County trio in England set-up (From Worcester News)

County trio in England set-up

3:30pm Thursday 29th January 2009 in Search

CHANTRY High School pupil Ryan Furniss has been named in the 60-strong England under 16s development squad to meet at Cokethorpe School in Oxfordshire on February 6 to 8.

Worcester tight-head prop Furniss is joined in the England set-up by fellow North Midlands players Hugh McBride and Barnaby Woods.

Bromsgrove School student McBride is a loose-head prop, while Woods, of Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School, is a number eight.

The squad will be reduced to 52 after the Cokethorpe session, which is part of a series of training camps and practice matches before the international fixtures in April.

England under 16s will take part in the annual Four Nations Tournament — to be hosted by the Welsh Schools Rugby Union this year from April 8 to 16 — in which they face Wales, France and Italy.

The England under 16 ‘A’ team will play three matches in the Millfield International Festival in Somerset (April 6 to 12).

Meanwhile, Worcester’s Jo Yapp and Kat Merchant have both been included in the England Women’s squad for the San Diego Sevens on February 13 and 14.

England head coach Simon Amor has named an experienced line-up for the tournament which kicks-off just three weeks before the inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai (March 5-7).