Six Wigan players named in England women’s performance squad alongside ex-star Georgia Wilson

Wigan 2022 Women’s Player of the Year Georgia Wilson also returns from Australia and is in contention to feature at Headingley Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos.

The 26-year-old Grand Final winner with Wigan departed the club in February 2023 to take up an opportunity in Australia, having been a part of the Women’s team since its inception in 2017.

An England international, Wilson made 43 appearances across four seasons, featuring as a full-back, centre and winger, crossing for 30 tries and kicking 47 goals.

She spent the 2023 season playing in Queensland with the South Lothian Magpies and is joined by Women’s NRL Grand Final-winner Georgia Roche.

Inaugural Woman of Steel Roche, 23, enjoyed a dream debut season with Newcastle Knights, beating Gold Coast Titans 24-18 in front of 40,000 spectators at Sydney’s Accor Stadium last month.

Current Wigan players Victoria Molyneux, Mary Coleman, Anna Davies, Eva Hunter, Kaitlin Hilton and Molly Jones have all been named.

Two training sessions will take place across the weekend involving squads representing Lancashire and Yorkshire with both teams consisting of senior England players alongside those currently involved in the Knights.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire teams will play an Origin training game at Huddersfield YMCA on Wednesday, October 25, before Barrow names his squad to face Wales.

England Women versus Wales will be part of an international double header in Leeds also featuring the third test match of the Men’s historic series against Tonga, with Shaun Wane’s side having claimed an opening 22-18 win in St Helens.

“The quality of rugby on show during this year’s Betfred Women’s Super League was fantastic, so I thought it was important to give the Knights and our senior internationals an opportunity to train and play together and our fixture in Huddersfield should be a great experience for everyone involved,” head coach Barrow said.

“Wales will pose a much different challenge to when we last faced them and I think that the progression of Cardiff Demons over the last couple of seasons proves that, so we are keeping focussed and preparing well for what’s sure to be a fantastic game.”

Lancashire

Emily Baggaley (Warrington Wolves), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies, Eva Hunter, Kaitlin Hilton, Molly Jones (all Wigan Warriors), Tara Jones, Katie Mottershead (both St Helens), Victoria Molyneux (Wigan Warriors), Eboni Partington, Emily Rudge, Erin Stott, Georgia Sutherland (all St Helens), Tara Jane Stanley (York Valkyrie), Amy Taylor, Paige Travis (both St Helens), Georgia Wilson (South Lothian Magpies), Megan Williams, Victoria Whitfield (both St Helens)

Yorkshire

Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Amelia Brown (Huddersfield Giants), Caitlin Beevers (Leeds Rhinos), Chloe Billington (Featherstone Rovers), Jasmine Bell (York Valkyrie), Keara Bennett, Caitlin Casey, Jasmine Cudjoe, Amy Hardcastle (all Leeds Rhinos), Georgie Hetherington (York Valkyrie), Shona Hoyle (St Helens), Zoe Hornby (Leeds Rhinos), Emma Kershaw (York Valkyrie), Izzy Northrop (Leeds Rhinos), Lacey Owen, Sinead Peach, Tamzin Renouf (all York Valkyrie), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Dannielle Waters (Featherstone Rovers), Olivia Whitehead, Olivia Wood (both York Valkyrie)