Wales Rugby League have released a 28-man train-on squad for their full international test match against France at The Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium in Wrexham on Saturday 16th June (kick-off 2.30pm).
The squad contains four players from the new North Wales Crusaders club - Owain Brown, Iwan Brown and Kriss Wilkes, who are three of nine uncapped players in Iestyn Harris’ squad - along with Four Nations stalwart Christiaan Roets.
Lewis Reece, Steve Parry, Joe Burke and the uncapped duo of David James and under 18 star Jacob Morgan have been included from Wales’ other professional club South Wales Scorpions.
Harris will hope to give opportunities to under 20 and under 18 Super League Academy players to continue the successful development of Welsh born and bred players over the last few years.
Wales’ youngest ever international player Rhodri Lloyd, now at Wigan, will get a chance to win a second cap while his former Crusaders team-mates, Ollie Olds and Jack Pring, both now at Leeds Rhinos, will also get a chance to shine. All of these players have impressed in the Super League under 20s competition this season.
Rhys Pugsley, who is in the Wigan Warriors under 18 side and has also been training with South Wales Scorpions, is another up and coming player who is a welcome inclusion to the train-on squad.
The squad also includes a wealth of experience. Sixteen of the 28 players are affiliated with Super League clubs while 11 of the squad featured in last year’s Four Nations tournament.
Wales are unable to call on their six Australian-based players on this occasion but they will all be in contention for the matches against England and France at the end of the year.
“I’m really happy with the make-up of the squad which contains a good selection of youth and experience,” said Wales coach Iestyn Harris. “It’s pleasing that 19 out of the 28 players named have come through the WRL development ranks and that’s down to the good structure we have in place with the right people working hard.
“It’s also good that we have players in the squad from both South Wales Scorpions and North Wales Crusaders. I’m sure that they will all work hard to try and get a place in the matchday squad and I know that the Crusaders players will want to shine on their home ground.
“The French game will be a big test for us and it will be a good indication to see how our players have developed following last year’s Four Nations campaign. France will also be looking to impress as it will be their first game under a new coach so we can expect a full-blooded encounter in Wrexham on Saturday 16th June.”
Tickets are now on sale, priced from £8 for adults and £4 concessions at
www.walesrugbyleague.co.uk or
www.glyndwr.ac.uk/.
WALES SQUAD (please see the attached spreadsheet for full information on all the players along with stats and records)
NAME CLUB
Andy Bracek Barrow Raiders
Elliot Kear Bradford Bulls
Craig Kopczak Bradford Bulls
Jacob Emmitt Castleford Tigers
Ross Divorty Halifax
Danny Jones Keighley Cougars
Ollie Olds * Leeds Rhinos
Jack Pring Leeds Rhinos
Michael Channing * London Broncos
Iwan Brown * North Wales Crusaders
Owain Brown * North Wales Crusaders
Christiaan Roets North Wales Crusaders
Kriss Wilkes * North Wales Crusaders
Jordan James Salford City Reds
Joe Burke South Wales Scorpions
David James * South Wales Scorpions
Jacob Morgan * South Wales Scorpions
Steve Parry South Wales Scorpions
Lewis Reece South Wales Scorpions
David Mills Swinton Lions
Ben Evans * Warrington Wolves
Rhys Williams Warrington Wolves
Lloyd White Widnes Vikings
Gil Dudson Wigan Warriors
Ben Flower Wigan Warriors
Rhodri Lloyd Wigan Warriors
Rhys Pugsley * Wigan Warriors
Peter Lupton Workington Town
*- uncapped player
