England Knights to play Jamaica at Headingley in October
England Knights will play Jamaica in an historic international fixture as part of both countries’ countdown to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
The match will be played on the afternoon of Sunday October 20 (3pm kick-off), eight days after the domestic season concludes with the Betfred Super League Grand Final, and will provide the Knights with senior international action on home soil.
The Knights were re-established in 2018 as part of the Rugby Football League’s England Performance Unit, playing their first two matches since 2013 on a short tour to Papua New Guinea last autumn.
The Reggae Warriors continued their unlikely Rugby League story by beating the USA in Jacksonville last October to secure their first ever World Cup appearance.
On the news, RFL Rugby Director Kevin Sinfield said: “This is a fixture that works on so many levels, and I hope it will capture the imagination of Rugby League supporters and Jamaicans in Leeds, Yorkshire and well beyond.
“The Knights are an important part of the EPU as we build towards hosting the World Cup in 2021, and it was a priority to find them meaningful competition again this autumn after the unique experiences they gained in Papua New Guinea last year.
“The way the Jamaica team has developed over the last few years to reach the World Cup has already been a bit of a Rugby League fairytale, and it’s great that the Knights can help them with their preparations for RLWC2021.”
Jamaica Head Coach Jermaine Coleman added: “This is an exciting opportunity for us as team. The effort that has gone into the journey so far has been unbelievable.
“We have a fantastic group of people involved with the team both on and off the field. We see this as our first steps in our preparation to the World Cup.
“The England Knights will be an excellent team full of Super League quality from 1-17 so the step up for us is going to be a challenge. The one thing this group does better than anything is rise to challenges so we can’t wait for this game opportunity.”
