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Wales Wheelchair head coach Alan Caron has named his two squads to face the UK Armed Forces next month.
Two matches will be played at Wrexham University on Saturday March 14, with the main encounter kicking off at 2.15pm, and the Wales A match taking place at 1pm.
A total of 17 players have been named, with eight in the main squad and a further nine in the development side.
However, both matches will feature ten players. Gary Preece of Midlands Hurricanes, who is returning to the Wales side for the first time in two years, will also start the day by playing for Wales A, while two further unconfirmed players from the first match will also form part of the main Wales squad on the day.
Preece, joins seven of the players who beat UK Armed Forces 24-22 in Hull in November, with Jodie Boyd-Ward once again captaining the side and Stuart Williams again the vice-captain.
The Wales A side contains just two players who have not yet played for Wales, in Libbie Sargent of Cardiff Blue Dragons and Midlands Hurricanes, and Gareth Ramsey of Sheffield Eagles. All the other players have previously won full caps for Wales.
Players from the Ystrad Mynach-based South Wales Jets will be involved in both Welsh sides.
Caron described the matches as a “defining step forward” and said: “It reflects the growth of our pathway, the standards we’re setting, and the pride of representing something bigger than ourselves every time we take the court.”
He added: “It’s a big year for us, with the Celtic Cup in May in Edinburgh and the World Cup in October/November in Australia, and these matches next month form a big part of our preparation for both tournaments.”
Wales squad
- Jodie Boyd-Ward – Leeds Rhinos (captain);
- Jonathan Gill – North Wales Crusaders;
- Matthew Turner – North Wales Crusaders;
- Jakub Wasieczko – North Wales Crusaders;
- Stuart Williams – North Wales Crusaders/Edinburgh Giants (vice captain);
- Gary Preece – Midlands Hurricanes;
- Brogan Evans – South Wales Jets/Wigan Warriors;
- Mark Williams – South Wales Jets/Wigan Warriors;
- Plus two yet-to-be-announced players.
Wales A squad
- Jess Booth – Cardiff Blue Dragons/Chester Gladiators;
- Lee Sargent – Cardiff Blue Dragons/Midlands Hurricanes;
- Libbie Sargent – Cardiff Blue Dragons/Midlands Hurricanes;
- Harry Mitchell-Jones – North Wales Crusaders;
- Lucie Roberts – North Wales Crusaders;
- Martin Turner – North Wales Crusaders;
- Gareth Ramsey – Sheffield Eagles;
- Jamie Reynolds – South Wales Jets/Midlands Hurricanes;
- Jason Reynolds – South Wales Jets/Midlands Hurricanes.
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