Under 20 Rugby within the North Midlands 2018/2019
Please see the link for the fixtures and results of the U20’s Jason Leonard County Championships –https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/jason-leonard-u20-county-championship/#/fixtures
When the RFU decided that the Age Groups of International Youth Rugby would change from Under 21 and Under 19 to Under 20 and Under 18 the Under 20 Development Committee was founded. It was the Under 19 Committee of that day moving forward to control the Under 20 Development.
The County Championship for the Under 20’s continued in the same vain of that for the previous Under 19’s with all Constituent Bodies playing in a league system to provide Divisional entrants for the knockout stages with the final at Twickenham. North Midlands U19’s won the Championship in 2000 and were losing finalists in the following year as Under 20’s. The current Under 20’s County Championship is a 2 tiered system with the North Midlands electing each year to be in the upper tier, the Championship. Both competitions follow the area league basis for produce Quarter finalists or Semi-finalists in the Knock-out stage.
During the Championship program players are viewed by Divisional selectors tasked with producing a Midland Counties Under 20 Squad. In the past this team has played matches against several of the Irish Academy sides both home and away, as well as the USA Under 20 team as part of their preparations for the Under 20 World Cup of that year.
The Under 20 Development Committee of the North Midlands RFU along with other Midlands Divisional Constituent Bodies have long pursued the dream of an England Counties Under 20 side. This was achieved a couple of years ago however to date the nearest a North Midlands player has achieved is Non-travelling reserve, something we wish to change. Since then Adam Brankley and Jack Harrison have represented England Counties during their tour to Russia (2016)
How do you get into the North Midlands U20’s Squad?
There are several ways:-
- At the end of each season the Domestic Unions, Greater Birmingham, Shropshire and Worcestershire & Herefordshire play each other in an Under 19 Competition called the Houghton-Harris Shield, this highlights players.
- A player is recommended by his Club as being suitable.
- A trawl of Universities in the area will highlight players.
- Or by contacting one of the officials of the Committee.
Obviously there will be several Development and Assessment days before the Squad is selected. That squad will play in “warm-up” games against other close Counties before the final match squad is selected.
The following dates have been proposed for the schedule this season:-
Weds 28th November – trial game.
Sunday 9thDecember – Friendly v Cheshire
Sunday 13thJanuary – squad training
Sunday 27thJanuary – Friendly v Warwickshire
Sunday 10thFebruary – squad training
| Position | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Honorary President | Mike Evans | |
| Chairman | ||
| Treasurer | Bill Goodfellow | |
| Team Manager | ||
| Head Coach 2018 / 2019 | Richard Protherough | 07981 673840 |
| Assistant Team Manager | Clare Foster | 07717 795307 |
| Backs Coach | Vincent Harrhy | 07495 147186 / vincentharrhy@btconnect.com |
| Mitch Mcgahan | 07956 330837 | |
| Forwards Coach | Brett Prior | 07704 452814 |
| Dan Lavender | 07969 691443 | |
| General Members | Don Waterson | |
| Peter Ogden/ Tim Hardwick | 07952 831570 / timbo16@virginmedia.com |
| Scott Beamond | Harlequins, Leicester | |
| Shaun Perry | England, Bristol, Worcester Warriors | |
| James Rodwell | England 7’s, Moseley | |
| Jake Abbott | England 7’s, Worcester Warriors | |
| Lee Hinton | Leeds | |
| Peter Short | England U21, Moseley, Bath, Exeter | |
| Alistair Hall | Scotland U21, Edinburgh | |
| Jack Harrison | England Counties U20’s | |
| Adam Brankley | England Counties U20’s | |
| Ethan Priest | England Counties U20’s tour of South Georgia 2018 | |
| Sam Hollingsworth | England Counties U20’s tour of South Georgia 2018 | |