England have named a 34-player U18 Women’s squad for the 2023 campaign, which includes a unique game to celebrate 200 years of Rugby Football.
England Women’s U18 will take on Wales at Rugby School on Sunday 5th March, following a training camp at the school prior to that and a three day camp at Lilleshall on the 10th February. Tickets for the game at Rugby School are available at £8 for adults and £5 for children, with proceeds split between the Injured Players Foundation and Rugby School’s 1823 Bursary, which offers means-tested places at the school for children showing significant promise and aptitude for sport and a commitment to Rugby Football.
NextGenXV will be involved in all of the celebrations at Rugby School for the 200 year anniversary, beginning this Sunday with the Global Pass, which will see 200 passes of a Gilbert match ball around the globe, beginning on The Close at Rugby School. The likes of Mike Tindall, Emily Scarratt, and Rugby School XV captain David Bennett will all be involved.
England Women’s U18 will meanwhile head straight from that game against Wales into thinking about the 2023 U18 Six Nations Festival, where they will host the event at Wellington College from Friday 7th April to Saturday 15th.
The squad is made up of U18 players from Schools, Colleges, and Clubs from around the country and leans heavily on Wasps and Exeter, with each represented by six players, Jasmine Adonri, Ella Cromack, Millie David, Sophie Hopkins, Millie Pearce, and Sam Shiels for Wasps, Ellie Wood, Lucy Ward, Hannah Sams, Kayleigh Priest, Lilly Plowman, and Josie Plant for Exeter.
Gloucester Hartpury, Worcester, and Harlequins each have four players in the squad, Daisy Aspinall, Millie Hyett, Sophie McQueen, and Amelia Williams representing Gloucester Hartpury, Sarah Parry, Natalee Evans, Lucy Calladine, and Haineala Lutui for Worcester, and Harlequins’ Lucy Finch, Lauren Knowler, Annabel Meta, and Ruby Winstanley.
Four clubs have two players in the squad, Bristol through Lauren Bailey and Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun, North East and Cumbria through Emma Gerrard and Anna Richardson, Saracens through Amelia MacDougall and Keira Muir, and Sale through Connie Clarke and Lucie Sams. Loughborough and Yorkshire have one player each in the squad, Bridget Campbell for Yorkshire and Evie Haskell for Loughborough.
Speaking ahead of next week’s meet up, England women’s U18 head coach, James Cooper, said:
“Congratulations to all the women who have been selected to be part of this squad. They’ve worked incredibly hard and we’re excited by the strength and depth of the group. We’ve been together as a group since August last year, during which time we’ve had 84 players in camp, so it was very difficult for the coaching group to whittle the squad down to just 34. That being said, I would have no hesitation in calling any one of those women who haven’t been selected back into camp or a matchday 23 if needed.”
“There’s a great mix of experience in the squad, and I’d like to acknowledge the Centres of Excellence, clubs and colleges that have done an outstanding job of developing the players, as well as the invaluable support provided by their parents and guardians. For each of these players, their selection is another step in their rugby careers, which hopefully one day culminates in pulling on a Red Roses jersey. “
“This year is going to be massive. We come together in camp next month ahead of our game against Wales to celebrate rugby’s 200-year anniversary at Rugby School, which for many will be a highlight of their rugby journeys. Then in April we’ll host what I’m sure will be a very competitive Under-18 Six Nations Festival.”
2023 England Women’s U18 Squad
Jasmine Adonri (Medway, Wasps)
Daisy Aspinall (Burton, Gloucester Hartpury)
Lauren Bailey (Dings Crusaders, Bristol)
Lucy Calladine (Burton, Worcester)
Bridget Campbell (Sandal, Yorkshire)
Connie Clarke (Preston Grasshoppers, Sale)
Ella Cromack (Reading, Wasps)
Millie David (Reading, Wasps)
Natalee Evans (Shrewsbury, Worcester)
Lucy Finch (Henley College, Harlequins)
Emma Gerrard (Morpeth, North East and Cumbria)
Evie Haskell (Mansfield, Loughborough)
Sophie Hopkins (Fullerians, Wasps)
Millie Hyett (Hartpury College, Gloucester Hartpury)
Lauren Knowler (Guildfordians, Harlequins)
Haineala Lutui (Worcester, Worcester)
Amelia MacDougall (Old Albanians, Saracens)
Sophie McQueen (Hartpury College, Gloucester Hartpury)
Annabel Meta (Wimbledon, Harlequins)
Keira Muir (Basildon, Saracens)
Sarah Parry (Shrewsbury, Worcester)
Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun (North Bristol, Bristol)
Millie Pearce (Reading, Wasps)
Josie Plant (Exeter Chiefs, Exeter)
Lilly Plowman (Crediton, Exeter)
Kayleigh Priest (Exeter College, Exeter)
Anna Richardson (Tynedale, North East and Cumbria)
Hannah Sams (Ivybridge, Exeter)
Lucie Sams (Liverpool St Helens, Sale)
Sam Shiels (Henley College, Wasps)
Lucy Ward (Exeter College, Exeter)
Amelia Williams (Medway, Gloucester Hartpury)
Ruby Winstanley (Guildfordians, Harlequins)
Ellie Wood (Sidmouth, Exeter)
