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Nine Aber Valley Wolves players have been called up to Wales’ under-18s rugby league squad for the 2023 season.

Mason Apsee, Rhys Davies, Oliver Ford, Calum Jones, Lewis Jones, Cole MacDonald, Dafydd Morgan, Rhodri Rees and Ethan Stebbings are all included in the 31-player squad.

Meanwhile Coleg y Cymoedd students Alex Banks, Carter Barnes, Joshua Hill, Jamie Jenkins, Connor Lacey, Dylan Morgan, Finlay Northrop and Brandon Richards are also included.

The squad includes 11 players who were in the Wales U19 squad that finished third in last year’s European Championship.

Wayne Ponting’s squad will play four matches, including against England Community Lions in Abertillery on Saturday June 3, as well as Ireland at home at an unconfirmed venue on Saturday July 22.

Wales will face England Community Lions again on Saturday September 16, this time away from home – before facing Scotland on a date yet to be confirmed.

Head coach Ponting said: “Congratulations to all players who have been selected. We’ve had two trials this year, in which the talent on display was a high quality.

This comes down to the amount of exposure of rugby league that the boys are getting through community rugby league in Wales, and the core of the squad coming through the pathway system.

“I’m really excited to get this squad together and start training for the upcoming fixtures which will this year be played as U18s.

“We’re building towards next year’s U19 European Championships and then the Youth World Cup in France in 2025.”

Last week, six Aber Valley Wolves players were named in Wales’ Under-16s squad.