Young England hopefuls meet at St George’s

England U18s met at St George's Park this weekend for their first northern regional camp of the 2023/24 season.

Head coach Jonathan Pendlebury and assistant coach Will Parkin have selected nine previously-capped players in a 33-member squad for the assembly in Burton-upon-Trent.

Nathan Catt attended for the first time since his appointment as England pathway scrum coach. Catt said: “It's great to be involved with the team and be part of my first camp here, a lot of planning and dedication has gone into the next few weekends to provide the best experiences for the two cohorts.

“I'm excited to see the array of talent we have available to us and to implement our programme with these 70 lads, many of whom are experiencing their first camp with England Rugby.

“My role allows me to work with young players possessing some of the best skillsets in the country, and I look forward to helping the boys realise their potential.”

Meetings for the agegrade six aim to install the pathway principles of exploration and adaptation, including the in-game foundations of speed, attachment and space, to a wider catchment of players whilst utilising state-of-the-art facilities.

Nine academies are represented in the squad, including eight players from the RFU-led Yorkshire and Midlands Central set-ups.

This weekend's action is swiftly followed by the last development meeting for the U18 Men this year, held at the southern regional camp at Bisham Abbey (December 1-3).