EIGHT North Midlands players have been invited to play in the Midlands Under 16s final trial at Solihull School on Sunday, December 7 (12 noon).

Prop Hugh McBride (Bromsgrove School), tight-head prop Ryan Furniss (Chantry HS), lock Matt Fleckney (Adams GS) and number eight Barnie Woods (Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School) have been named in the starting line-up for the Blues XV with wing Danny Mee (Sir John Talbot School, Whitchurch) named among the reserves to play.

They will be in opposition to county team-mates hooker Tom Grifiths (Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School), scrum-half Oliver Simcox and centre James Hill (both Old Swinford Hospital Scholl) who will play for the Reds XV.

They will have the chance to impress the Midlands selectors and to stake their claims for inclusion in the Midlands squad for the first Divisional Festival of the season at Broadstreet RFC near Coventry from January 9 to 11.

The eight North Midlands players secured their places in the Midlands trial having impressed during four recent county matches in which North Midlands beat Staffordshire last week but were beaten by Warwickshire, East Midlands and Leicestershire.