England U18 Women head coach James Cooper has named his squads to face Ireland and Italy on the opening matchday of the 2024 U18 Women’s Six Nations Rugby Festival this Friday (29th March).
Cooper and assistant coach Ollie Perry lead the team into the opening two 35-minute fixtures of this year’s tournament in Colwyn Bay, kicking-off against Ireland at 12:00 GMT and at 13:00 GMT against Italy. Entry to Stadiwm CSM costs £11 for adult tickets and £6 for concessions, with all fixtures streamed live on the Six Nations Under-20 YouTube channel.
The tournament serves as a crucial window for development for the England Rugby Women’s pathway, offering competitive and equal playing opportunities with four 35-minute fixtures across the first two matchdays and one 70-minute fixture on the final matchday.
Gloucester-Hartpury full-back Daisy Aspinall will captain the U18 Women against Ireland, with Sale Sharks wing Grace Banks, Loughborough Lightning lock Tamsin Baynes and Aspinall’s clubmate and back-row forward, Ellie Wilson, earning their first caps.
Against Italy, Wilson continues her starting berth at blindside flanker and is joined by Iley Bailey of Harlequins and Saracens Isabella van der Straaten to complete the loose forward selection. Natalee Evans (Worcester) captains the side and is partnered by Ashton Adcock in the half-back pairing.
Uncapped Banks joins Wilson as one of two players to keep their starting place between fixtures, with more debutants in prop Aisha Jah (Loughborough Lightning) and Solana Shaw de Leon (Harlequins) set for their first appearances against their Italian counterparts.
In preparation for the 2024 competition, England defeated Ireland in a one-off development fixture held at the IRFU High Performance Centre in a 29-14 win earlier this month with tries from Aspinall, Beth Candlin, Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun, Abigail Pritchard and Hayley Jones.
England face Wales (14:00 BST kick-off) and Scotland (16:00 BST kick-off) next Tuesday (2nd April) on Matchday 2 of the tournament, before a match-up with France on Saturday 6th April (12:00 BST kick-off).
James Cooper said: “We’re intending to go out and seize the opportunity and make the positive start necessary in this competition. Every player available will have some minutes under their belt by Friday afternoon and the group are raring to go.
“Our players gave a positive account of themselves last time out against Ireland, but we as a squad appreciate the stakes will be much higher this time around and will have two very testing opponents to open up our week in Colwyn Bay.
“Five fixtures over a week will test any side, and we anticipate the appropriate response from our team in embracing the challenge ahead and kick-starting the Festival in the best manner possible.”
England U18 Women team to face Ireland (includes college, England Rugby Centre of Excellence site and community club)
15 Daisy Aspinall (c) (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Stafford RUFC) *
14 Abigail Pritchard (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Medway Rugby Football Club) *
13 Sarah Parry (Hereford College, Worcester, Worcester Warriors) *
12 Molly Bunker (Hartpury College, Harlequins, Portsmouth RFC) *
11 Grace Banks (Wigan and Leigh, Sale Sharks, Liverpool St Helens FC)
10 Emily Lunn (Henley College, Harlequins, Cobham Rugby Club) *
9 Evie Haskell (The Samworth Church Academy, Loughborough Lightning, Mansfield Rugby Club) *
1 Zara Green (Cardinal Newman, Harlequins, Lewes RFC) *
2 Lucy Simpson (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Rams RFC) *
3 Ruby Winstanley (The Farnborough Sixth Form, Harlequins, Guildfordians RFC) *
4 Tamsin Baynes (Loughborough College, Loughborough Lightning, Market Harborough RUFC)
5 Kaya Acton (Bishop Burton, Yorkshire, Hull Ionians RFC) *
6 Ellie Wilson (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Gosford All Blacks RFC)
7 Hayley Jones (Henley College, Thames Valley, Chippenham RFC) *
8 Haineala Lutui (RGS Worcester, Worcester, Worcester) *
Replacements
16 Bethan Candlin (Loughborough College, Yorkshire, Hull Ionians RUFC) *
17 Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun (SGS Filton, Bristol Bears, North Bristol RFC) *
18 Iley Bailey (Henley College, Harlequins, Paderborn Pirates) *
19 Ashton Adcock (Loughborough College, Loughborough Lightning, Tamworth RUFC) *
20 Jessica Doyle (Sacred Heart Sixth Form, North East and Cumbria, Tynedale Rugby Football Club) *
*denotes a player capped at England U18 level
England U18 Women team to face Italy (includes college, England Rugby Centre of Excellence site and community club)
15 Joanne Vosakiwaiwai (City of Oxford, Thames Valley, Andover RFC) *
14 Solana Shaw de Leon (Worthing College, Harlequins, Sutton and Epsom Rugby Club)
13 Jessica Doyle (Sacred Heart Sixth Form, North East and Cumbria, Tynedale Rugby Football Club) *
12 Becca Jackson (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Guildfordians RFC) *
11 Grace Banks (Wigan and Leigh, Sale Sharks, Liverpool St Helens FC)
10 Natalee Evans (c) (Hereford College, Worcester, Flying Kukris Rugby Football Club) *
9 Ashton Adcock (Loughborough College, Loughborough Lightning, Tamworth RUFC) *
1 Bethan Candlin (Loughborough College, Yorkshire, Hull Ionians RUFC) *
2 Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun (SGS Filton, Bristol Bears, North Bristol RFC) *
3 Aisha Jah (West Notts Sixth Form, Loughborough Lightning, Mansfield Rugby Club)
4 Gabriella Brown (Maidstone Grammar, Harlequins, Aylesford Bulls RFC) *
5 Jasmine Adonri (City of Oxford, Thames Valley, Medway Rugby Football Club) *
6 Ellie Wilson (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Gosford All Blacks RFC)
7 Iley Bailey (Henley College, Harlequins, Paderborn Pirates) *
8 Isabel van der Straaten (Mossbourne Community Academy, Saracens, Eton Manor RFC) *
Replacements
16 Ruby Winstanley (The Farnborough Sixth Form, Harlequins, Guildfordians RFC) *
17 Lucy Simpson (Hartpury College, Gloucester-Hartpury, Rams RFC) *
18 Kaya Acton (Bishop Burton, Yorkshire, Hull Ionians RFC) *
19 Evie Haskell (The Samworth Church Academy, Loughborough Lightning, Mansfield Rugby Club) *
20 Emily Lunn (Henley College, Harlequins, Cobham Rugby Club) *
*denotes a player capped at England U18 level
England U18 Women’s Festival Fixtures
Each team will play 2 x 35min matches on MD1 and MD2, followed by 1 x 70min match on MD 3. (MD1 – Friday 29th March, MD2 Tuesday 2nd April & MD3 Saturday 6th April).
Matchday 1 (Friday 29th March) (35min matches)
England vs. Ireland (12:00 kick-off)
Italy vs. England (13:00 kick-off)
Matchday 2 (Tuesday 2nd April) (35min matches)
England vs. Wales (14:00 kick-off)
Scotland vs. England (16:00 kick-off)
Matchday 3 (Saturday 6th April) (70min match)
France vs. England (12:00 kick-off)
With thanks to the RFU
