The first members of the England 9-13 Squad have been named, with 12 boys and eight girls making the line-up.

The squad will be based at the University of Nottingham and will act as a feeder into the England Youth Squad.

The players will receive top-level coaching from a team directed by England Head Coach, Alan Cooke and England Youth Coach Matthew Stanforth with each day led by Gavin Evans and a team of other coaches including Paul Johnson and Evie Collier.

The squad members, who will meet on eight occasions during the coming season, were selected after a day of physical, technical and mental assessment after more than 40 youngsters applied.

They include two pairs of siblings – Gene and Lola McGhee from Cleveland and twins Anna and Connor Green from Nottingham.

Simon Mills, Head of Talent & Performance, said:

The aim is to provide more young players with a better understanding of the demands of the England Youth Squad and to act as a feeder to the EYS.

The squad members are:

Boys – Francesco Bonato, Joseph Cooper, Jake Grayson, Connor Green, Bertie Kelly, Oliver Maric-Murray, Gene McGhee, Charlie Nabarro, Thomas Palmer, Ben Piggott, Jakub Piwowar, Felix Thomis.

Girls – Scarlett Anders, Maliha Baig, Katie Bates, Anna Green, Isabelle Lacorte, Amy Marriott, Lola McGhee, Niamh Scarborough.