Sandy Park to host U20s fixture
By Mark Stevens
2/11/18
England Under-20s are heading back to Devon after Exeter's Sandy Park Stadium was named as one of the three host venues for home fixtures in the 2019 Six Nations Championship.
Sandy Park - which hosted the England Under-20s fixture against France in 2017 - along with Bedford's Goldington Road ground and Northampton's Franklin's Gardens were all confirmed today, along with the competition's fixture list, which will see England begin their campaign against Ireland at the Irish Independent Park in Cork on Friday, February 1 (KO 19.15 GMT).
England then take on France on Saturday, February 9 at Sandy Park (KO 12.05 GMT), home of Exeter Chiefs, live on Sky Sports.
The U20s next head to the ZipWorld Stadium, Colwyn Bay to face Wales on Friday, February 22 (KO 19.05 GMT), live on S4C, before a second home fixture of the tournament with the side playing Italy on Friday, March 8 at Bedford Blues’ Goldington Road (19.45 GMT), live on Sky Sports.
Their final fixture of the Six Nations will be against Scotland on Friday, March 15 at Northampton Saints’ Franklin’s Gardens (19.45 GMT), live on Sky Sports.
England U20s, who last won the tournament in 2017, finished runners-up to France in this year’s tournament.
The England U20s programme will be led by pathway performance coaches Steve Bates and Jim Mallinder, with former Chiefs player James Scaysbrook, Mark Hopley and Richard Whiffin joining the management team as part of the latest coach development programme agreement with Premiership Rugby.
Bates said: “This is a really important tournament for the players’ development. They are exposed to a highly-competitive tournament on the international stage, where the intensity of the games and the scrutiny they’re under is different to anything they would have experienced before.
“It also gives them the opportunity to prepare, interact and play with players they don’t know very well and build a cohesive team very quickly. As potential senior internationals it is something they will have to get used to and this tournament is a great introduction to that.
“We also want to continue to develop our game from the World Rugby U20 Championship in June, the final was a fantastic occasion and we played a lot of open, attacking rugby during the tournament.
“Something we learned from the final of the World Rugby U20 Championship in France was the impact of the crowd. It was a fantastic final and an amazing occasion with 18,000 people watching which really raises the level of performance. I’m hoping we get that level of support at Sandy Park from an Exeter following that is renowned for turning out and supporting their club and I hope they will also get behind these young players.”
Tony Rowe OBE, Chairman & Chief Executive of Exeter Rugby Club, said: “It’s fantastic that Sandy Park will again be playing host to yet more international rugby this season. Not only we will be welcoming England U20s back to Exeter once again in February, but we will also be staging for the first time the England Women’s side in March.
“Over the years, Sandy Park has proven itself to be a fitting venue for international rugby – including that of the Rugby World Cup in 2015 – and I’ve no doubt the rugby-loving public of the region will once again turn out in force to see these England stars of the future in action.”
England U20s Six Nations Championship fixtures
Ireland v England
Friday 1 February, KO 19.15 GMT
Irish Independent Park, Cork
England v France
Saturday 9 February, KO 12.05 GMT – live on Sky Sports
Sandy Park, Exeter.
Wales v England
Friday, 22 February, KO TBC – live on S4C
ZipWorld Stadium, Colwyn Bay.
England v Italy
Friday, 8 March, KO 19.45 – live on Sky Sports
Goldington Road, Bedford.
England v Scotland
Friday, 15 March, KO 19.45 – live on Sky Sports
Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton.