Warrington half-back George Williams will captain England in their World Cup warm-up match against Fiji on Friday, team management have confirmed.
The former Wigan and Canberra Raiders playmaker will cover for first-choice skipper Sam Tomkins, who is being rested by coach Shaun Wane.
The clash at Salford’s AJ Bell Stadium is England’s final outing before they face Samoa in their tournament opener at St James’ Park in Newcastle on October 15.
Williams, 27, said: “It’s an unreal feeling. I think it will be the pinnacle of my career to captain my country. It is massive for me, my family and everyone who has helped me along the way.
“It’s something that I’ll cherish and I’m really looking forward to leading this great group out.”
When is England vs Fiji?
The match kicks off tonight, Friday 7 October, at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford, with kick-off at 7.30pm.
How to watch
The match betwee England and Fiji can be streamed online via the RLWC2021 app. The entire World Cup will be shown on BBC iPlayer.
Who is in the England squad?
Andy Ackers, Joe Batchelor, John Bateman, Tom Burgess, Mike Cooper, Herbie Farnworth, Ryan Hall, Chris Hill, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees, Tommy Makinson, Michael McIlorum, Mike McMeeken, Mikolaj Oledzki, Kai Pearce-Paul, Victor Radley, Marc Sneyd, Luke Thompson, Sam Tomkins, Kallum Watkins, Jack Welsby, Elliott Whitehead, George Williams, Dom Young.
