Three North Midlands players have been included in the England Counties squad for next month's tour to East Africa.

Moseley flanker Ben Pons and Luctonians fly-half Will Burton are among 12 newcomers in the 26-strong squad. Moseley prop Craig Voisey, who has toured with the Counties XV before, is also in the squad for the three match tour.

All three have been selected after impressing for North Midlands in this season's County Championship Bill Beaumont Cup competition.

Yorkshire's Rob Baldwin will captain the tour party, having led the side to a 34-16 victory over the Counties' Irish counterparts, the Ulster Bank International Team, in March. Nine other players featured in the spring international, whilst Jim Wigglesworth steps up after impressing for the England Counties U20s earlier this month.

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Worcestershire & Herefordshire staged a stirring fightback to clinch the RLF North Midlands Championship for the sixth time in seven years with a dramatic 27-24 win over Greater Birmingham in extra time at Stourbridge's Stourton Park ground this evening.

A penalty from Dudley Kingswinford fly-half Gareth Bown in the tenth minute of extra time gave W&H the golden score they needed to deny Greater Birmingham their first title in 11 years.

It looked like being a Greater Birmingham win when they led 17-7 with 19 minutes remaining but tries from Malvern pair Ryan Watkins and Jamie Tsang helped pull W&H level at 24-24 and take the match into over-time.

It was the first time that the golden score rule had been used to decide the competition and it summed up a fast moving final with little to decide between the sides.

NORTH Midlands are taking nothing for granted as they prepare for their final County Championship Bill Beaumont Cup Division One South match against Cornwall at Camborne on Saturday May 19 (3pm).

North Midlands took a lengthy stride towards securing top flight status for another season by beating Gloucestershire at Stourbridge last Saturday.
But North Midlands assistant coach Dan Protherough believes that Gloucestershire could cause an upset by beating group leaders

Hertfordshire, who scraped a win over Cornwall last Saturday, which would mean North Midlands would have take at least at point at Camborne to stay up.

"Looking at the result from Hertfordshire v Cornwall it's certainly not a gimme that Hertfordshire will beat Gloucestershire so we have still got to go to Cornwall and try to get a win out of the game," Protherough said.

"That's the attitude that we have got to go there with. With Hertfordshire a lot will depend on whether they have their Saracens players available."

Greater Birmingham welcome back Edwardians winger Dan Johnson for the RLF Championship final against holders Worcestershire & Herefordshire at Stourbridge on Tuesday May 15 (7.30pm).

Johnson marked his Greater Birmingham debut with two tries in the victory over Worcestershire & Herefordshire in a group match at Moseley three weeks ago.

But Johnson was rested for last week's win over Shropshire at Telford ahead of his club's appearance in the North Midlands Vase final against Market Drayton on Sunday.

Johnson scored a try to help Edwardians win the Vase and returns to county duty as Greater Birmingham attempt to deny Worcestershire & Herefordshire a sixth title in seven seasons.

Greater Birmingham also welcome back Birmingham Civil Service hooker Craig Lea from senior county duty with North Midlands.

Worcestershire & Herefordshire, the defending champions, have included North Midlands pair Ed Parry and Stefan Thorpe in their squad for the RLF North Midlands Championship final against Greater Birmingham at Stourbridge's Stourton Park ground on Tuesday May 15 (7.30pm).

Parry and Thorpe helped North Midlands to beat Gloucestershire 47-37 in the County Championship Bill Beaumont Cup at Stourbridge last Saturday.

They will make a swift return to Stourbridge as Worcestershire & Herefordshire seek to avenge a narrow defeat by Greater Birmingham in the opening group match at Moseley three weeks ago and to win the RLF North Midlands Championship for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Worcestershire & Herefordshire booked their place in the final with a narrow victory over Shropshire at Kings Norton two weeks ago.

Droitwich became the first club to retain the North Midlands Shield with a 27-16 win over Veseyans in today's final at Dudley Kingswinfrod's Heathbrook ground.

Edwardians made up for the disappointment of losing in the final of last season's North Midlands Vase competition by beating Market Drayton 24-12 in the final of that competition.

Veseyans struggled to make the most of a strong downfield wind in the first half and played their best rugby into the elements when the match was already lost.

Droitwich were favourites as Shield holders and through their higher league status and they played a more composed game and used the elements intelligently.

Dudley Kingswinford won the North Midlands Cup for the fifth time in their history with a 26-20 win over defending champions Newport at Heathbrook this afternnon.

DK, who reached the final without kicking a ball in anger, were 15 points adrift at one stage but a try late in the first half from hooker Luke Greenwood revived their challenge.

A strong downfield find dictated tactics and DK used the elements well after the break to eat into Newport's lead and then seal victory.

Newport, beaten twice by DK in National Three Midlands this season, looked the more likely winners when they opened up their 15 points lead inside 26 minutes.

Lock Suncan Kelly drove over from a fifth minute line-out after 15 minutes for an unconverted try and wing Liam Holder added a penalty six minutes later.

12/05/12 North Midlands beat Gloucestershire
10/05/12 North Midlands make six changes
09/05/12 Newport happy to be cup final underdogs