England U20s head coach Steve Bates has named a 45-man training squad for the first development camp of the 2018/19 season, with Alex Coles, Samson Ma’asi, Fraser Dingwall, Ollie Sleightholme heading to the development camp at Loughborough University this Friday.
The 32-Elite Player Squad, which will compete in the 2019 U20s Six Nations as well as the World Rugby U20 Championship in May/June, are led by Bates as well as fellow pathway performance coach Jim Mallinder.
Mark Hopley, Richard Whiffin and James Scaysbrook also join for the season as part of the latest coach development programme agreement between England Rugby and Premiership Rugby.
England U20s open their Six Nations campaign against Ireland at the Irish Independent Park in Cork on Friday 1 February (KO 19.15 GMT).
The side then take on France on Saturday 9 February at Sandy Park (KO 12.05 GMT), home of Exeter Chiefs, live on Sky Sports.
The U20s next head to the ZipWorld Stadium, Colwyn Bay to face Wales on Friday 22 February (KO 19.05 GMT), live on S4C, before a second home fixture of the tournament with the side playing Italy on Friday 8 March at Bedford Blues’ Goldington Road (19.45 GMT), live on Sky Sports.
Their final fixture of the Six Nations will be against Scotland on Friday 15 March at Northampton Saints’ Franklin’s Gardens (19.45 GMT), live on Sky Sports.
Tickets for the game at Franklin's Gardens are on sale now from £10 adults and £5 juniors, CLICK HERE to book your spot.
Head coach, Bates said: “We’ve selected the training squad through a combined effort of working with the academy management and watching the players over the past few months.
“We want the players to have high energy, a desire to play the game quickly and with a degree of flexibility. We’d like them to quickly adapt to playing with new players and to have different ideas about how to play."
ENGLAND U20 TRAINING SQUAD
FORWARDS
Ollie Adkins (Gloucester Rugby), Josh Basham (Durham University), Will Capon (Bristol Bears), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs), Andy Christie (Saracens), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Nic Dolly (Sale Sharks), Ben Donnell (London Irish), James Dun (Bristol Bears), Taylor Gough (Leicester Tigers), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors), Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester Rugby), Joel Kpoku (Saracens), Jon Kpoku (Saracens), Samson Ma'asi (Northampton Saints), Tom Marshall (Newcastle Falcons), Kai Owen (Worcester Warriors), Alfie Petch (Exeter Chiefs), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), James Scott (Worcester Warriors), Marcus Street (Exeter Chiefs), Rusiate Tuima (Exeter Chiefs), Tom Willis (Wasps).
BACKS
Tom De Glanville (Bath Rugby), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks), Reece Dunn (Gloucester Rugby), Ollie Fox (Yorkshire Carnegie), Tom Hardwick (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish), Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons), Luke James (Sale Sharks), Ollie Lawrence (Worcester Warriors), Sam Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Cam Nordli-Kelemeti (Newcastle Falcons), Cameron Redpath (Sale Sharks), Arron Reed (Sale Sharks), Tom Seabrook (Gloucester Rugby), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints), Will Simonds (Wasps), Manu Vunipola (Saracens), Gus Warr (Sale Sharks), Kieran Wilkinson (Sale Sharks).
ENGLAND U20 SIX NATIONS FIXTURES
Ireland v England
Friday 1 February, KO 19.15 GMT
Irish Independent Park, Cork
England v France
Saturday 9 February, KO 12.05 GMT – live on Sky Sports
Sandy Park, Exeter.
Wales v England
Friday, 22 February, KO 19.05 GMT – live on S4C
ZipWorld Stadium, Colwyn Bay.
England v Italy
Friday, 8 March, KO 19.45 – live on Sky Sports
Goldington Road, Bedford.
England v Scotland
Friday, 15 March, KO 19.45 – live on Sky Sports
Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton. For tickets, please CLICK HERE.
