Cumbria Men’s Rugby Union has selected its squad for the opening game of the 2026 Bill Beaumont County Championship campaign this weekend.
The team will face Durham this Saturday at Kendal Rugby Club.
After a comprehensive county-wide search that reached every one of Cumbria’s 19 men’s rugby clubs, the best local talent has been brought together.
Selectors and coaches spent the season watching matches across the the county and players who have come through our own community clubs now have the chance to pull on the Cumbria jersey.
They are:
- Forwards: Aaron Sullivan, Jack Gaskell, Adam Brough, Fin Kennedy, Tom Graham, Alex Briggs, Oscar Coxon, Chris Graham, Ant Davies, Morgan Bland, Alistair Thompson, Pete Weightman (Vice Captain), Lewis Bell, Will Addyman, Tom McCullough (captain) and Patrick Wostleholme.
- Backs: Richard Addison, Jake Stewart, Aaron Stephen’s, Flyn Manihera, Alfie Bradshaw, Ben Dixon, Sam Royle, Ben Clarke, Ryan Scott, Dan Shorrock, Ben
O’Halloran, Ben Lawson and Lewis Tingey.
Leading the campaign is a strong, experienced coaching team drawn from across Cumbria – Dan Bowman, head coach, Reece Thomlinson, Gareth Gore, Chris Park and performance manager Gary Hewer.
They said they were determined to build a competitive, physical and proud Cumbrian team to reflect the traditional strengths of rugby in the county: resilience, teamwork and real heart while taking part in one of English rugby’s most respected representative competitions, with the dream of reaching the finals at Twickenham.
The Cumbria team will face Durham on Saturday at Kendal Rugby Club and on Saturday May 16 take on Northumberland at Penrith Rugby Club, both 3pm.
