sport courtney lawes
England is a country that is part of the ___MASK96___ . It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west . The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest . England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south . The country covers five - eighths of the island of Great Britain ( which lies in the North Atlantic ) in its centre and south ; and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly , and the Isle of Wight . Birmingham is a major city and metropolitan borough of West Midlands , England . It is the largest and most populous British city outside London , with a population in 2014 of 1 , 101 , 360 . The city is in the West Midlands Built - up Area , the third most populous urban area in the ___MASK96___ , with a population of 2 , 440 , 986 at the 2011 census . Birmingham ' s metropolitan area is the second most populous in the UK with a population of 3 . 8 million . This also makes Birmingham the 9th most populous metropolitan area in Europe . The ___MASK96___ of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the ___MASK96___ ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain ( the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country ), the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of , the UK is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st - most populous country , with an estimated 65 . 1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth most densely populated country in the European Union . Wales is a country that is part of the ___MASK96___ and the island of Great Britain . It is bordered by England to the east , the Irish Sea to the north and west , and the Bristol Channel to the south . It had a population in 2011 of 3 , 063 , 456 and has a total area of . Wales has over of coastline and is largely mountainous , with its higher peaks in the north and central areas , including Snowdon , its highest summit . The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable , maritime climate . Rob Milligan ( born 17 April 1990 in Northampton , Northamptonshire , England ) was a ___MASK8___ player for Northampton Saints in the Guinness Premiership . He played as a number 8 . Like many Northampton Saints players , he began his career at Northampton Old Scouts RFC , like his former team - mate Courtney Lawes . ___MASK8___ , or simply ___MASK58___ , is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century . One of the two codes of ___MASK58___ ___MASK100___ , it is based on ___MASK49___ with the ball in hand . In its most common form , a game is between two teams of 15 players using an oval - shaped ball on a rectangular field with H - shaped goalposts on each try line . Franklin ' s Gardens is a purpose - built ___MASK58___ stadium in Northampton , England . It is the home stadium of Northampton Saints . The stadium holds 15 , 249 people . The four stands are : Tetleys Stand ; Burrda Stand ; Church ' s Stand ; and Barwell Stand . It is also a Northampton conference centre as well as the only UK Aviva Premiership ___MASK58___ ground with its own cenotaph , the setting for a moving ceremony every Remembrance Weekend . Scotland ( Scots : ) is a country that is part of the ___MASK96___ and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain . It shares a border with England to the south , and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south - west . In addition to the mainland , the country is made up of more than 790 islands , including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides . The River Nene or - see below ) is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire . The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the ___MASK96___ , and is navigable for from Northampton to The Wash . Northampton is the county town of Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England . It lies on the River Nene , about north - west of London and south - east of Birmingham . One of the largest towns in the UK , Northampton had a population of 212 , 100 in the 2011 census . London is the capital and most populous city of England and the ___MASK96___ , as well as the most populous city proper in the European Union . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". London ' s ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " London " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly . The Isles of Scilly ( or "") are an archipelago off the south western tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain . It is the southernmost location in England and the ___MASK96___ , as well as the most westerly in England . Leicester Tigers ( officially Leicester ___MASK100___ Club ) is an English ___MASK8___ club based in Leicester , England that plays in the English Premiership . Courtney Lawes ( born 23 February 1989 in Hackney , England ) is a professional ___MASK58___ player for Northampton Saints , who play in the Aviva Premiership . Lawes is a versatile player , and can play either in the second or back row . Lawes grew up near Northampton . Lawes is a product of Northampton Old Scouts , the same club that produced his former team mate Rob Milligan as well as Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson , amongst others . Lawes has won England representative honours for the U18 and U20 sides and won his first senior cap against Australia in November 2009 . Northampton Saints are a professional ___MASK8___ club from Northampton , England . They were formed in 1880 , and play in black , green , and gold colours . The team play their home games at Franklin ' s Gardens , which has a capacity of 15 , 500 . Their biggest rivals are Leicester Tigers . " The East Midlands Derby " is one of the fiercest rivalries in English ___MASK8___ .