TWO local rugby players have been named in the first England RFU A men’s squad of 2026.

Mark Mapletoft led England U20s to World Championship glory with a group of players that included Teignmouth’s Ben Coen, and now he will be going into battle with more of Devon’s finest alongside him.

Billy Searle, who returned to Premiership rugby last year, was born in Exeter in the mid ‘90s.

He is an Okehampton College alumni and began playing his club rugby in Okehampton too, before moving onto Launceston.

The fly-half then represented the likes of Plymouth Albion and Worcester Warriors prior to his move to France, where he pulled on the shirts of Toulouse, Biarritz and Agen.

Searle, currently with Leicester Tigers, is joined in the backs by Tavistock’s very own Luke Northmore.

His youth career got underway with the Moorlanders as a teenager and after studying at Cardiff Met University, he signed on with Harlequins.

Northmore remains at The Stoop to this day and for the London side he’s made over 80 appearances, scoring 135 points and counting. Primarily a centre, he has the versatility to also feature on either wing.

Last summer, the 28-year-old made his debut for England’s first team in a 22-17 victory against Argentina. On that same tour, he opened his try account too in a comfortable win over the United States, taking place at Audi Field in Washington D.C.

Also featuring in Mapletoft’s squad are talents such as Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs) and Harry Randall (Bristol Bears) to name just a few.

The England RFU A team face Ireland on Friday, February 6, taking place at Thomond Park in Limerick, the day prior to the 1st XV’s Six Nations opener against Wales.