Head coach Alan Dickens has named his 32-man England squad for the Under-20s Six Nations.
Dickens’ side begin their Championship against Scotland at Twickenham Stoop on Friday 3 February, with eight players returning from last year’s side who finished third.
Archie McArthur, Finn Theobald-Thomas, Lewis Chessum, Chandler Cunningham-South, Greg Fisilau, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Louie Johnson and Charlie Bracken will all turn out again after appearing in last year’s Championship, as England look to win back the title they last won in 2021.
“Being selected for England at any level is a proud moment in their careers and hopefully this is the next step towards achieving their dream of playing for the senior side,” said Dickens.
“Those who have been selected have been playing at various levels, including Premiership, Championship, National League, and BUCS Super Rugby, where their academies have put in a lot of hard work.
“I’d like to thank the clubs, the coaches, and the managers for their support because their communication and collaboration has been excellent.”
The squad will meet up on Wednesday before embarking on warm-up matches against Oxford University and Loughborough University on Saturday 14 and Saturday 21 January respectively.
They will then take on Scotland on 3 February, where they will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s 41-24 victory.
England will then host Italy, looking for revenge after last year’s 6-0 defeat before a trip to Wales. France then visit England on 10 March before a final match away at reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland.
“We’re looking forward to taking on Oxford University in front of a lively, and hopefully packed-out Iffley Road before we back up against Loughborough the following week,” added Dickens.
“These warm-up games are an important part of our preparation for the U20 Six Nations tournament and will provide an opportunity to see players perform as a team ahead of the Six Nations.”
