2 Feb 2018

England to face Papua New Guinea in Commonwealth 9s opener

England will open their Commonwealth 9s Championship campaign against Papua New Guinea in Moreton Bay, Queensland, on Friday, February 23.

The under 23s side, which features 15 players from community clubs, take on PNG at 10.40am local time on day one, before lining up against Samoa at 12.55pm.

Their final game of the day is against Tonga at 5.15pm, with bronze, silver and gold medals then up for grabs in the knockout stages on Saturday, February 24.

Full details about the two-day tournament can be found here:

Rugby League Commonwealth Championship

Wigan St Pats' Danny Riding has been named as England captain, while Cole Walker-Taylor from Wath Brow Hornets is vice captain.

The Hornets boast three members of the squad, while Underbank Rangers and St Pats are represented by two players each, and Sam Baggaley from North West Men's League side Orrell St James is the only representative from outside the National Conference League.

The nine-a-side u23s competition will take place across 23 and 24 February, with fixtures hosted at Dolphin Oval, home of the Redcliffe Dolphins.

England have been drawn in Pool B against Tonga, Samoa, and champions of the 2014 competition, Papua New Guinea.

Pool A sees Wales, Fiji, Scotland and Australia face off.