Sale Sharks U18s kick-off their Academy league campaign on Saturday with a home game against Newcastle Falcons at Carrington (2:00pm KO) and there are five Hoppers Juniors in the squad.
U17 duo Kieran Wilkinson and Sam Dugdale along with U18s Calum Owen and Aaron Reed have kept their places in the squad from last season and are joined this year by U18 Matt Sturgess.
All five are in the starting line-up for the Newcastle game, Dugdale at Flanker, Sturgess at scrum half, Reed and Owen centre and wing with Wilkinson at full back.
Hoppers also have a representative in the Newcastle side with second row Will Montgomery making his debut for Flacons U18s.
The short season will see Sale Sharks U18s pitted against the other northern Academy U18 sides such as Leicester, Northampton and Worcester.
