Saints Under 16's Owen Blackwood, Taylor Pemberton and Reece Sumner have all been named in a 22-strong England Youth squad for this month’s Youth (under 16) internationals against France.
England will play two Test Matches against the French – at the KCOM Craven Park Stadium in Hull on Wednesday 17 July (kick off 7pm) and at Wakefield’s Mobile Rocket Stadium on Saturday 20 July (KO 2pm). Both games will be shown live on the RFL’s Our League app.
Castleford Tigers, City of Hull, Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors also supply three players, with the remainder coming from Huddersfield Giants, Leeds Rhinos, London Broncos, Newcastle Thunder and Wakefield Trinity.
England Youth team offers a well-established pathway to the elite level, via the England Academy system. Both are incorporated within the RFL’s England Performance Unit (EPU) which aims to develop more world-class England players for all senior squads by 2021.
Head coach Danny Wilson is supported by, among others, Saints legend and former Great Britain international and Man of Steel, Paul Sculthorpe, whose role as England Pathways Coach focuses on the development of country’s outstanding young players.
The full squad (including academy side, school and community club details) is as follows.
Jake Anderson (Newcastle Thunder/Lord Lawson of Beamish/Gateshead Storm)
Logan Astley (Wigan Warriors/Standish High/Orrell)
Owen Blackwood (St Helens/Saint Peter & Paul’s/Blackbrook)
Luke Broadbent (Warrington Wolves/St Bernard’s/Walney Central)
Archie Fletcher (Castleford Tigers/Malet Lambert/West Hull)
Bailey Hodgson (Castleford Tigers/Wolfreton/West Hull)
Jacob Hookem (City of Hull/Malet Lambert/Skirlaugh)
Coby Nichol (Leeds Rhinos/Brooksbank/Siddal)
Matty Nicholson (Wigan Warriors/Brooksbank/Siddal)
Taylor Pemberton (St Helens/Lowton High/Leigh East)
Will Pryce (Huddersfield Giants/Queensbury/Siddal)
Kieran Rennox (Warrington Wolves/Hawkley Hall/Wigan St Patrick’s)
Cain Robb (Castleford Tigers/Driffield/West Hull)
Fenton Rogers (Huddersfield Giants/Saddleworth/Saddleworth Rangers)
Femi Sanya (London Broncos/Coopers & Coborn/Brentwood Eels)
Isaac Shaw (Wakefield Trinity/Shelley College/Emley Moor)
Joel Speed (City of Hull/Cottingham/West Hull)
Leon Stewart (City of Hull/Sirius Academy West/West Hull)
Reece Sumner (St Helens/Wade Deacon/Widnes Moorfield)
Alex Sutton (Wigan Warriors/Wade Deacon/Blackbrook)
Ajahni Wallace (Leeds Rhinos/Rastrick/Siddal)
Tom Whitehead (Warrington Wolves/Saddleworth/Saddleworth Rangers)
