England announce U20s Elite Player Squad for 2020 campaign
England U20 will kick-start their Six Nations campaign on 1st February
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England U20s head coach Alan Dickens has announced a 32-man Elite Player Squad for the upcoming 2020 season.
Sam Crean (Saracens), Noah Heward (Worcester Warriors) and Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Bath Rugby) are the three uncapped players in the squad while Alfie Barbeary, Richard Capstick, Rusiate Tuima, Sam Maunder, Manu Vunipola, Ollie Sleightholme, Connor Doherty and Josh Hodge are returning for the second year.
The squad will assemble at at Bisham Abbey national sports centre on Sunday for a training camp to prepare for the Six Nations tournament that kicks-off against France at Stade des Alpes on 1st February while they will also compete in the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy in summer.
“Players have been selected through a combination of their performances last year and displays in domestic and European competitions this season," said Dickens.
"It’s been encouraging to see a number of the group playing Premiership, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup rugby and I believe we’ve selected a really strong 32 for our elite player squad.
"We also have a wider squad that we know will contribute and be crucial during the Six Nations as well as the World Rugby U20 Championship and my message to those players not in the 32 would be to stay fit and engaged with everything we are doing.
“I want to see the players arrive in camp on Sunday with a desire to learn, improve and take in a high level of detail.
"We have less than a month to bond as a squad before our first Six Nations fixture so getting them to gel will be a key challenge for the players as well as management team. I also want players to enjoy themselves.
"Being selected for England at any level is a proud moment in their careers and they should remember that. Hopefully, this is the next step in their ultimate dream of playing for the senior side".
England U20 squad:
Forwards: Alfie Barbeary (Wasps Rugby), Harvey Beaton (Saracens), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs), Jack Clement (Gloucester Rugby), Sam Crean (Saracens), Theodore Dan (Saracens), Ben Donnell (London Irish), Rob Farrar (Newcastle Falcons), Josh Gray (Gloucester Rugby), Luke Green (London Irish), George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Nahum Merigan (Bath Rugby), Hugh Tizard (Harlequins), JJ Tonks (Northampton Saints), Rusiate Tuima (Exeter Chiefs), James Whitcombe (Leicester Tigers)
Backs: George Barton (Gloucester Rugby), Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks), Tom Curtis (Sale Sharks), Connor Doherty (Sale Sharks), Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Bath Rugby), Will Haydon-Wood (Newcastle Falcons), Noah Heward (Worcester Warriors), Josh Hodge (Newcastle Falcons), Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby), Sam Maunder (Exeter Chiefs), Raphael Quirke (Sale Sharks), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Jack Van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), Manu Vunipola (Saracens)
