: {{nrut|Australia}}, {{nrut|New Zealand}} and {{nrut|South Africa}}, after beating the All Blacks 15–9. He had earlier led England to wins against Australia in November 1988, and South Africa in November 1992. As captain, he had 2 wins against Australia, 1 against New Zealand, and 2 against South Africa.

===1995 World Cup===
In the run-up to the 1995 World Cup, after England returned to form with their third Grand Slam in five years, Carling described the [[Rugby Football Union]] general committee as "57 old farts" which led to his sacking as captain. The incident had been provoked by administrator Dudley Wood's comments about England players' alleged desire to cheat by breaking the amateur ethic. He was quickly reinstated due to public pressure and following a public apology was able to go to the [[1995 Rugby World Cup]]. After a slow start, England found form and subsequently won all their group games, then knocked out Australia in the quarter-final 25–22, thanks to a last-minute drop-goal from [[Rob Andrew]]. They were well beaten by New Zealand in the semi-final, largely thanks to four tries from [[Jonah Lomu]]. Although Carling himself scored two tries towards the end of that game, and set up two more for [[Rory Underwood]], England lost 45–29. The subsequent loss in the third place play-off, against France, was England's first loss to the French in seven years.

Following his resignation from the England captaincy, he continued to be selected as an outside centre, usually with Guscott or [[Phil de Glanville]]; the latter succeeded him as captain.

==Life after rugby==
After his rugby career ended he became a TV [[Pundit (expert)|pundit]] on rugby union. He has also worked as a motivational speaker<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120904171646/http://www.nyt.co.uk/will_carling.htm "Now You're Talking"]}}. Retrieved 2 December 2008.</ref> and in 2001 founded Will Carling Management Ltd, a corporate hospitality company<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1332544/Will-Carling "Encyclopædia Britannica"]. Retrieved 2 December 2008.</ref><ref>Growing Business Online [http://startups.co.uk/sporting-heroes-to-business-leaders/ "Will Carling"], 20 June 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2014.</ref> which is also involved in the rugby social networking website 'Rucku'.<ref>[http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=iQzmA "Total Edge Network press release on Response Resource"], 2 September 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2009.</ref>

==Personal life==
Carling is married to his second wife Lisa, the ex-wife of [[David H. Cooke|David Cooke]]; the couple have two children. Carling was married to the television presenter [[Julia Carling]] (née Smith) from 1994 to 1996. Prior to their divorce, he was romantically linked by some members of the press with [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], the then-wife of [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Grady |first=Sean |date=1 July 2021 |title=What would Princess Diana's life had been like if she had lived? |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/diana-statue-unveiling-what-if-she-lived-b1874626.html |access-date=1 July 2021}}</ref><ref>CBS Worldwide [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dianas-secret-love/ "Diana's secret love"] ''[[CBS News]]'', 21 April 2004. Retrieved 2 December 2008.</ref><ref>Time.com [https://web.archive.org/web/20010211030400/http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/diana/readingroom/9697/32596.html "Sweep it under the rugger"] ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', 25 March 1996. Retrieved 2 December 2008.</ref> Carling has denied any such relationship.<ref>Ellam.D [https://web.archive.org/web/20060504203040/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20040926/ai_n12907021 "Will Carling: my life as the cad"] ''[[Sunday Mirror]]'', 26 September 2004. Retrieved 2 December 2008.</ref>

Carling, whose mother was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]] when he was an infant and later died from the disease, is a patron of the charity [[Breakthrough Breast Cancer]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Carling to gain youthful stepmother |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/2548947/Will-Carling-to-gain-youthful-stepmother.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=13 August 2008}}</ref>

==Politics==
In August 2014, Carling was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' opposing [[Scottish independence]] in the run-up to September's [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories &#124; Politics |work=The Guardian |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

== Matches as captain ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!No.
!Date
!Opposition
!Venue
!Score
!Status
!Notes
|-
!colspan=7|1988
|-
| 1
| 5 November
| {{ru|Australia}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|28–19
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1989
|-
| 2
| 4 February
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|12–12
| rowspan=4|[[1989 Five Nations Championship|1989 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 3
| 18 February
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]]
| align=center|16–3
| 
|-
| 4
| 4 March
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|11–0
| 1 Try
|-
| 5
| 18 March
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[National Stadium, Cardiff|National Stadium]], [[Cardiff]]
| align=center|9–12
| 
|-
| 6
| 4 November
| {{ru|Fiji}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|58–23
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1990
|-
| 7
| 20 January
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|23–0
| rowspan=4|[[1990 Five Nations Championship|1990 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 8
| 3 February
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]
| align=center|26–7
| 1 Try
|-
| 9
| 17 February
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|34–6
| 1 Try
|-
| 10
| 17 March
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], [[Edinburgh]]
| align=center|7–13
| 
|-
| 11
| 28 July
| rowspan=2|{{ru|Argentina}}
| [[José Amalfitani Stadium|Vélez Sársfield]], [[Buenos Aires]]
| align=center|25–12
| rowspan=2|Argentina Series
| 
|-
| 12
| 4 August
| [[José Amalfitani Stadium|Vélez Sársfield]], [[Buenos Aires]]
| align=center|13–15
| 
|-
| 13
| 3 November
| {{ru|Argentina}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|51–0
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1991
|-
| 14
| 19 January
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[National Stadium, Cardiff|National Stadium]], [[Cardiff]]
| align=center|25–6
| rowspan=4|[[1991 Five Nations Championship|1991 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 15
| 16 February
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|21–12
| 
|-
| 16
| 2 March
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]]
| align=center|16–7
| 
|-
| 17
| 16 March
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|21–19
| 
|-
| 18
| 20 July
| {{ru|Fiji}}
| [[National Stadium (Suva)|National Stadium]], [[Suva]]
| align=center|28–12
| Test Match
| 
|-
| 19
| 27 July
| {{ru|Australia}}
| [[Sydney Football Stadium (1988)|Sydney Football Stadium]], [[Sydney]]
| align=center|15–40
| Test Match
| 
|-
| 20
| 3 October
| {{ru|New Zealand}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|12–18
| rowspan=5|[[1991 Rugby World Cup]]
| 
|-
| 21
| 8 October
| {{ru|Italy}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|36–6
| 
|-
| 22
| 11 October
| {{ru|United States}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|37–9
| 1 Try
|-
| 23
| 19 October
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]
| align=center|19–10
| 1 Try
|-
| 24
| 26 October
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], [[Edinburgh]]
| align=center|9–6
| 
|-
| 25
| 2 November
| {{ru|Australia}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|6–12
| [[1991 Rugby World Cup final]]
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1992
|-
| 26
| 18 January
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], [[Edinburgh]]
| align=center|25–7
| rowspan=4|[[1992 Five Nations Championship|1992 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 27
| 1 February
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|38–9
| 
|-
| 28
| 15 February
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]
| align=center|31–13
| 
|-
| 29
| 7 March
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|24–0
| 1 Try
|-
| 30
| 17 October
| {{ru|Canada}}
| [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]]
| align=center|26–13
| Test Match
| 
|-
| 31
| 14 November
| {{ru|South Africa|1928}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|33–16
| Test Match
| 1 Try
|-
!colspan=7|1993
|-
| 32
| 16 January
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|16–15
| rowspan=4|[[1993 Five Nations Championship|1993 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 33
| 9 February
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[National Stadium, Cardiff|National Stadium]], [[Cardiff]]
| align=center|9–10
| 
|-
| 34
| 6 March
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|26–12
| 
|-
| 35
| 20 March
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]]
| align=center|3–17
| 
|-
| 36
| 27 November
| {{ru|New Zealand}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|15–9
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1994
|-
| 37
| 5 February
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], [[Edinburgh]]
| align=center|15–14
| rowspan=4|[[1994 Five Nations Championship|1994 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 38
| 19 February
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|12–13
| 
|-
| 39
| 5 March
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]
| align=center|18–14
| 
|-
| 40
| 19 March
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|15–8
| 
|-
| 41
| 4 June
| rowspan=2|{{ru|South Africa}}
| [[Loftus Versfeld Stadium|Loftus Versfeld]], [[Pretoria]]
| align=center|32–15
| rowspan=2|South Africa Series
| 
|-
| 42
| 11 June
| [[Newlands Stadium|Newlands]], [[Cape Town]]
| align=center|9–27
| 
|-
| 43
| 12 November
| {{ru|Romania}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|54–3
| Test Match
| 1 Try
|-
| 44
| 10 December
| {{ru|Canada}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|60–9
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1995
|-
| 45
| 21 January
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Lansdowne Road]], [[Dublin]]
| align=center|20–8
| rowspan=4|[[1995 Five Nations Championship|1995 Five Nations]]
| 1 Try
|-
| 46
| 4 February
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|31–10
| 
|-
| 47
| 18 February
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[National Stadium, Cardiff|National Stadium]], [[Cardiff]]
| align=center|23–9
| 
|-
| 48
| 18 March
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|24–12
| 
|-
| 49
| 27 May
| {{ru|Argentina}}
| [[Kings Park Stadium]], [[Durban]]
| align=center|24–18
| rowspan=5|[[1995 Rugby World Cup]]
| 
|-
| 50
| 4 June
| {{ru|Western Samoa}}
| [[Kings Park Stadium]], [[Durban]]
| align=center|44–22
| 
|-
| 51
| 11 June
| {{ru|Australia}}
| [[Newlands Stadium|Newlands]], [[Cape Town]]
| align=center|25–22
| 
|-
| 52
| 18 June
| {{ru|New Zealand}}
| [[Newlands Stadium|Newlands]], [[Cape Town]]
| align=center|29–45
| 2 Tries
|-
| 53
| 22 June
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Loftus Versfeld Stadium|Loftus Versfeld]], [[Pretoria]]
| align=center|9–19
| 
|-
| 54
| 18 November
| {{ru|South Africa}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|14–24
| Test Match
| 
|-
| 55
| 16 December
| {{ru|Western Samoa}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|27–9
| Test Match
| 
|-
!colspan=7|1996
|-
| 56
| 20 January
| {{ru|France}}
| [[Parc des Princes]], [[Paris]]
| align=center|12–15
| rowspan=4|[[1996 Five Nations Championship|1996 Five Nations]]
| 
|-
| 57
| 3 February
| {{ru|Wales}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|21–15
| 
|-
| 58
| 2 March
| {{ru|Scotland}}
| [[Murrayfield Stadium|Murrayfield]], [[Edinburgh]]
| align=center|18–9
| 
|-
| 59
| 16 March
| {{ru|Ireland}}
| [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], [[London]]
| align=center|28–15
| 
|}

===Honours as captain===
[[Rugby World Cup]]
*Runner-up: [[1991 Rugby World Cup final|1991]]

[[Six Nations Championship|Five Nations Championship]]
*Champions: [[1991 Five Nations Championship|1991]] ([[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]] and [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]]), [[1992 Five Nations Championship|1992]] ([[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]] and [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]]), [[1995 Five Nations Championship|1995]] ([[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]] and [[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]]), [[1996 Five Nations Championship|1996]] ([[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]])
*Runners-up: [[1989 Five Nations Championship|1989]], [[1990 Five Nations Championship|1990]], [[1994 Five Nations Championship|1994]]

[[Calcutta Cup]]
*Winners: 1989, 1991–1996
*Runners-up: 1990

[[Millennium Trophy]]
*Winners: 1989–1992, 1995–1996
*Runners-up: 1993–1994

== Honours ==
In 2021, [[World Rugby]] inducted Carling into its [[World Rugby Hall of Fame]], alongside [[Osea Kolinisau]], [[Humphrey Kayange]], [[Huriana Manuel]], [[Cheryl Soon|Cheryl McAfee]] and [[Jim Telfer]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Six legends to be inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame |url=https://www.world.rugby/news/668456?lang=en |access-date=27 October 2021 |website=[[World Rugby]]}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3280 Sporting Heroes] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3281] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3282] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3283] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3284] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3285] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3286] [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=3287]
* [http://www.lionsrugby.com/6012.php?player=2074&includeref=dynamic Lions profile]
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/rugby_union/706749.stm Englands forgotten hero - bbc.co.uk]
<!-- *[http://statistics.scrum.com/rugby_stats_05.asp?ID=ECA16 scrum.com statistics] -->

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Richard Harding (rugby union)|Richard Harding]]<br />[[Rob Andrew]]<br />[[Rob Andrew]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=England national rugby union team captain|years=November 1988 – March 1989<br />November 1989 – May 1995<br />June 1995 – March 1996}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rob Andrew]]<br />[[Rob Andrew]]<br />[[Phil de Glanville]]}}
{{end}}

{{British and Irish Lions 1989}}
{{1990 Four Home Unions squad}}
{{England 1991 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1993}}
{{England 1995 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{England national rugby union team captains}}
{{Barbarian F.C. captains for international games}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carling, Will}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham]]
[[Category:Barbarian F.C. players]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England]]
[[Category:Combined Services rugby union players]]
[[Category:Durham University RFC players]]
[[Category:England international rugby union players]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:Harlequin F.C. players]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Sedbergh School]]
[[Category:Royal Regiment of Wales officers]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Wiltshire]]
[[Category:1991 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:20th-century British Army personnel]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Wiltshire]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bradford-on-Avon]]
[[Category:World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]