Eight young stars of Northampton Saints have been included in England’s Under-20 Elite Player Squad for the coming season, with Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Tom Dye, Reuben Logan, Henry Pollock, Ollie Scola, Will Glister, Archie McParland and Jonny Weimann all named among the 50-player group.
At just 18 years old, lock Ainsworth-Cave, props Dye and Scola and scrum-half Weimann celebrate a first inclusion at this age-group after signing their first professional contracts with the Club over the summer.
There is a second inclusion at Under-20 level for uncapped pair Logan and Glister in head coach Mark Mapletoft’s squad after the Saints pair impressed in a non-cap match against Coventry RFC at the end of last term, at back row and winger respectively.
And Mapletoft calls on the experience of back row Pollock and scrum-half McParland – who have 16 caps between them already – as two of the 12 players within the group previously capped by the Under-20s, with Pollock having helped England lift the World Rugby U20 Championship trophy just two months ago.
The player pathway programme at England Rugby is a vital structural foundation to develop the future of international rugby in England – with 30 of the 36 senior men’s touring party to New Zealand and Japan this summer previously capped in the Men’s Pathway age-grades.
Friendly fixtures are to be announced to precede England’s Six Nations title-defence, that begins against Ireland on Thursday 30 January, and head coach Mapletoft is delighted to name the new group.
He said: “I’d like to congratulate all members of our EPS on their inclusion in this season’s group. As this year has shown, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be an England Rugby fan and these players are already intent on making the U20 shirts theirs.
“The ability to select more players this year not only shines a light on the breadth of talent that is being produced in this country, but it also ensures these young men receive the best possible experiences and learnings to progress as rugby players and as people.
“Our determination to constantly evolve and front up was testament to the character fostered by last year’s group. Whilst their cycle concludes, the key principles we implement throughout our pathway are a continuous process and I have every confidence this squad can replicate the successes of their predecessors.”
ENGLAND U20 MEN 2024/25 ELITE PLAYER SQUAD
FORWARDS
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave (Northampton Saints)
Charlie Barker (Saracens)
Oscar Beckerleg (Exeter Chiefs)
Thomas Burrow (Sale Sharks)
Tom Dye (Northampton Saints)
Lucas Gulley (Exeter Chiefs)
Reggie Hammick (Saracens)
Kane James (Exeter Chiefs) *
Seb Kelly (Sale Sharks)
Jack Lightbown (Sale Sharks)
Reuben Logan (Northampton Saints)
Alfie Longstaff (Sale Sharks)
Josh Mann (Exeter Chiefs)
Ralph McEachran (Sale Sharks)
Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons) *
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) *
Tye Raymont (Sale Sharks)
Oliver Scola (Northampton Saints)
Billy Sela (Bath Rugby) *
Olamide Sodeke (Saracens) *
Jimmy Staples (Harlequins)
Ollie Streeter (Harlequins)
George Timmins (Bath Rugby)
Connor Treacey (Bath Rugby)
Kepu Tuipulotu (Bath Rugby)
Charlie West (Saracens)
Samuel Williams (Leicester Tigers)
BACKS
Nicholas Allison (Exeter Chiefs)
Josh Bellamy (Harlequins) *
Jack Bracken (Saracens) *
Conor Byrne (Harlequins)
Benjamin Coen (Exeter Chiefs) *
Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks)
Lucas Friday (Harlequins) *
William Glister (Northampton Saints)
Charlie Griffin (Bath Rugby)
Angus Hall (Saracens) *
Dom Hanson (Sale Sharks)
Jack Kinder (Leicester Tigers)
Nick Lilley (Exeter Chiefs)
Frank McMillan (Harlequins)
Archie McParland (Northampton Saints) *
Charlie Myall (Leicester Tigers)
Gethin O’Callaghan (Bristol Bears)
Tyler Offiah (Bath Rugby)
George Pearson (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons) *
Campbell Ridl (Exeter Chiefs)
Jonny Weimann (Northampton Saints)
Toby Wilson (Sale Sharks)
*denotes a player capped in a competitive U20 fixture
ENGLAND U20 MEN’S 2025 SIX NATIONS FIXTURES
- Round 1: Ireland vs England – Thursday 30 January (kick-off: 7.45pm)
- Round 2: England vs France – Friday 7 February (kick-off: 8pm)
- Round 3: England vs Scotland – Friday 21 February (kick-off: 7.15pm)
- Round 4: England vs Italy – Friday 7th March (kick-off: 7.45pm)
- Round 5: Wales vs England – Friday 14th March (kick-off: 7.30pm)
All venues to be announced in due course.
