Competitions
16 January 2026
England Shore Teams Announced for 2026
The Angling Trust England Shore Angling teams have been announced for this year’s World and Home Nations Championships.
In 2026, our teams will compete in World events in France and Italy and also on home soil as England hosts the SALC Home Nations Championships this summer. First to travel will be four anglers taking part in the FIPS-M World Pairs Championships, an event set for mid-April in Gruissan, south of France.
England’s representatives will be pairings of Daniel and Gavin Parker and Harry Coxhead and Lee Gattrell who will fly the flag on the long sandy beaches where gilthead and striped bream are the likely targets.
Last year’s gold medal winning England Masters team of Bernard Westgarth, David Howell, George Smith, Malcolm Stote, and 2025 bronze medallist Kevin Warner will all be back to defend their title in 2026.
This time they’re heading to Italy at the start of May, with winning manager Barbara Metcalfe supported by experienced shore angler Sally Tucker too.
Going for World Championships gold in Italy later in the year will be four incredibly strong England sides representing us in the Seniors, Ladies, U21, and U16 categories.
It will be our young guns who will be first into action with their event staged in early October.
Paul Driver and Craig Groves’ U16 squad has been named as Bobby Banks, Bradley Dixon, Brayden Aldous, Lexie Groves, Luke Driver, and Ronnie Churcher.
Chris Sweetland and Joe Plumstead’s super six for the U21 contest is Archie Sweetland, Chris Stokes, Curtis Driver, Harvey Plumstead, Jack Reynolds, and Liam Checksfield.
November will see our Senior and Ladies teams make the trip to Italy with the Seniors squad – led by John Kerr and Chris Clark – consisting of Daniel Parker, Ian Dancey, Paddy Kerrigan, Richard Yates, Sam Collier, and six time/reigning Sea League champion Saul Page.
Stewart Wicks’ England Ladies World Champs squad has been named as Donna Bayford, Maralyn Wicks, Nikki Davies, and Sally Tucker.
Three strong squads have been selected for the SALC Home Nations event to be held on the beaches around Folkestone, Kent from June 30 to July 3.
Sam Collier and John Kerr will once again lead the Seniors squad which will consist of George Smith, Harry Coxhead, Joe Croxon, Nathan Elliott, Saul Page, and Steve Rathbone.
The Ladies squad for the Home Nations sees Katie Hills and Amelia Henderson join the World anglers of Donna Bayford, Maralyn Wicks, Nikki Davies, and Sally Tucker for the three days of matches.
Gaining bags of experience for their World Champs later in the year, the England U16 squad remains the same for both big events with Bobby Banks, Bradley Dixon, Brayden Aldous, Lexie Groves, Luke Driver, and Ronnie Churcher all selected to fish in the Home Nations event too.
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