England A to play at Bath Rec for second season running

England A will be back in action at The Rec in Bath this autumn – against Argentina XV.

Flashback to November 2025 at The Rec – England A line up before their match with All Blacks XV. England A will be back in action at Bath Rugby’s home this autumn | Photo © Richard Briggs

Last year, All Blacks XV beat England A – who fielded Blue, Black & White men Max Ojomoh, Vilikesa Sela and Kepueli Tuipulotu – 31-14 in front of a capacity crowd of 14,509 at Bath Rugby’s iconic home.

And on Friday 6th November (7.45pm), head coach Mark Mapletoft’s side will open their 2026-27 campaign when they again turn out at the riverside venue.

The match will be the first between the England and Argentina development sides since 2009.

England A provide a platform for players transitioning from the Gallagher PREM and pathway at U20 level to the senior national team.

Of those who represented the A squad in the 2025-26 season, Noah Caluori, Emmanuel Iyogun and George Kloska went on to earn their senior debut for England this summer.

In his first full campaign in charge of England A, Mapletoft steered the team to consecutive away victories over Spain and Ireland XV following the defeat by All Blacks XV.

Last season, Ojomoh was one of several players to feature for England A after being capped at senior level. Others include Alex Dombrandt, Cadan Murley, Harry Randall, Jamie Blamire and Ethan Roots.

England A beat Argentina A 22-17 at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, on 10th December 1996 and then 28-20 in the Churchill Cup in Colorado on 3rd June 2009.

An England XV have played Argentina A three times before: on 27th May 1997 in Buenos Aires (winning 58-17), on 17th June 2002 in Buenos Aires (losing 29-24) and on 26th June 2005 in the final of the Churchill Cup in Edmonton (winning 45-16).

Tickets for the 6th November match will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 10th September.

From that date, they can be purchased here.

A pre-sale window is now open for Bath Rugby season-ticket holders and members.

Match hospitality is available to buy here.

Adult match tickets start at £25. Match tickets for under-16s start at £15. Booking fees apply.

Mapletoft, who is also England Rugby head of men’s player pathway, said: “Facing Argentina XV first up presents a brilliant challenge for our players and staff, and an opportunity to test ourselves against quality opposition from the very start of the season.

“There’s always a special sense of enjoyment and occasion when you run out under the Friday-night lights, and fixtures like this are a fantastic platform for players to showcase their talent and pride in wearing an England shirt.

“The depth and quality across the England pathway and PREM Rugby continues to grow, so there’s real excitement about the squad we can select and the opportunity these matches provide for players to take another step forward in their England journey.”