Wales Students release training squad for Home Nations

Wales Students have named a 32-man training squad for the Student Four Nations that will be held in Wales this year for the first time since 2012.

This competition is held annually, except when it’s a World Cup year, Wales last winning the title when they were hosts six years’ ago. They also won the trophy the last time that the competition was held in South Wales, back in 2004.

Players from a total of 19 establishments, right through Wales and England, are represented in the side.

Head coach Paul Emanuelli has also invited along six further potential squad members who were injured at the time of the original trial.

The tournament will be played in South Wales on July 16-22.

Emanuelli said: “Firstly congratulations to all 32 that have been selected, the first training and selection day was a great success with a fantastic turn out with some real quality rugby players.

“The decision to cut the squad to 32 has been extremely tough so dropping it to 20 ready for the Four Nations in July is going to give Chris Vitalini and I some serious headaches.

“As I told the lads at the trial, the door isn’t closed for anyone and people will be added and cut as we see fit. I’m looking forward to the next few sessions now and seeing how we come together, as well as getting an opportunity to look at the six players we’ve invited along who were injured for the first session.

“The squad has got a great mix of quality youngsters and a sprinkling of experienced players like Ash Bateman and Morgan Evans who can help them all along.”

Squad: Dafydd Jones (Bangor University), Morgan Evans (University of Bath), Blake Turner (Coleg Cambria), Macauley Harris, Fraser Stroud (Cardiff and Vale College), James Bartlett, Dom King (Cardiff Metropolitan University), Mike Walker (University of Chester), Brandon Aviet, Ashley Bateman, Morgan Cochran, Dafydd Hellard, Matthew Morgan (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Rhys Gant (Educ8), Morgan Johnson (Ellesmere College), Liam Rice-Wilson (University of Gloucestershire), Conor Harding (Hartpury College), Dewi Billington, Cobi Green (Leeds Beckett University), Aled Davies (Liverpool John Moores University), Jacob Hitchcox (The Maelor School, Wrexham), Dafydd Rees (Manchester University), Brandon Lamb (Nash College), Joel Hopkins (Oxford Brookes University), Morgan Cross, Rhys Davies, Dylan Evans, Jarad Hinnem, Lloyd Selby Smith (University of South Wales), Tom Seldon (Swansea University), Billy Forrester (West Cheshire College), Ryan Griffiths (Wigan Warriors Sports Education College).

Additional players to train: Corie Shorrock (Bangor University), Patric Lewis (Cardiff University), Lloyd Bodman (Coleg y Cymoedd), Taine Hendy (Treorchy Comprehensive School), Rob Davies (University of South Wales).