The Northern Echo Arena in Darlington will become an international venue in March when it stages two England rugby fixtures, and two of the players involved have spoken of their pride at being part of the occasion.

Darlington Mowden Park will host Six Nations matches between England and Scotland featuring the respective women’s and men’s under-20s teams.

The double-header, on Friday, March 13, will be shown live on Sky Sports, and Yorkshire Carnegie pair Paul Hill and Jack Walker, who both played for Mowden on loan earlier in the season, are looking forward the occasion.

It is expected to draw the stadium’s largest crowd for a rugby match, around

8,000, and Hill said: “Me and Jack played down here at the start of the season on loan and coming back here with England is something we’ve both been looking forward to.

“It was a great experience playing for Mowden. I hadn’t played national rugby at the time, so it was a bit of a step up and a different style of rugby to get used to. But this is a great opportunity for us, to be part of international rugby in Darlington.”

Walker added: “The venue is class. I think it’s the third largest rugby stadium in England, so to be playing international rugby here is awesome for us boys.”

Later this year Mowden will host reigning champions New Zealand as part of the Rugby World Cup, and although the tournament will come too soon for Hill and Walker, the pair are both looking at breaking into the senior team in time to come.

Hill, a prop from Doncaster, said: “When you play for the Under-20s, getting to the senior team is always the bigger goal. But it’s never about rushing it. It’s about becoming a better rugby player so that when you do that you make a good impact and make a name for yourself.

“It’s always an honour to play for your country. We’ve come up through the age groups and last year got into the 20s. Every year, the feeling does not die.

“With the quality of rugby becoming greater each year, the pressure becomes bigger so that increases the feeling of winning and playing for your country ten-fold.”

The Under-20s have won the Junior World Championship in each of the past two years with Hill and Walker hoping to be part of a third win in Italy later this year.

Walker, from Keighley, however, has already made something of a name for himself by being named Yorkshire Carnegie captain when just 18-years-old.

Though a temporary appointment for the hooker, Hill believes his teenage team-mate possess all the qualities required to be a leader of men.

“Age doesn’t really come into it,” he said. “It’s about personality and leadership qualities, regardless of age, and it’s something great to have. Jack definitely possess those qualities.”

It was Walker’s elder brother Chris who first made a name for himself with Carnegie, but now jack is on the scene and he’s relishing being part of the international set-up.

He said: “I was fortunate enough to captain Yorkshire Carnegie and that was great, and that came from building on the games I had for Mowden at the start of the season. These are stepping stones in our careers.

“It’s great for the country to have a World Cup here later this year, but we’ve got our own World Cup to come for the Under-20s. These are all stepping stones in trying to make it to the 2019 World Cup.

“As a kid it’s always your dream to play for your country. I always wanted to stand there in the line-up singing the national anthem.

“To do it with your team-mate from Yorkshire who is next to you in the scrum makes it a massive honour and one we won’t forget.”