Roche selected in England squad for Las Vegas Test

Knights playmaker Georgia Roche, Raiders second-rower Hollie-Mae Dodd and new Eels recruit Paige Travis have been named in the England squad to play the Jillaroos in Vegas.

The trio have been chosen by England coach Stuart Barrow in a 20-strong squad for the historic Test at Allegiant Stadium on March 1.

Roche, who has been training in Newcastle with Knights team-mate and Jillaroos rivals Yasmin Clydsdale and Olivia Higgins, will link up with the England team for the first time in more than12 months at a training camp on February 14.

The 2018 Woman of Steel and 2023 NRLW premiership winner will join Dodd and Travis, who has signed with Parramatta, as Australian-based players in the squad.

The Jillaroos squad was named on February 7.

Tamzin Renouf is one of five York Valkyrie players called up after returning from a knee injury at the end of last season with her teammate Jas Bell in contention to make her international debut.

Teen star Jenna Foubister is the second uncapped player to be named and will represent Wigan Warriors alongside Anna Davies.

The squad also includes seven players from St Helens with three of those having represented England during their last meeting against the Jillaroos in 2017 – Jodie Cunningham, Amy Hardcastle and Shona Hoyle.

“Every player in this travelling squad has an important role to play when we face the Australia Jillaroos in three weeks," Barrow said.

“It’s been a really difficult selection process because there is a lot of talent within the group, which means there are some very good players who will unfortunately miss out.

“Now we have to focus on the challenge that lies ahead which is a historic fixture against the world champions for the first time since 2017 and I’m very much looking forward to getting the group together for our final camp next weekend.”

The women's Test will be the penultimate match of a quadruple header featuring a Betfred Super League clash between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves and two Telstra Premiership matches - Raiders v Warriors and Panthers v Sharks

England squad

Jas Bell (York Valkyrie), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Georgie Dagger (York Valkyrie), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders), Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors), Amy Hardcastle (St Helens), Zoe Harris (St Helens), Shona Hoyle (St Helens), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Izzy Northrop (Leeds Rhinos), Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Georgia Roche (Newcastle Knights), Erin Stott (St Helens), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Paige Travis (Parramatta Eels), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Liv Wood (York Valkyrie)

Rugby League in Las Vegas: Saturday, March 1

• Betfred Super League – Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves (1:30pm PST / 8:30am AEST March 2) 
• NRL – Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors (4:00pm PST / 11am AEST March 2) 
• Test Match - Australian Jillaroos vs England Women (6:00pm PST / 1pm AEST March 2) 
• NRL – Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (8:30pm PST / 3:30pm AEST March 2)