Heartbroken England captain Jamie George reveals proudest day of his life was also saddest before Six Nations clash

GRIEVING Jamie George has revealed how the proudest day of his life was also the saddest.

Hooker George took a call from Steve Borthwick offering him the England captaincy just hours before mum Jane told him she had lung cancer.

Jamie George was awarded the England captaincy just hours before learning about his mum’s cancer diagnosisGetty

George’s mother Jane died just six weeks after he became England captain

The Saracens ace considered turning the role down, only for his “distraught” mum to tell him he could not reject the chance to lead his country.

She died just six weeks later,  with George at her bedside.

The Red Rose skipper leads his nation into Saturday’s Calcutta Cup meeting with Scotland at Murrayfield in his first match since her death last week.

George, 33, said: “I found out about her cancer diagnosis on the same day I found out I was going to be England captain, so that was a pretty mixed day.

“It puts a lot of things in perspective. When I told my mum and dad about me being captain and that I was not sure if it was the right thing or not given the circumstances, my mum was distraught.

“She said, ‘You can’t not take this because of me’.

“My mum was the biggest rugby fan on earth, she loved this team, loved watching me play, she never missed a game. Until the start of this tournament, when she got ill, she watched every game.

“The text I’ve got from her before my first game as captain is something I will treasure forever.

“She said it was the proudest day of her life. Given what she was going through to still be able to put a smile on her face was huge.

“Sadly she was never there to watch me captain England because she was too ill.

“I need to use that as fuel and motivation.”

Her rapid deterioration saw George rush away from the England camp last week.

He recalled: “I found out on the Sunday she was terminal and she passed away on the Wednesday.

“My dad, uncles and brothers are all in Edinburgh this week and we agreed the best way to honour her is to play.

“It’s what my mum would have wanted. Until the day she died she was a die-hard Saracens and England fan. From watching your son play for school in front of 12 people, the following year I was playing at Vicarage Road for Saracens in front of 20,000 people.

“Her volume level didn’t change, despite sitting in a family box with everyone else’s families around.

Borthwick pays tribute

“Wherever she is now she will be looking down telling everyone her son is the England captain. That meant a huge amount to her.

“It’s why I have wanted to throw myself into this, it has been an amazing outlet for me and it is what my mum would want.

“Coming back into camp has been incredible because of the incredible people we have here.”

Coach Borthwick, a former Sarries team-mate, added: “I knew her well. She would give you the biggest hug after games — an incredible person and it’s a very sad loss.

“Jamie has a quiet strength that is phenomenal and it is one of the assets that makes him a brilliant captain.

“He has had to be really strong. All the players are right behind him.”