Hertfordshire have 2 players among the 14 England players in the Deaf Barbarians squad for their inaugural match against Wales at Pontypridd on Sunday November 23 (12 noon).
Both Josh Corcoran (Hartbury College and Hertford) and Ryan Arborn (Hitchin) have been selected as replacements for the match, which will help to mark the Wales Deaf Rugby Centenary. The Barbarians side has been selected by Lyndon James, secretary of the England Deaf RU, and Tony Stoyles the EDRU director of rugby.
The 14 England players have already been capped in Deaf Internationals and will use the Barbarians game for their post-Christmas internationals against Scotland and Wales.
Attempts are being made to encourage Ireland to establish a Deaf XV and the England Deaf RU are planning to visit to Dublin at the end of the season to play a demonstration match.
The Barbarians squad includes one Irishman in fullback Charlie James, who plays his club rugby at New Brighton, plus English-based players with bloodlines to other nationalities in Kris Mannering (Netherlands), David Steele (Australia), Ryan Arbon (Poland), Mark Lewis (New Zealand) and Truter Bothma (South Africa).
Lewis, of East Grinstead, will captain a Deaf Barbarians squad that also includes eight Scotland internationals.
The England Deaf team plays a series of international and representative matches home and away each season with players eligible to play if they have a combined average hearing loss of 25 decibels or more in both ears. This roughly translates to a minimum hearing loss in both ears or a moderate hearing loss in one ear.
