England team news for inaugural Atlantic Youth Touch Cup

The seven England teams have been announced for the first ever Atlantic Youth Touch Cup, being hosted at the University of Nottingham’s Highfields Sports Complex between Thursday, July 20th and Sunday, July 23rd, 2023.

Teams have been selected across the following categories – Mixed 15, Boys 18, Girls 18, Mixed 18, Boys 20, Girls 20 and Mixed 20 – with England the only nation to have entered every competition.

This is the first time that England will have had international representation in the 20s age category. And while there are players who are familiar with the top level of the sport, having played in previous European Junior Touch Championships, there are a number of debutants named, too, and 33 clubs are represented from as far afield as Durham, Exeter, Canterbury and Wigan.

As with the playing squads, the coaching group includes some individuals for whom this will be their fifth international event, and others for whom this is their first. Will Lupton (Boys 18) and Adam Brimelow (Girls 20) are leading teams for the first time as head coach.

CLICK HERE to see the full team lists

High Performance Director Ben Powell is looking forward to the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup, which will give England’s young players experience against teams from outside Europe for the first time.

“We are very excited about the inaugural Atlantic Youth Touch Cup,” he commented. “This year we are entering a record number of youth teams into a major international competition. To be the host nation is a great privilege and we are confident of performing, on and off the field.

“As ever, the High Performance panel, the coaching teams, the team managers, the medical team and the mental skills coaches have been crucial in managing the challenges of having so many staff and athletes in Nottingham.

“A massive thank you to everyone who has been involved in getting our 112 athletes and 40-plus staff to the event. Huge thanks as well to all the parents and families, and we are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the University of Nottingham.”

The University of Nottingham has become renowned as a top class host for international Touch events, and this year’s Atlantic Youth Touch Cup follows the 2018 and 2022 European Touch Championships as well as preceding the 2024 Touch World Cup.

Nations being represented are:

Mixed 15 – Belgium, Cayman Islands, China, England, France, Ireland, United States, Wales

Mixed 18 – Belgium, England, France, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Wales

Boys 18 – England, Ireland, Wales

Girls 18 – England, France, South Africa, Wales

Mixed 20 – England, South Africa

Boys 20 – England, France, South Africa, United States

Girls 20 – England, France, South Africa, United States