NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS will open a three-match tour of England tomorrow (Wednesday 16 May) with a game against Leeds Beckett.
The fixture, at Kirkstall, kicks off at 2.00pm.
The Kiwis will then meet England Universities on Saturday (19 May, 2.15pm) in a curtain-raiser to the Betfred Championship clash between Featherstone Rovers and Leigh Centurions at the LD Nutrition Stadium, Post Office Road.
And, seven days later, England and New Zealand will again square up, this time at Kingston Park, Newcastle. That game will start at 4.00pm as the closing match of a triple-header also involving games between Gateshead Storm v Edinburgh Eagles (noon) and Cramlington Rockets v Strathmore Silverbacks (1.45pm).
England Universities, meanwhile, have one more fixture lined up ahead of the Student Four Nations in July; Keighley Cougars Reserves will provide the opposition on 27 June in a repeat of last year’s successful initiative.
England Universities’ squad, coached by Richard Tate and Kevin Deighton, is: Aaron Hall (Bolton), Adam Bielby, Alex Clegg (both Northumbria), Ben Gray (Sheffield Hallam), James Mason, Ben Stead, Luke Stephens (Gloucestershire), Conner MacCallum (Manchester Met), Daniel Gover (Coventry), Harry Aaronson (Leeds), Harry Chapman, Lewis Taylor (Loughborough), Jason Bass, Jed Mawdsley (Newcastle), Joseph Capless (Northumbria), Nathan Hill, William Jubb, Ryan Langton, Kieran Smith (Hull), Matthew Chrimes, Lee Registe (Leeds Beckett), Lewis Fairhurst (Edge Hill), Marcus Stock (Sheffield), Munashe Fumhanda (Leicester), Nathan Ainsworth (UCLan), Reece Brunt (Leeds).
Jason Whareaitu is captain of New Zealand, and Isaac Robinson is vice-captain. The rest of the party is Ricki Allan, Mona Sio, Destry Tamai, Kane Telea, Matt Filipo, Rory Ropati, Brooklyn Niwa, Jeremy Suilepa, Michael Hollis, Cameron Walters, George Ropati, Mitchell Ropati, Jordan Staurt, Ben Tunnicliff, Jong Hoon Lee, Jake Cusack and Josh McKenzie.
