Round 1 of the 2022/23 Premiership Rugby U18 Academy League kicks off this weekend with three fixtures on Friday and three on Saturday.

Team news has been, as often was the case last year, slow to come through but we have received team info on nine of the twelve teams, although three of those were not actually published by their teams. A new season brings new hope that teams will realise what a huge achievement it is for all involved, and that for many this will be the pinnacle of their rugby career – now and in the future – and will therefore start to consistently publish team sheets in good time before games in order that this achievement can be promoted and celebrated.

With kick off fast approaching, there is little time left to preview, but scroll down to check out the fixtures and the available teamsheets.

Round 1 Fixtures (19^th/20^th August):

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints – Friday, 2pm, Oval Park

Sale Sharks v Worcester Warriors – Friday, 3pm, CorpAcq Stadium

Wasps v Yorkshire Academy – Saturday, 2pm, Ostler’s Field

Southern Conference

Bristol Bears v Bath – Saturday, 7.30pm, Shaftesbury Park

Gloucester v London Irish – Saturday, 2.30pm, Kingsholm

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs – Friday, 4.30pm, StoneX Stadium

Team News

Leicester Tigers:

15 Harry Simpson (Brooksby Melton College), 14 Malelili Satala (Brooksby Melton College), 13 Charlie Davies (Mount St Mary’s College), 12 Jack Teague (Old Swinford Hospital), 11 Joe Masunda (Brooksby Melton College), 10 Ben Taylor (Oakham), 9 Jonty Nickols (Stamford), 1 Tom Wand (Brooksby Melton College), 2 Pieter De Lange (Norwich), 3 Oliver Avison (Brooksby Melton College), 4 Tyler Russell (East Coast College), 5 Felix Starkey (Oakham), 6 Phelton Tandoh (Stamford), 7 Seb Fernandes-Smith (Oakham), 8 Sam Williams (Stamford).

Replacements: 16 Bronson Mellow (Brooksby Melton College), 17 Finlay Hayward (Old Swinford Hospital), 18 Tubuna Maka (Brooksby Melton College), 19 Tate Skinner (Old Swinford Hospital), 20 Ralphie Willott (Brooksby Melton College), 21 Jack Dickens (Trent College), 22 Harvey Nkrumah (Norwich), 23 Benjamin Hewitt (Langley).

Northampton Saints:

15 Ewan Baker (c), 14 Ben Randor, 13 Harry Simpson, 12 Oscar Bennett, 11 Rafe Witheat, 10 Max Allman-Ward, 9 Seb Henry, 1 Lucas Nisbett-Hadaway, 2 Sol Moody, 3 Sonny Tonga’uigha, 4 Réon Gilbert-Joseph, 5 Aiden Kabi, 6 Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, 7 Kieran Perkins, 8 Henri Burditt.

Replacements: 16 Yujian Zou, 17 Oliver Scola, 18 David Bennett, 19 Albert Dmitriev, 20 Tom Ross, 21 Rory Hollis, 22 Jacob Willmott, 23 Logan McCabe.

Sale Sharks:

15 Jack Lightowler, 14 Will Bradley, 13 Osian Roberts, 12 Cam Scanlon (cc), 11 Luke Parry, 10 Rhys James, 9 Dom Hanson, 1 Noah Lawton, 2 Johnny Hanson, 3 Dan Rourke, 4 Darren Low (cc), 5 James Appleton, 6 Wills Austin, 7 Isaac Deans, 8 Jack Lightbown.

Replacements: 16 Rob Doherty, 17 Tom Davis, 18 Ben Lulley, 19 Jos Gilmore, 20 Leon Tahana, 21 Will Holmes, 22 Josh Harbour, 23 Efan Edwards.

Worcester Warriors:

15 Jack Kinder, 14 George Bennett, 13 Louis Upton, 12 Matty Walker, 11 Cam Smith, 10 Jack Condliffe (vc), 9 Charlie Bemand, 1 Will Conduit, 2 Ethan Allen, 3 Emmanuel Olaleye, 4 Warwick Archer, 5 Ollie McGinnity, 6 Sammie Erskine (c), 7 Sam Hawes, 8 Zach Armstrong.

Replacements: 16 George Knowles, 17 Rudy Clarke, 18 Lewis Dim, 19 Ewan Jones, 20 Gux Wixey, 21 Iolo Bubb, 22 Mikey Yalland, 23 George Tomlinson.

Wasps:

Yorkshire Academy:

15 Ned McCormack, 14 Matthew Saxby, 13 Louis Worrall, 12 Liam Wood, 11 Tom Rowe, 10 Ben Parkin (vc), 9 Toby Morley, 1 Leon Mudd, 2 Seb Easterby-Gray, 3 Oliver Johnson, 4 Sam Bryan, 5 Elias Smith, 6 Oliver Barker (c), 7 Archie Hurford, 8 Henry Du Boulay.

Replacements: 16 Corey McCormack, 17 Dan Wills, 18 Ashley Lockwood, 19 Will Wood, 20 Max Hassan, 21 Louie Platt, 22 Fergus McCormack, 23 Josh Marlow.

Bristol Bears:

Bath:

15 Charlie Brooke (Marlborough College), 14 Will Dudman (Beechen Cliff), 13 Rory Crum (Beechen Cliff), 12 James Short (Beechen Cliff), 11 Ben Jones (Dauntsey’s), 10 Tom Howlett (Millfield), 9 Ieuan Davies (Millfield), 1 Ed Wrench (Marlborough College), 2 Adam Dew (Beechen Cliff), 3 Leo Palmer (Kingswood), 4 Jack Haythornthwaite (Beechen Cliff), 5 Andy Eary (Beechen Cliff), 6 Oliver Branagan (Bishop Wordsworth’s), 7 Connor Treacey (Beechen Cliff), 8 Kacey Pike (Beechen Cliff).

Replacements: 16 Tommy Baynam (Monkton Combe), 17 Oliver Cartwright (Beechen Cliff), 18 Ryan Woodford (Canford), 19 Ollie Close (Bryanston), 20 Arthur Moore (Clayesmore), 21 Ollie Byrne (Beechen Cliff), 22 James Linegar (Kingswood), 23 Henry Bartlett (Beechen Cliff).

Gloucester:

London Irish:

15 Sharp (Henley College), 14 Maddock (Hartpury College), 13 Hall (Wellington College), 12 Ellis (Harrow, vc), 11 Rockley (Bishop Wand), 10 Heard (Bishop Wand), 9 Peters (Berkhamsted), 1 McEachran (Bishop Wand), 2 Goodridge (Bishop Wand), 3 Vince (Bishop Wand), 4 Saunders (Holyport), 5 Crow (Hartpury College), 6 Tuipulotu (Harrow), 7 Worley-Brady (Bishop Wand, captain), 8 Lee (Millfield).

Replacements: 16 Suleman (Henley College), 17 Hawker (Wellington College), 18 Cockburn-Miller (Harrow), 19 Adegbemile (St Albans), 20 Hammick (Harrow), 21 Cowan (Stowe), 22 Williamson (Bishop Wand), 23 Offiah (Wellington College).

Saracens:

15 Jack Bracken (St Albans), 14 Toby Clinch (Finborough), 13 Lance Kruger (St George’s, Harpenden), 12 Oscar Wilson (Oaklands College), 11 Finn Newton (Haileybury), 10 Benjy Mills (Brentwood), 9 Ewan Entwistle (Hayes), 1 Ikhi Osebor (Haileybury), 2 Henry Walker (Hartpury College), 3 Max Wheeler (The View East Street), 4 Jake Bausor (Westcliff High), 5 Junior Kpoku (Finborough), 6 James Boylan (Berkhamsted), 7 Charlie West (St Albans), 8 Dayo Oyerinde (Sutton Valence).

Replacements: 16 Lucas Eule (King’s School), 17 Josh Twigg (Roundwood Park), 18 Charlie Nunn (Haileybury), 19 Dylan Enskat (Ravens Wood), 21 Alex Martin (Sedbergh), 22 Freddie Simcott (St George’s, Harpenden), 23 Joe Robinson (Haileybury).

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Louie Drennan, 14 Owen Wildgoose, 13 Bobby Wigginton, 12 Jeremy Tuima, 11 Noah Fenton, 10 Benjamin Coen, 9 Max Fergusson, 1 Callum Arnold, 2 Lucas Gulley, 3 Harry Rodwell, 4 Dan Gloyns, 5 Sam Putman, 6 Ben Hobbs, 7 Will Saltmarsh, 8 Barnaby Elderkin.

Replacements: 16 Ollie Critchley, 17 Joshua Mann, 18 Owen Thomas, 19 Louis F-Beaton, 20 Dom Ellery, 21 Will Tanswell, 22 Sam James, 23 Joshua G-Clarke.

2022/23 Premiership Rugby U18 Academy League Fixtures:

Round 1 (19^th/20^th August)

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints – Friday, 2pm, Oval Park

Sale Sharks v Worcester Warriors – Friday, 3pm, CorpAcq Stadium

Wasps v Yorkshire Academy – Saturday, 2pm, Ostler’s Field

Southern Conference

Bristol Bears v Bath – Saturday, 7.30pm, Shaftesbury Park

Gloucester v London Irish – Saturday, 2.30pm, Kingsholm

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs – Friday, 4.30pm, StoneX Stadium

Round 2 (25^th/26^th/27^th August)

Northern Conference

Newcastle Falcons v Wasps – Saturday 27^th, 6pm, Kingston Park

Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers – Friday 26^th, 3pm, CorpAcq Stadium

Yorkshire Academy v Northampton Saints – Friday 26^th, 5pm, TBC

Southern Conference

Bath v Saracens – Saturday 27^th, 1.15pm, Allington Fields

Gloucester v Bristol Bears – Thursday 25^th, 7.30pm, Kingsholm

London Irish v Harlequins – Thursday 25^th, 5.30pm, Hazelwood

Round 3 (6^th/7^th/8^th January)

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons

Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks

Worcester Warriors v Wasps

Southern Conference

Exeter Chiefs v Bath

Harlequins v Gloucester

London Irish v Saracens

Round 4 (13^th/14^th/15^th January)

Northern Conference

Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks

Northampton Saints v Worcester Warriors

Yorkshire Academy v Leicester Tigers

Southern Conference

Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs

London Irish v Bath

Saracens v Bristol Bears

Round 5 (20^th/21^st/22^nd January)

Northern Conference

Northampton Saints v Wasps

Sale Sharks v Yorkshire Academy

Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons

Southern Conference

Bath v Harlequins

Bristol Bears v London Irish

Gloucester v Exeter Chiefs

Round 6 (3^rd/4^th/5^th February)

Northern Conference

Leicester Tigers v Worcester Warriors
Wasps v Sale Sharks

Yorkshire Academy v Newcastle Falcons

Southern Conference

Bristol Bears v Harlequins

Exeter Chiefs v London Irish

Saracens v Gloucester

Round 7 (10^th/11^th/12^th February)

Northern Conference

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints

Wasps v Leicester Tigers

Worcester Warriors

Southern Conference

Bath v Gloucester

Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears

Harlequins v Saracens

Finals: 18^th/19^th February