Wales Students will take on England at Aberavon Harlequins on Sunday

Students from Wales will take on English universities at Aberavon Harlequins on Sunday in the first match of the two legs (kick-off 3pm).

The return leg will be played at Stanningley in Leeds next weekend.

These matches replace the Four Nations, which were cancelled this year after Scotland and Ireland were unable to compete.

Both parties have prepared well. Wales recorded a victory over South Wales Jets in a friendly match, while England recently won their country’s annual “President’s Cup”, played against GB Police, GB Teachers and UK Armed Forces.

Head coach Craig Fisher hopes Wales can record their first win over England at this level in more than a decade. He has announced that this two-match series will be his swan song with WRL.

Fisher said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing what this new Wales Students team can bring against the reigning Student Champions and President Cup holders, England.

“We are under no illusion that this game will be a gear or two higher than when we faced the Jets and we need to be mentally and physically strong enough to meet the challenge ahead.

“The boys have trained well and are raring to go. We have assembled a very capable squad that we believe can continue the student program into the future. These next two games have a serious emotional significance as we are playing for Gabe Holt and his family who mean so much to us, and that is why no player will be wearing the number 12 shirt this year, which will be given to Chris and Michelle, Gabe’s parents.

“I am also leaving Wales RL after the last game in Leeds after some great years where I was part of the Dragonhearts to lead Wales to third in the world rankings in the PDRL World Cup and the Students where I had some great met and coached people. I think I owe it to the boys and Wales to leave on a high and with no regrets.”

Wales (with squad numbers):
1 Lloyd Evans (Coleg Llandrillo)
2 Dylan Morgan (Cardiff and Vale College)
3 Jacob Purcell (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
4 Joe Coope-Franklin (University of Central Lancashire)
5 Jack Hunter (Swansea University)
6 Euan Owen (Swansea University)
7 Ben Luxford (University of Birmingham)
8 Oscar Fisher (Leeds College of Building)
9 Alfie Velasco (Swansea University)
10 Scott Simons (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
11 Jamie Jenkins (Cardiff and Vale College)
12 In memory of Gabriel Holt
13 Ollie Firth (Swansea University)
14 Ollie Moody (Swansea University)
15 Ed Weston (Coleg Llandrillo)
16 Garin Nicholls (Abingdon and Witney College)
17 Joe Caldwell (University of Lancaster)
18 Jac McGuffie (Liverpool John Moore University)
19 Lewis Ingram (Coleg and Cymoedd)
20 Thomas Moore (Swansea University)
21 Llewellyn Hawkes (Cardiff Metropolitan University)