OLIVER Robinson, the son of former England coach and flanker Andy, has been named in a 30-strong England Under-18 training squad to prepare for this season’s AER (Association Europeenne de Rugby) tournament in the Toulon area of France.
Robinson, an open side flanker, is a pupil at Prior Park College in Bath and he plays for Bath, his father’s old club.
Robinson impressed playing for the South West in last weekend’s Divisional Festival at Moseley in Birmingham and he was watched by his father, now coach of Magners League side Edinburgh, in their victory over the Midlands on Sunday.
The England squad also includes fly-half Sam Stanley (Oaklands College, Saracens and Essex) who is the nephew of former New Zealand All Blacks centre Joe Stanley.
Stanley is one of five members of the England Under-16 squad who played in last season’s Four Nations tournament in France who have been included in the England Under-18 squad which will be reduced to 26 for the international against Japan High Schools at Plymouth Albion on March 22.
The others are fly-half Tom Heathcote, number eight Matt Kvesic, full-back Alex Lewington and flanker Chris Walker.
The England squad will hold training sessions at Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire from January 30 to February 1 and February 6 to 8. They will also play games against the Worcester Warriors Academy (February 22) and Northampton Saints Academy (March 8) at Bromsgrove School during further squad weekends.
The AER Tournament will be played from April 2 to 12 and England’s opening match is against Georgia on April 5.
England Under-18 AER Tournament training squad:
Backs: Chris Cook (Millfield School and Somerset), Jack Gadd (Filton Collge, Bristol and Gloucestershire), Jamie Hearn (Oaklands College, Saracens and Hertfordshire), Tom Heathcote (Bishop Wordsworth’s, Bath and Dorset & Wiltshire), Will Jones (Henley College, London Wasps and Oxfordshire), Matt Keyte (Dulwich College, Harlequins and Surrey), Alex Lewington (Nottingham HS and Leicester Tigers), Anders Morgensen (Millfield School and Northampton Saints), Ben Mosses (Millfield School, Bath and Somerset), Ben Ransom (Tonbridge School, Saracens and Kent), Henry Staff (Bedford Modern School, Saracens and Hertfordshire), Sam Stanley (Oaklands College, Saracens and Essex), Mike Wilcox (St Peter’s RC HS, Gloucester and Gloucestershire), Marland Yarde (Whitgift School, London Irish and Middlesex.).
Forwards: Will Collier (Cranleigh School, Harlequins and Surrey), Josh Elliott (Dulwich College, Old Alleynians, London Wasps and Surrey), Chris Fox (Bromsgrove School, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands), David Francis (Twyford College, London Wasps and Middlesex), Harry Hannan (Woodhouse Grove School, Leeds Carnegie and Yorkshire), Tom Hicks (Sedbergh School, Newcastle Falcons and Cumbria), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Sixth Form College, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands), Joe Launchbury (Christ’s Hospital School, Harlequins and Sussex), Kieron Low (Havant College, Chichester and Sussex), Simon McIntyre (St Bedes School, Broughton Park, Sale Sharks and Lancashire), Louis Padien (Bromsgrove School, Moseley, Worcester Warriors and North Midlands), Oliver Robinson (Prior Park College, Bath and Somerset), Matthew Shields (Sedbergh School, Newcastle Falcons and Cumbria), Matthew Steele (Dame Alice Owen School, Saracens and Hertfordshire), Chris Walker (Prince Henry’s GS, Leeds Carnegie and Yorkshire), Liam Wilkinson (St Peter’s Sixth Form Centre, Gloucester and Gloucestershire).
