The Wales Wheelchair World Cup squad will take on a Wales Select squad at Wrexham University on Saturday 10 October (kick-off 2pm).
This will be a full match to prepare Alan Caron’s squad for the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Australia that kicks off on October 30.
Fans are welcome to attend and support this warm-up clash in the north of Wales, with entry free of charge for all.
Afterwards, from 5.30pm, the World Cup squad will have a shirt presentation meal. Tickets for this are available here.
Coaches Harry Mitchell-Jones and Paul Sargent have selected a squad from all four Welsh wheelchair sides to give the World Cup players a stern test.
Mitchell-Jones, from North Wales Crusaders, will take to the pitch alongside his teammates Ethan Neilson and Mason Baker. The Crusaders recently reached the final of the RFL Wheelchair Championship.
Wales Rugby League’s other father and son combination, Jason and Jamie Reynolds, unable to commit to the World Cup this year, but played in this year’s Celtic Cup after leading South Wales Jets to the WRL title, will also feature.
This season’s WRL league runners-up, Cardiff Blue Dragons, supply four players, Wyatt Jones, Tomos Parker, Libbie Sargent and Jess Booth, with Poppy Cayton representing Aber Valley Wolves.
Mitchell-Jones said: “It was a pleasure to be asked to help put this squad together. Selection was far from easy, with some difficult decisions to make, but I believe we have a group capable of providing Wales with a valuable test ahead of the World Cup.
“The squad offers a strong balance of experience, skill and versatility. Every player brings something different, and I’m confident they will challenge the World Cup squad while showcasing their own ability.
“Poppy, Libbie and Tomos have done exceptionally well this season, making the step up to training with the national team. They thoroughly deserve this opportunity to test themselves against the World Cup squad.
“Wyatt brings several years of experience, and his performances for Salford in the Development North competition this season have demonstrated his quality. This is a deserved opportunity for him to showcase his talents against Wales’ best.
“Jess was unfortunate to miss out on selection for the Celtic Cup and World Cup squads. This fixture offers them the perfect platform to demonstrate their ability and make a strong case for future international selection.
“It’s fantastic to see Mason back in the sport following a well-deserved break. His experience will be a real asset to this group, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to the team.
“The Reynolds pair are among the most consistent performers in the Welsh League, and both impressed at the Celtic Cup earlier this year. It’s a real shame they were unavailable for the World Cup, but we’re delighted to have their quality and experience in this squad.
“Ethan has been a standout performer for the Crusaders in the Championship this season. Although he missed out on selection for England’s youth pathway, I firmly believe he deserves the chance to showcase his quality against some of the sport’s best players.”
Wales Wheelchair head coach Alan Caron said: “This is going to be a really valuable test for us. Having five full internationals in the Development side means we know we’ll be facing a team with plenty of experience, as well as players who are going to be desperate to show what they can do.
“It’s exactly the type of challenge we need at this stage of our World Cup preparations. We’ve been working hard as a squad, and now we need to put that into practice in a full match environment. With our opening game against England just three weeks away, every minute on the pitch is important.”
Wales Select: Jess Booth*, Wyatt Jones, Tomos Parker, Libbie Sargent (Cardiff Blue Dragons), Poppy Cayton (Aber Valley Wolves), Mason Baker*, Harry Mitchell-Jones*, Ethan Neilson (North Wales Crusaders), Jamie Reynolds*, Jason Reynolds* (South Wales Jets)
*Full Wales internationals
