England Universities Head Coach Adam Houston had named two 30-player squads for the 9th Annual University Rugby League Origin game which is set to take place on Sunday 2nd February at Loughborough University, 2pm K.O.
The squads have been selected from the Inter-Regional games which took place in December which saw Yorkshire beat North West, South West beat South East and Midlands beat North East in three mouth-watering clashes as players took their first steps on the ladder towards England selection.
The South squad, picked from the Midlands, South East and South West players, will be aiming for a third consecutive victory having won the last two encounters in the annual series. Previous England players Ben Price, Freddie Zeigler and Ted Davidson will be hoping to feature and aiming to secure a return to the England squad for 2025.
Players in the North squad, drawn off the Yorkshire, North West and North East teams will be seeking a return to victory with the North having won the first six Origin games, which were all played at Loughborough. Ben O’Donnell, Harry Lowery, Isaac Coleman, Jake Dickinson and Leon Stewart all have previous experience at England level and will be seeking re-selection.
Both squads will be trimmed after three training sessions to final squads of 20 for the game.
South Train-On Squad
Archie Whillock (Swansea), Ben Bell-Thorn (Nottingham), Ben Price (Nottingham), Ben Smith (Loughborough), Charlie Penton (Swansea), Dan Perry (Loughborough), DiMaggio Okyere (St Mary’s), Freddie Smith (Loughborough), Freddie Ziegler (Nottingham), Harry Gray (Loughborough), Harry Holman (Nottingham), Jacob Butler (Nottingham), Jacob Rigby (Nottingham Trent), James Boyles (Gloucester), Jamie Okeeffe (Loughborough), Josh Charles-Hatton (Bath), Matteo Tafi (Brunel), Nathan Wyche (St Mary’s), Oli Winterbottom (Gloucester), Ollie Moody (Hartpury), Stephen Webber (Oxford Brookes), Sydney Butcher (East Anglia), Ted Davidson (Loughborough), Tega Rume-Tabiowo (Gloucester), Toby Harrison (Reading), Tom Hackett (Loughborough), Tom Milton (Oxford), Tristan Aromian (Surrey), Tristan Walters (Swansea).
Head Coach: Tom Mitchell
Assistant Coaches: Kevin Rudd, Jay Woodley
North Train-On Squad
Adam Kirby (Salford), Ben Grindley-Roberts (Leeds Beckett), Ben O'Donnell (Liverpool John Moores), Charlie Yeomans (Newcastle), Daffyd Morgan (Leeds Beckett), Danny Salkeld (Teesside), Deusjes Nzage (Hull), Ed Grogan (Leeds), Elliot Martin (Liverpool John Moores), Finn Balback (Leeds Beckett), Gabriel Parker (Durham), Harry Kirk (York St John), Harry Lowery (Northumbria), Isaac Coleman (York), Jacob Rennison (Northumbria), Jake Dickinson (Northumbria), James Evans (Leeds Beckett), James Leach (Northumbria), Jayden Crellin (Manchester Met), Joe Brittain (Sheffield Hallam), Josh Stephenson (Northumbria), Leon Stewart (Hull), Logan Caroline-Hines (Leeds Beckett), Mackauley Stephenson (Leeds Beckett), Max Hammell (Leeds), Nathan Groom (Liverpool), Tom Greenleaf (Newcastle), Tom Whur (Salford), Waldimar Matahwa (Leeds Beckett), Will Lintin (Northumbria).
Head Coach: Craig Banks
Assistant Coaches: Matty Rudd, Adam Cunliffe, Matty Chrimes, Matty Lynn
