THE South of England side, who played two games in their inaugural incarnation in 2025, will play three this autumn.
Australia and New Zealand Exiles will provide the opposition on Saturday, October 10 at the home of Wests Warriors at Wasps RUFC.
That fixture will be followed by a clash with Scotland Bravehearts at Hawick RUFC on Saturday 17, and a busy month will conclude at The Gnoll, Neath on Saturday 31 against Wales Dragonhearts.
South of England lost narrowly to Australia and New Zealand Exiles last year before edging Wales Dragonhearts in a thriller.
Jamie Jones (Oxford Cavaliers) will coach the side, who are geared to providing representative honours to talented players beyond the north of England.
Chris Chatten is general manager, the team manager is Kevin Rudd of Elmbridge Eagles, and Solent Spitfires’ Glenn Tyreman is analyst.
As last year, the squad will be selected from those who most impress in the South of England Regional Carnival, which will take place on Sunday, September 27 at Oxford RUFC.
The carnival will involve East of England (the 2025 champions), London and the South, and Midlands. East of England will be coached by Gareth Barron of North Herts Crusaders while Midlands (whose team manager is Telford Raiders’ Martin Foskett) and London and the South (for whom Mike Hart-King is team manager) are expected to announce their coaching staff shortly.
Meanwhile the West and Southwest regional side could be relaunched after a three-year hiatus.
Head coach Jay Woodley of Bristol All Golds, together with team manager Glenn Tyreman, are spearheading rebuilding efforts.
Rudd said of his appointment as the South of England’s team manager: “After helping the sport start in more than a dozen countries, and coaching and team managing international and representative teams for decades, it is a wonderful privilege to be able to work with the whole of the men’s community game across the south of England and hopefully make a positive impact on the grassroots of the community game.
“The representative honours available to men’s players and volunteer leaders within the community game in the south of England has increased steadily, year on year, over the last three years.
“This is the result of much hard work from volunteer leaders and coaches, the support of our community clubs and the support of the staff of the Rugby Football League.
“Thanks also go to our counterparts in Wales, Scotland and other nations, without whom the opportunities for representative fixtures would not exist.
“We are on track to create sustainable representative opportunities for players across the south of England in the years ahead.
“Creating, establishing and building these exciting opportunities, which allow community players a ‘fair go’, is our primary objective.”
Chatten added: “Thanks go to the RFL, and the various departments, for backing this development.
“Creating these opportunities has involved considerable efforts from many working together across domestic club rivalries and regional leagues, creating positive experiences for years to come within the community game in the south of England.
“I know from my own experience, co-ordinating club and representative activity in the south, that participants often overcome various challenges just to be involved. I hope this is just reward for players, coaches and team managers who are involved with the programme.”