England Women Head Coach, Stuart Barrow, has named his 20-player squad who will travel to face Wales at The Lextan Gnoll in Neath this Saturday (9 August, KO 5.30pm) \u2013 with the fixture to be broadcast live on S4C.<\/p>\n
Wigan\u2019s 19-year-old full-back Grace Banks is named for the first time following her Player of the Match performance during Lancashire\u2019s 50-8 victory in the Women\u2019s Origin fixture on Saturday (2 August). The winger has been enjoying a prolific season for her club and was also named Player of the Match in this year\u2019s Betfred Women\u2019s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley \u2013 she\u2019s been selected alongside six of her Wigan teammates.<\/p>\n
2024 Woman of Steel nominee Lucy Murray is also in line to make her international debut after her impressive start to the Betfred Women\u2019s Super League season. The 22-year-old second-, one of five Leeds players in the squad, has become a key player for the Rhinos since making her debut back in 2021 and was named their 2024 Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
Reigning Super League champions York Valkyrie are represented through Eboni Partington, Liv Wood and\u00a0Savannah Andrade, who is called up to the national team for the first time since 2021.<\/p>\n
St Helens have five of their key players selected including their captain Jodie Cunningham, who missed the Origin match with injury.<\/p>\n
Saturday will be England\u2019s first trip to Wales since 2022, with both teams preparing for the Rugby League World Cup in Australia in late 2026 \u2013 which will be Wales\u2019s first appearance in the tournament.<\/p>\n
England Women Head Coach, Stuart Barrow, says:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been incredibly difficult to decide who will travel to face Wales this Saturday especially after we have just played a really intense Origin fixture that pushed both sides to their limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we have a strong squad going into the fixture and we\u2019re looking forward to returning to Wales for the first time since 2022 as we continue our preparations for next year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have some new names coming into the squad which\u00a0reflects the form shown in Super League this year and it\u2019s going to be really exciting for everyone involved\u00a0welcoming them into camp – I\u2019ll be looking to the senior internationals to help settle them in and show them what it means to be an England player.\u201d<\/p>\n
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