SADDLEWORTH has earned more recognition for its rugby league talent after no fewer than seven players were called up to international age group squads.
Waterhead Warriors boast four members of England’s Under-18 Community Lions party, which also features Saddleworth Rangers’ Marcus Geener.
Harry Bates, of the Shaw Hall Bank Road club, has made their Under-16s group while Reece Smethurst will line up for Scotland’s Under-18s.
That sets up the prospect of Geener, promoted from the younger age group, and Smethurst facing each other as England face Scotland on June 18.
And Waterhead boast brothers Cameron and Adam Robinson, Harrison Dodd and Harry Barker in the elder squad.
All seven will have to go through a trial on May 13 before the final squads are named.
However, those that do not make the Under-16s’ cut to face Wales in Wales on June 3 before home internationals against Scotland on June 18, Ireland on September 2 and Wales on September 16 will be part of Lions Regional Selection that takes on a French Regional side in England during July.
England’s Under-18s will face the same opponents on the same dates.
