England announce Churchill Cup squad

Bath prop David Barnes has been appointed tour captain of the newly-named England Saxons in this season’s Barclays Churchill Cup competition.

The Saxons, formerly England A, are defending champions and they will head to Canada as strong contenders for a repeat performance.

The six-team event, which takes place in Toronto, San Francisco and Edmonton, also includes Scotland A and Ireland A.

England face Scotland A and Canada in their pool games early next month, before Edmonton hosts finals day on June 17.

Barnes, 29, travels as tour skipper, with England intending to appoint matchday captains for the pool fixtures and finals.

London Irish have been rewarded following their excellent Guinness Premiership campaign, when they reached the title play-offs, with six call-ups – Delon Armitage, Michael Horak, Paul Hodgson, David Paice, Kieran Roche and Nick Kennedy.

And there are also opportunities for promising talent such as Leicester hooker James Buckland, Gloucester flanker Luke Narraway and Newcastle back-row forward Ben Woods.

Barnes said: “This is a group of players who really want to prove themselves on this tour.

“After winning the Churchill Cup last year, we are obviously going out there to retain that title, and this is also an ideal opportunity to press for full England selection ahead of the World Cup.”

The Saxons will head to Canada on May 29, with Narraway and Saracens wing Richard Haughton joining the squad after their England Sevens commitments at Twickenham the following week.

England head coach Andy Robinson, meanwhile, has selected a 24-man squad for the non-cap game against the Barbarians at Twickenham on May 28.

It features 18 of the players chosen yesterday for England’s two-Test summer tour of Australia, including Mike Catt, Olly Barkley and Joe Worsley, plus six Churchill Cup tourists – Barnes, Paice, Roche, James Hudson, James Forrester and Paul Sackey.

Players from Leicester and Sale Sharks weren’t considered due to their Premiership final appointment at Twickenham 24 hours earlier.

England Saxons squad for Barclays Churchill Cup competition in Canada and USA from June 3-17:

Backs: D Armitage (London Irish), M Horak (London Irish), S Vesty (Leicester), P Sackey (Wasps), R Haughton (Saracens), B Johnston (Saracens), A Erinle (Wasps), C Bell (Leeds), A Crockett (Bath), S Drahm (Worcester), P Hodgson (London Irish), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), C Stuart-Smith (Llanelli).

Forwards: D Barnes (Bath, capt), M Ward (Newcastle), R Morris (Newcastle), S Turner (Sale Sharks), D Paice (London Irish), J Buckland (Leicester), J Hudson (Bath), K Roche (London Irish), D Schofield (Sale Sharks), N Kennedy (London Irish), A Beattie (Bath), D Seymour (Saracens), L Narraway (Gloucester), B Woods (Newcastle), J Forrester (Gloucester).