'We need to feed that appetite' - North of England backed to host England rugby union Tests

Indeed, Richard Hill has played in a couple in this neck of the woods, and on his return between Six Nations appointments this week, saw evidence to suggest Yorkshire’s union fanbase is ready to see England play for real in the near future.

The Rugby Football Union rarely take England matches on the road, such is the limited number of games per year anyway and the fact that 80,000 punters at Twickenham is the union’s greatest source of revenue. The last time they did was for a World Cup warm-up game with Italy at St James’ Park in Newcastle in September 2019.

Four years earlier, England played Uruguay in a World Cup pool game at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium.

On their last visit to Yorkshire to play a competitive game, in the autumn of 1998, Hill was playing.

“I remember playing in two World Cup qualifying games in Huddersfield back in the day,” Hill told The Yorkshire Post of a 110-0 rout of the Netherlands and a 23-15 win over Italy at the Galpharm Stadium as it was then.

“We should have probably lost to Italy.

“So it’s not something that hasn’t happened. It’s not a new phenomenon but it’s definitely something that needs to be revisited and looked at.

“We had a great success last weekend with England A coming back out onto the scene for us as part of our development pathway, watched by 15,000 people in Leicester.

“We know there’s an appetite and we need to keep feeding it.”

The enthusiasm was obvious among the impressionable young rugby players of the county who, sporting their club shirts and bobble hats, hung over the advertising boards waiting for autographs that the players - and Hill himself - willingly signed.

“Definitely we want to see this more often,” said Hill. “It’s something that is important, we’re seeing the enthusiasm here.

“Rugby needs to be a nationwide game. That can only happen if people get a chance to see role models.

“All the players are signing autographs and meeting the fans, you can hear from the noise how much it’s been welcomed.”

There was a serious edge to Friday’s two-hour training session at the LNER Stadium, England’s continuing preparation for their next Six Nations encounter with grand slam hopefuls Ireland at Twickenham next Saturday.

While forwards coach Hill - a World Cup winner in 2003 the headline act of a 71-cap, 11-year international career - admitted there was an element of putting on a show for the audience in York, it was an important session to keep minds focused on the challenge ahead.

“A full house like this adds to the atmosphere,” said Hill.

“Players are aware that everything they do has 8,000 people watching, so that adds an element of pressure, but that’s what we want. On the back of an international week where you don’t have a game, you’re very much looking to refresh the body, refresh the mind and get yourself in the physical peak for the upcoming Test match.

“We’re increasing the need for players to make good decisions and that’s what we want, we want players to be decisive.

“Ireland are a good team, they’ve been playing consistently well. They’d have liked to have gone further down the tournament at the World Cup, but it wasn’t to be and I’m sure that’s added to their desire.

“They’ll want to prove they’re the No 1 team in the world, that’s an extra inventive for us to play them at Twickenham.

“Clearly it’s on us to destroy their party. That’s our job to make sure we’re consistent throughout the coming week to put ourselves in the best position to challenge Ireland next weekend.”

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