There’s plenty of Cumbrian involvement in the the England Community Lions Under-23s squad announced ahead of three international fixtures at the end of the season.
Half of the 20-strong squad play their first team rugby for Cumbrian clubs – Millom, Egremont, Wath Brow, Hensingham and Ellenborough.
Named in the squad are: Jack Newbegin (Millom), Morgan McCourt (Wath Brow Hornets), Sam Appleby (Egremont Rangers), Jake Pearce (Wath Brow Hornets), Ellison Holgate (Wath Brow Hornets), Noel Branthwaite (Hensingham), Jack Kellett (Hensingham), Aaron Turnbull (Egremont Rangers), Rio McQuistan (Millom) and Owen Hoyles (Ellenborough Rangers).
Wales will send a team to England on October 14 before hosting two weeks later on October 28, and a trip to Ireland is sandwiched between those fixtures on the October 21.
Taking the coaching reigns once more is Paul Couch who also has the expanded brief of being Open Age Men’s head coach of the Lions Programme.
Looking at the 20-player squad that has been named, Couch said, “I know quite a few of them have been involved around an under-16s or an under-19s level. Some actually played for me last year in the under-23s, but it’s a good opportunity to look at them all again in a different environment.
“It shows the programme works. It shows what we have in place now, whether they’re playing for Tom (Wood) in the under-16s or they’re playing for Gary (Hewer) in the under-17s to 18s that they’re getting the same kind of coaching and the same kind of system that’s being run as well and then if they are ready to step up to the Under 23s or open age, then they are ready to do it.”
The announced squad sees Owen Hoyles selected who has enjoyed a superb season with Division Three promotion hopefuls Ellenborough Rangers and Brodie-Lee Butler who has impressed playing rugby league in the armed forces for the Royal Navy over a number of years, while also handing opportunities to free scoring Hunslet ARLFC winger Tyler Dargan and North West Mens’ League player Joseph Heaton from Hindley.
“I’ve kept a little bit of an eye on Owen because he was with us in the 23s last year and then his points scoring is pretty good in Division Three. He trialled really well when we were up at Cumbria – he looked pretty sharp and he looked switched on.” Couch said.
“There’s been a couple of Armed Forces players that have trialled and really stood out and Brodie was one of them. We spotted him pretty early and I’ve been to watch quite a few of the Armed Forces games where they’ve been playing the students and the teachers.
“You also had Joseph Heaton, another one that stood out in the trials and that’s all we asked for the players when the trialling, that they made themselves noticeable. You haven’t got long to prove yourself and this young lad took his opportunity.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Dargan play in the 23s. He’s scoring a lot of points in a very good team at the minute that are playing very well. There’s quite a number of people that I’m looking forward to watching and hopefully they can move on and get the opportunity to play open age at some point,” Couch enthused.
