The four England U16 Regional Squads have been named ahead of the Divisional Festival at Broadstreet RFC next weekend.
In total 101 players have been selected, with each Region selecting 25 players, bar the Midlands who have 26 in their squad, including a few familiar names such as Jacob Umaga and Stowe’s Tosin Segun, younger brother of Rotimi, who starred for Northampton School for Boys last year in their run to the Schools Cup final as an U16 and has since moved to Stowe for 6th form.
The big date in the U16 Regional diary is the Wellington Festival at the start of Arpril, where all four regions will compete against sides from Italy, France, Scotland, and Wales.
The squads are then combined in April to form the England U16s squad, from which a side will be selected to play Italy on the 19th April, the final day of the Wellington Festival.
The following weekend sees the side then play Wales Under 16s, before the process all begins again for next year’s lucky few.
Selection is a fine achievement and much has been said in praise of the selected players already, however possibly the most telling quote of the afternoon came from Northampton Saints’ recruitment & development manager, and former England full back, Dusty Hare:
“It will give some added motivation to the players who have missed out to prove the selectors wrong in the future. There is always the chance to come through, though, with someone like Sam Olver showing that you can come through as a professional and be selected at England Under-18 and England Under-20 even if you miss out at Under-16 level.â€
In essence the point is that for those who missed out, this is far from the end. So much can change over the next few years, particularly when you consider the different stages of development that players are at when at this age, both in terms of rugby development and physical development.
For now though, congratulations to all selected, it is certainly worth keeping an eye on the 101 names included, some of the stars of English rugby over the next ten to twenty years will be on this list!
Or as England U18s Head Coach, John Fletcher, said:
“The number of young players coming through the age grade sides and into the senior England teams reflects the recent success of the player development pathway.â€
England U16 Regional Squads | |||
North | Midlands | ||
Name | School & Club | Name | School & Club |
George Armstrong | Woodhouse Grove & Leeds Carnegie | Oliver Allsopp | Malvern College & Worcester Warriors |
Jack Beevers | Calday Grange GS & Sale Sharks | William Butler | Hereford Cathedral & Worcester Wrs |
Jamie Blaimire | Stainburn & Newcastle Falcons | Jake Carter | Bedford & Northampton Saints |
William Bowie | Guiseley & Leeds Carnegie | George Cave | Bedford & Northampton Saints |
Rory Brand | Standish HS & Sale Sharks | Jake Charters | Oakham & Leicester Tigers |
Alistair Crossdale | Alrtincham GrammarS & Sale Sharks | Sebastian Deans-Smith | Charlton & Worcester Warriors |
Ben Curry | Bishop Heber & Sale Sharks | Blake Edwards | Bromsgrove School & Gloucester |
Thomas Curry | Bishop Heber & Sale Sharks | Ben Fowles | Solihull & Worcester Warriors |
Max Davies | Sedbergh & Sale Sharks | David Hickey | Bedford & Northampton Saints |
William Dennis | Selby & Leeds Carnegie | Kalius Hutchinson | Coundon Court & Worcester Warriors |
Harry Dunne | Crossley Heath & Leeds Carnegie | Toby Hutchinson | Longfield Academy & Leicester Tigers |
Charlie Gowling | Sedbergh & Newcastle Falcons | Charlton Kerr | Stowe & Northampton Saints |
James Grayson | Northampton SfB & Northampton Saints | Suva Ma’asi | Wooton & Northampton Saints |
Ben Gregory | Dearney HS & Sale Sharks | Charlie Morgan | Solihull & Worcester Warriors |
Will Hodgson | King’s Macclesfield & Sale Sharks | Joseph Morris | King Edward VI, Aston & Worcester Wrs |
Garry Izomor | Durham & Newcastle Falcons | James Newman | King’s Grantham & Leicester Tigers |
Adam Mohammad | Gosforth Academy & Newcastle Falcons | Joshua Nott | RGS Worcester & Worcester Warriors |
Jordan Olowofela | Lincoln Minster & Leicester Tigers | Zakery Poole | De Aston & Leicester Tigers |
Matthew Peakman | Kings’ Macclesfield & Sale Sharks | Matt Riddington | Oakham & Leicester Tigers |
Armani Roberts | Bishop Herber School & Sale Sharks | Harry Robinson | The Chase & Worcester Warriors |
Ben Stevenson | Yarm & Newcastle Falcons | Tosin Segun | Stowe & Northampton Saints |
Connor Stewart | Whitley Bay HS & Newcastle Falcons | Adam Shaw | Princethorpe & Leicester Tigers |
Elliot Ward | QEGS Wakefield & Leeds Carnegie | Jacob Umaga | Kenilworth & Leicester Tigers |
George Williams | Fallibroome Academy & Sale Sharks | Henry Walker | Bromsgrove & Gloucester |
Lewis Wilson | Woldgate College & Leeds Carnegie | Ben White | Denstone College & Leicester Tigers |
 |  | Zac Xiourouppa | Ellesmere College & Worcester Warriors |
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England U16 Regional Squads | |||
London & South East | South West | ||
Name | School & Club | Name | School & Club |
Reuben Bird-Tulloch | Eltham College & Saracens | Jake Anderson | St Edward’s Oxford & Northampton Sts |
Seb Brownhill | Richard Hale & Saracens | Caspar Bailey | Thomas Hardye & Bath |
Isaac Curtis-Harris | Fort Hill & London Irish | Josh Bayliss | Millfield & Bath |
Jake Duffield | Langley & Leicester Tigers | Aaron Chapman | King’s College Taunton & Exeter Chiefs |
Ben Earl | Tonbridge & Saracens | George Clair | St Peter’s Gloucester & Gloucester |
Ehize Ehizode | London oratory & London Wasps | Charlie Fethney | Devonport High & Exeter Chiefs |
Will Glover | Harrow & London Wasps | Oliver Graham | Castle School & Bath |
Pierre Goualin | St Benedict’s & London Wasps | Lars Heidrich | St Paul’s & Harlequins |
Scott Griffin | RGS Colchester & Northampton Saints | Liam Hilliar | Exmouth CC & Exeter Chiefs |
Freddie Hatton | Roding Valley & Saracens | Alex Hogg | Whitgift & Harlequins |
Gabriel Ibitoye | Trinity & Harlequins | Jack Holford | Abingdon & London Wasps |
Nick Isiekwe | Nicholas Breakspeare & Saracens | Jack Ingall | Wellington College & London Irish |
Will Kaye | Hautlieu & London Irish | Toni Kuku | Stowe & London Wasps |
Ben Kelland | Royal Hospital Sch & Northampton Saints | Michael Marsden | John Hampden & London Wasps |
Harrison King | Fitzwymark & Saracnes | Declan Matthews | Penair Truro & Exeter Chiefs |
Matt Kouris | Wavell Farnborough & London Irish | Sam Miller | Wallingford & London Wasps |
Jack Longhurst | Fitzwymark & Saracnes | Gabriel Oghre | Beechen Cliff & Bath |
Jack Nay | The Hayesbrook & Saracens | Tom Parton | Wellington College & London Irish |
Ehren Painter | Felsted & Northampton Saints | Zak Smith | Prior Park & Bath |
Sam Morley | Whitgift & Harlequins | Matt Solway | St Gregory’s & Bath |
Zach Santos | Hampton & Harlequins | Marcus Street | Queen Elizabeth’s CC & Exeter Chiefs |
Tom Simmons | Chislehurst & Sidcup & Saracens | Mason Tonks | Dene Magna & Gloucester |
Callum Sirker | Harrow & Wasps | Will Vaughan | Heathfield CS & Bath |
Dan Wheatley | Steyning GS & Harlequins | Jack West | King’s College Taunton & Exeter Chiefs |
Josh Wright | New Hall & Saracens | Matt Williams | Wellington College & London Irish |
