MARK SLOAN, who has been promoted to the position of England Universities head coach following the departure of Adam Houston to take up the top job with Scotland, has confirmed his squad ahead of the President’s Cup and Student Four Nations campaigns.
Sloan, who had previously been Houston’s assistant, has named a 25-man party. There will be no reduction of players for the Four Nations campaign against Ireland, Scotland and Wales which, in 2026, will be played over multiple weekends rather than in a single week.
GB Teachers and UK Armed Forces will provide the opposition in the President’s Cup, for which fixtures have yet to be announced.
Sloan has named Jay Woodley and Ethan Yates, who were involved as coaches for the recent North versus South Origin game, as his assistants.
Chloe Willey takes over from Lucy McIntosh, who has stepped back because of business commitments, as sports therapist and James Strudwick continues as strength and conditioning coach.
David Butler will enjoy his twelfth campaign as team manager and Henry Crowther has been named as his assistant.
Seven Loughborough players have been selected, and four from Northumbria.
Squad: Alex Edun, Fin Hay, Finn Dagnall, Henry Lenthall, Jamie O’Keeffe, Max Nissinen-Le, Noah Tyson (all Loughborough), Ben Bell-Thorn, Ollie Paterson (both Nottingham), Ben Grindley-Roberts (Leeds Beckett), Brogan Turner (Edge Hill), Deusjes Nzage, Leon Stewart, Ryan Moses (all Hull), George Moffitt (Liverpool John Moores), Harrison Adams (Liverpool), Harry Lowery, Jake Dickinson, James Leach, Will Lintin (all Northumbria), Hayden Todd (York St John), James Boyles, Tega Rume-Tabiowo, Oli Winterbottom (all Gloucestershire), Joshua Shackleton (Newcastle).
The squad, who will convene on Saturday at the Sheffield Sports Stadium, will include repeat call-ups in Bell-Thorn, Grindley-Roberts, Nzage, Lowery, Dickinson, Leach, O’Keeffe, Stewart, Winterbottom and Lintin. Hay and Tyson featured in 2024.
England enjoyed a 100 per cent winning record in 2025.