LAST UPDATE | 7 Nov 2023
AS A MEANS of spreading the scope and appeal of rugby throughout the developing nations, the highly-entertaining Portugal, who picked up their first win at a World Cup with their win over Fiji a few weeks back, will face an England ‘A’ side in February.
The game will take place on 25 February at 1pm, at Welford Road, the home of the Leicester Tigers.
The England ‘A’ team is a concept that had fallen by the wayside in recent years, but will be reintroduced in order to smooth the pathway from U20 level to the senior team.
The Rugby Football Union released a statement as part of the Portugal game announcement, saying; “As part of the ongoing discussions regarding the Professional Game Partnership (PGP), the RFU and Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) want to ensure younger players have more time on the pitch in order to continue their playing development.
“A coaching team involving personnel from across the Gallagher Premiership and England Rugby will be chosen in consultation alongside PRL, with the selection of the matchday 23 determined by senior men’s head coach, Steve Borthwick.
“Whilst the friendly is set to take place on the weekend of Round Three in the 2024 Guinness Six Nations, the encounter against Sébastien Bertrank’s men will also give those in the senior men’s wider squad valuable minutes outside of the tournament to maintain fitness throughout the campaign.”
