The England U19 Men’s side will return this spring, with two confirmed fixtures against fellow Six Nations rivals. England U19s take on France and Italy’s age group sides across March and April, which will provide stern tests for the young England players.
The team will be by the England U20 Men’s coaching staff, and will take on their French pathway counterparts on 30th March 2024 at Castle Park, Doncaster, kicking-off at 1pm. England will then travel to take on Italy U19 Men the week following, on 6th April at the Stadio Tommaso Fattori, L’Aquila (kick off TBA).
Mark Mapletoft, U20 Men’s head coach, spoke ahead of the announcement on what to expect for the games.
“The U19 fixtures always serve up exciting encounters, last year’s being no exception, and we’re pleased to add this to an already intriguing pathway schedule in the coming months,” he said.
“Working with the U19 cohort can pose challenges in integrating a fresh group quickly, but it’s a great challenge for the squad as much as the coaches.
“Facing the likes of France and Italy, whose pathway systems have impressed me greatly in recent years, will really serve us well in our players’ progression and strengthening our group mindset alike.”