Date: 25/5/18
Returning England Academy Head Coach Dave Elliott has selected a 27-man National Performance Squad in preparation for four end of season Test matches in Autumn 2018.
Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors lead the way with six players selected from each club, whilst St Helens have four players named and the City of Hull Academy have three.
Widnes Vikings and Huddersfield Giants both have two players selected, with Warrington Wolves and Castleford Tigers providing one representative.
Betfred Championship outfit Bradford Bulls also have two players named in the National Performance Squad.
Four players who played in the 2017 Academy test series against France, Cameron Scott and Jack Brown (City of Hull Academy) and Harry Smith and Joe Shorrocks (Wigan Warriors) are included, all other players named are debutants.
Cameron Scott also made his first team debut for Hull FC at last Sunday’s Dacia Magic Weekend at St James’ Park, Newcastle.
Dave Elliott, who previously coached the academy side between 2010-2012 and led them to a historic victory over the Australian Schoolboys in 2010, returns as Head Coach.
He will be assisted by James Ford, Head Coach of Betfred League 1 side York City Knights and former England and Bradford Bulls player and current London Broncos assistant coach, Jamie Langley, who both join the England Academy set-up for the first time.
England Academy will face France in two Test matches at Provident Stadium, Bradford (Wednesday, October 17) and Bootham Crescent, York (Saturday, October 20) before they take on the visiting Australian Schoolboys at Leigh Sports Village (Saturday, December 8) and Emerald Headingley Stadium (Saturday, December 15).
The Academy squad will also take part in two Lancashire v Yorkshire ‘Origin’ games at the Provident Stadium (Saturday, July 28) and Victoria Park, Warrington (Sunday, September 2), before the Yorkshire Division take on the Australian Schoolboys at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle (Wednesday, November 28) and Lancashire also come head-to-head with the visitors at the Manchester Regional Arena (Saturday, December 1).
The Yorkshire ‘Origin’ academy side will be coached by England Knights head coach, Paul Anderson and former England and Huddersfield scrum-half Luke Robinson, while the Lancashire team will be coached by England Men’s Elite Squad assistant coach Paul Wellens, two-times Steve Prescott Man of Steel winner, Paul Sculthorpe and former Rochdale Hornets coach Ian Talbot.
The National Performance Squad will meet several times over the course of this year before a final squad to face France and Australian Schoolboys will be selected in Autumn 2018.
National Performance Squad in full:
Ben Davies (Widnes Vikings)
Cameron Scott (City of Hull Academy)
Corey Johnson (Leeds Rhinos)
Elliot Wallis (City of Hull Academy)
Eribe Doro (Warrington Wolves)
Ethan Harvard (Wigan Warriors)
Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos)
Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors)
Innes Senior (Huddersfield Giants)
Jack Broadbent (Leeds Rhinos)
Jack Brown (City of Hull Academy)
Jack Welsby (St Helens)
Jake Wingfield (St Helens)
James McDonnell (Wigan Warriors)
Joe Shorrocks (Wigan Warriors)
Josh Simm (St Helens)
Lewis Carr (Castleford Tigers)
Loui McConnell (Leeds Rhinos)
Louis Senior (Huddersfield Giants)
Morgan Smithies (Wigan Warriors)
Oliver Wilson (Bradford Bulls)
Owen Trout (Leeds Rhinos)
Reece Hamlett (Wigan Warriors)
Rowan Milnes (Bradford Bulls)
Sam Walters (Widnes Vikings)
Tom Holroyd (Leeds Rhinos)
Tom Nisbet (St Helens)
England Academy Autumn Fixtures in full:
England Academy v France – October 17, Provident Stadium
England Academy v France – October 20, Bootham Crescent
England Academy v Australian Schoolboys – December 8, Leigh Sports Village
England Academy v Australian Schoolboys – December 15, Emerald Headingley Stadium
‘Origin’ Fixtures in full:
Yorkshire v Lancashire – July 28, Provident Stadium
Lancashire v Yorkshire – September 2, Victoria Park
Yorkshire v Australian Schoolboys – November 28, Mend-A-Hose Jungle
Lancashire v Australian Schoolboys – December 1, Manchester Regional Arena