Team information | |
---|---|
Nickname | The Knights |
Governing body | Rugby Football League |
Region | Europe |
Head coach | Paul Anderson |
Captain | TBA |
Mostcaps | Jodie Broughton (5) |
Top try-scorer | Jodie Broughton (6) |
Top point-scorer | Luke Gale (28) |
Team results | |
First international | |
![]() ![]() (15 October 2011) | |
Biggest win | |
![]() ![]() (16 June 2012) |
England Knights is the feeder team for theEngland national rugby league team. The Knights play a key role in the development of emerging talent, allowing players to gain experience in an international environment and to compete for a place in the England first team.
The idea of a second England team originated in the 1990s as "Emerging England" to give young players a chance to play internationally before being called up to the senior side. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s Emerging England played against the senior sides of developing nations. In another incarnation as "England A" (not to be confused with theAmateur Four Nations team), the team took on theAustralian national rugby league team in the second game of the2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. Australia defeated England A 26–22 in front of 6,817 fans.
England Knights were officially formed in 2011, eight years after England A played Australia. A squad of players under 25 were chosen play against France and where they came out 38–18 victors. The following year they competed in and won the2012 European Championship and defeated Samoa in a 2013 test match.
The England Knights team was not utilised between 2014 and 2017.
In 2018 it was announced that the Knights would go on a two series tour of Papua New Guinea.[1][2]
Opponent | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 88% |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Competition | Location | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
30 October 2002 | ![]() | 12–34 | ![]() | Friendly | [3] | ||
28 October 2003 | ![]() | 22–26 | ![]() | Friendly | Griffin Park,London | 6,817 | [4] |
Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Competition | Location | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 October 2011 | ![]() | 38–18 | ![]() | Friendly | 2,071 | ||
22 October 2011 | ![]() | 12–26 | ![]() | Friendly | 1,163 | [5] | |
16 June 2012 | ![]() | 62–4 | ![]() | Friendly | 11,083 | ||
20 October 2012 | ![]() | 4–56 | ![]() | 2012 European Championship | Deramore Park, Belfast | [6] | |
28 October 2012 | ![]() | 24–62 | ![]() | Meggetland Stadium, Edinburgh | |||
19 October 2013 | ![]() | 52–16 | ![]() | Friendly | [7] | ||
27 October 2018 | ![]() | 12–16 | ![]() | 2018 Knights tour | Lae, Papua New Guinea | ||
3 November 2018 | ![]() | 32–22 | ![]() | Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | [8] | ||
20 October 2019 | ![]() | 38–6 | ![]() | Friendly | Headingley Stadium,Leeds | 7,113 | [9] |
15 October 2021 | ![]() | 56–4 | ![]() | Friendly | Wheldon Road,Castleford | 2,250 | [10][11] |
1 October 2022 | ![]() | 6–18 | ![]() | Friendly | Bordeaux | [12] | |
9 October 2022 | ![]() | 4–28 | ![]() | Friendly | Edinburgh | [13] |
On 26 July 2022, a women's knights team was launched. The team is managed byLeeds Rhinos head coachLois Forsell.[14] The team called up a performance squad to training camps in 2023[15] and 2024.[16]
In 2019, an England reserve side called "England Lions" playedWales, losing 20–24, while the senior side was on tour againstPapua New Guinea.[17]
Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Competition | Location | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 October 2022 | ![]() | 14–26 | ![]() | Friendly | Weetwood Sports Park,Leeds | [18] |