Fylde to host England Counties XV international

England Counties will play their first-ever match against the Scotland Club XV at Fylde’s Woodlands Memorial Ground on Friday February 27 (7.30pm).

The England Counties XV is the flagship team of the community game in England and offers players from the National League One and below the opportunity to represent England.

The England Counties XV has also undertaken an extensive touring programme to emerging rugby nations including last summer’s successful trip to Georgia as well as previous visits to Chile, Belgium, USA, Canada and East Africa where they also helped rugby’s development by coaching in local communities and schools.

Fylde have provided a number of England Counties XV players in recent seasons including Nick Royle, Oli Brennand, Sam Beaumont, Mike Waywell, Scott Barrow, Gareth Rawlings, Chris Briers, Chris Johnson, Adam Lewis, Jonny Roddam and Ben Rath.

This will be a first visit to Fylde by England Counties XV and the announcement of the fixture was welcomed by the National One club’s chairman Andy Hiles.

“We are greatly honoured to be chosen to host this fixture and will be pulling out

all the stops to make it a great success. Our belief in and support of county rugby is second to none. This game is an opportunity to demonstrate this on a national stage,” he said

Fylde have plenty of experience of hosting major representative matches having

previously staged an England Trial in 1964, North of England matches against

touring teams in 1970 and 1994 and England Colts internationals in 1984 and 1991. England Under 19s played Scotland at The Woodlands in 2004, England Under 16s played Wales in April 2011 and in 2012 Fylde hosted England Under 18 and England Deaf internationals.

Tickets for the England Counties XV v Scotland Club XV international at Fylde on February 27 can be obtained from: Fylde RFC, The Woodlands Memorial Ground, Blackpool Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4EL. Telephone: 01253 734733 or e-mail: info@fylderugby.co.uk

Prices are: adult £8.00, concessions £5.00, under 16s £2.00, under 16s accompanied by an adult, free.