LUCTONIANS and Bromsgrove rugby clubs are represented in North Midlands' provisional squad for the forthcoming Tetley's County Championship campaign.

North Midlands have been given the support of most of the county's six National League clubs and first team regulars from Moseley, Birmingham & Solihull, Stourbridge and Dudley Kingswinford have been named in the 33-strong squad.

This season the County Championship has been split into two and North Midlands have been included in the second tier Shield competition.

They will play home and away group matches against Dorset & Wiltshire at Bournemouth on May 4 and Dudley Kingswinford on May 11 with the winners progressing to knockout stages.

North Midlands will prepare for their Championship campaign with a friendly against North Wales at Dudley Kingswinford on April 28.

Players from National League clubs have been given an incentive to make themselves available for the County Championship this season because a new English Countiles XV has been created and they will tour Chile in June.

The provisional North Midlands squad is Steve Smart (Dudley Kingswinford), John Hall (Stourbridge), Carl Colvin (Moseley), Mark Milward (Dudley Kingswinford), James Benedict (Dudley Kingswinford), Duncan Hughes (Stourbridge), Gareth Davies (Dudley Kingswinford), Ali McLaughlin (Stourbridge), Barry Kirwan (Dudley Kingswinford), Andy Binns (Moseley), Gavin Cattle, Shaun Perry (Dudley Kingswinford), Steve Powell (Moseley), Terry Sigley (Moseley), Rob Sigley (Stourbridge), Ben McGowan (Luctonians), Stephen Jaques (Luctonians), Stuart Homer (Dudley Kingswinford), Alan Hubbleday (Birmingham & Solihull, Rob Merritt (Stourbridge), Adam Caves (Moseley), Neil Mitchell (Moseley), Richard McCranior (Birmingham & Solihull), Tom Churchill (Bromsgrove), Richard Stott (Moseley), Jon Taylor (Bromsgrove), Ed Orgee (Birmingham & Solihull), Glen Eager (Camp Hill), John Russell (Stourbridge), Jason Mellors (Stourbridge), David Hunt (Moseley), Layton Wilkinson (Dudley Kingswinford), James Hynes (Stourbridge).

* North Midlands have cancelled their scheduled friendly against North Wales at Dudley Kingswinford on Sunday, April 28.

They had intended to use the game as preparation for their opening match in the County Championship Shield against Dorset & Wiltshire at Bournemouth on May 4 but they have now decided to call off the fixture because the majority of players will be involved in important league games on April 27.

There will still be rugby at Dudley Kingswinford on April 28 because the finals of The North Midlands Colts Cup and North Midlands Colts Plate competitions have been switched to Heathbrook from Silhillians.

Old Halesonians will play Bromsgrove in the final of the cup at 3.30pm with the Plate Final starting at 2pm. The Plate finalists have yet to be decided.

* The kick-off time for Tetley Under 20-County Championship semi-final against Cornwall at Stourbridge on Sunday, April 28 will be at 2pm.

Cornwall, who edged out Kent 27-26 in the quarter-finals, had requested a slightly earlier kick-off than usual to allow them to complete the journey home.