Chiefs Players Included in England U18 Women's Internal Game Squads

James Cooper leads his England U18 Women side to Warwick School this weekend as the pathway group returns for their annual internal fixture.

The two squads, each comprised of 23 of the most promising age-grade talents in the country, converge in the Midlands for the training exercise which kicks-off at 2pm on Saturday (2 December).

The match will be split into four 20-minute quarters aside intervals between to allow for in-game analysis and reflection, with rolling substitutions permitted to enable a balanced amount of game time for players.

In what is already the fourth meeting of the U18 Women unit this term, Cooper and his management team have the opportunity to trial tactical gameplans during match scenarios and assess different combinations across the matchday squads.

The 2023/24 campaign kick-started with the Malvern Festival for the U18 sides across the men’s and women’s pathway, with Cooper’s set-up continuing with regional camps across August and October before a three-day meeting at Warwick School in the October half-term.

With tradition being honoured in different aspects this weekend, it is in fact the first time the grounds of the West Midlands school are being utilised for the internal game in a venue selection that will maintain the links forged with the centrally-located institution this campaign.

80 minutes of action will form a basis for selection of the U18 Women’s wider squad ahead of the side’s competitive fixtures heading into 2024, with the wider cohort narrowing from an initial troop of 96 players back in August now to 46 members.

England’s U18 Women build further into their season with two camps at the University of Nottingham either side of the new year across the weekends of 16 December and 13 January.

With the team’s preparations steadily progressing, head coach James Cooper underscored the value in the training camp in Warwick for his group.

“We’re delighted to reintroduce our internal game this year to a new lineup of girls, having spoken to some of them ahead of the weekend the excitement is palpable which only adds to the occasion,” he said.

“I’d like to thank the staff and the players for their persistent work ethic so far this season, we’ve had a lot of opportunities to work with the best talents in the country and for that, we’re very grateful.

“There were some really tough selection calls ahead of this weekend, but as previous years have shown, this is now not a closed door and there are still opportunities for players to be seen and be involved due to different development rates amongst our team.

“We have the privilege of welcoming back 11 players who have pulled on the jersey for their country in recent times and we’re looking forward to seeing how they develop alongside new teammates on Saturday.”

England U18 Women’s squads for the 2023 Internal Game (including England Rugby Centre of Excellence site and college)

Kaya Acton (Yorkshire, Bishop Burton)

Ashton Adcock (Loughborough Lightning, Loughborough College)

Lauren Bailey (Bristol Bears, Hartpury College)

Grace Banks (Sale Sharks, Wigan & Leigh College)

Emma Blackburn (Harlequins, Worthing College)

Gabriella Brown (Harlequins, Maidstone Grammar)

Emily Chieza (Thames Valley, City of Oxford College)

Katherine Dyke (Bristol Bears, Exeter College)

Zara Green (Harlequins, Newman College (Hove))

Evie Haskell (Loughborough Lightning)

Amy Henwood (Harlequins, Epsom College)

Rebecca Jackson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College)

Aisha Jah (Loughborough Lightning, West Notts Sixth Form College)

Hayley Jones (Thames Valley, Henley College)

Emily Lunn (Harlequins, Henley College)

Haineala Lutui (Worcester, RGS Worcester)

Freya McGinlay (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College)

Maddy Page (Thames Valley, City of Oxford College)

Sarah Parry (Worcester, Hereford Sixth Form College)

Felicity Poole (Harlequins, Worthing College)

Tilly Pulfer (Exeter Chiefs, Exeter College)

Solana Shaw de Leon (Harlequins, Worthing College)

Lucy Simpson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College)

Daisy Aspinall (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College) 

Iley Bailey (Harlequins, Henley College)

Tamsin Baynes (Loughborough Lightning, Loughborough College)

Molly Bunker (Harlequins, Hartpury College)

Bethan Candlin (Yorkshire, Loughborough College)

Natalee Evans (Worcester, Hereford Sixth Form College)

Mary Flanagan (Bristol Bears, Kings of Wessex Cheddar Sixth Form)

Charlotte Heath (Exeter Chiefs, Exeter College)

Lydia Humphries (Sale Sharks, Rainhill Sixth Form)

Sophia Macdonald (Harlequins, Cardinal Newman)

Poppy Murray (Saracens, Oaklands School)

Heidi Pashaei Tarighoun (Bristol Bears, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College) 

Milly Pearce (Thames Valley, City of Oxford College)

Abigail Pritchard (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College)

Lily Relton (Exeter Chiefs, Truro College)

Lucie Sams (Sale Sharks, Carmel College St. Helens)

Eryn Sinckler-Bermingham (Harlequins, Hartpury College)

Grace Strickland (Saracens, Saffron Walden County High)

Isabel Trott (Loughborough Lightning, Loughborough College)

Isabel van der Straaten (Saracens)

Catherine Welman (Saracens, St Benedict's Catholic Sixth Form)

Ellie Wilson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Hartpury College)

Ruby Winstanley (Harlequins, The Farnborough Sixth Form)