Bath’s Nicole Hoole has been named skipper for the Under 20s’ first fixture of the season which also sees 11 former Under 19s players named in the 22.
The fixture is the first of two back-to-back games against Wales. The Under 20s will also take on Wales at Heythrope Park in Oxfordshire on March 27th before going on a two week tour to Canada in July.
Head Coach Giselle Mather said: “I am very excited to see how this squad goes. We have got a lot of players in who will have their first taste of international rugby on Sunday but we have also got quite a few experienced heads who will help steady the ship. We are well prepared to take on Wales and these back-to-back matches will provide us with a good platform to travel to Canada for a tough tour later this year.
“Playing a team like Wales will be a new experience for most of these players. When Wales are at home I think they are formidable opposition and I have a huge amount of respect for them. Our strength will be in our pack where there is a lot of experience, and if they can provide quality ball to our backs and we have the opportunity to run into space then I think we can be dangerous.”
England Under 20s
1 Laura Keates Worcester
2 Victoria Fleetwood Lichfield
3 Victoria Cornborough Richmond
4 Rowena Burnfield Richmond
5 Charlotte Wild Buxton RFC
6 Nicola Hoole Bath
7 Isabelle Noel-Smith Bath
8 Louise Leonard Blaydon
9 Sarah Guest (Captain) Worcester
10 Claire Garner Doncaster
11 Samantha Bree Worcester
12 Rhiannon Parker Clifton
13 Rose Fong Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
14 Natasha Hunt Bath
15 Emily Scarratt Lichfield
Replacements:
16 Elizabeth Peak Lakeham Hewitt
17 Davinia Monteiro Wasps
18 Charlotte Male Ivel Barbarians
19 Marlie Packer Bath
20 Rachel Fraser Morpeth
21 April Brown Saracens
22 Kimberly Davy Richmond
England Under 20s Head Coach Giselle Mather
England Under 20s Assistant Coach Martin Hynes
