ENGLAND coach Shaun Wane's first match in charge of England, almost 18 months since he was appointed to succeed Wayne Bennett, will be against a newly-formed Combined Nations All Stars at Warrington on Friday, June 25.

It will be part of a double-header at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, starting with a women's international between England and Wales, a first home game for Craig Richards' team since 2013.

England's wheelchair team will also intensify their World Cup preparations with a match against Wales at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Saturday, June 26.

The games will be part of an international weekend but in England will clash with a full round of Super League fixtures, much to the disappointment of Wane, who wanted a stand-alone match.

Selection for the All Stars game is likely to be restricted to six players per club, with Wane getting first pick, and the former Wigan boss insists he will not deliberately weaken one club.

"It's an international weekend and I wanted a stand-alone fixture," Wane told a media briefing. "We didn't get that and it's disappointing.

"But the clubs as a whole have been helping me in every way they can and I'll do everything I can to not put clubs under pressure.

"If James Roby is absolutely killing the competition and is a dead-set certainty for the World Cup, then I'll look at another hooker.

"I'd never want our head coaches to feel the way I did when I was dealing with the international team.

"I'm very conscious of that but I'm also conscious that we need to win a World Cup so it's finding that fine balance between getting what we need, looking at fringe players and not hammering one club."

Clubs are compelled to make their players available for England but the selection criteria for their opponents is less regimented and Wane says he was stunned by a suggestion from Hull chairman Adam Pearson that he may not release his club's players for the All Stars.

"I don't understand Adam because he's known about this for 12 months," Wane said.

"I spoke to him and I've spoken to Brett (Hull coach Brett Hodgson) numerous times and asked if anybody has a problem or a question and nobody said a word.

"And then he said that in the paper; I don't understand it, it's not how I do things.

"I'm hoping the clubs will understand the big picture. The majority of people I speak to understand that what a successful World Cup campaign will do for Super League and the game in general is unbelievable."

Wane has conducted meetings with his elite training squad via zoom during the lockdown and is now looking forward to a first physical get-together on April 6.

"They are exciting times," he said. "I'm desperate to get out and coach."

Wane is still hoping to play Fiji in a second warm-up match 10 days before the opening World Cup game against Samoa on October 23 and is resigned to being without any players from the October 9 Grand Final for it.

"It's unfortunate but that's the hand we're dealt and we've got to get on with it," said Wane, who has yet to announce a new captain.

The Combined Nations All Stars replaces the Exiles, who played four matches from 2011-13 in the build-up to the 2013 World Cup, and is a throwback to the Other Nationalities that regularly played representative fixtures from 1903 to 1975.

Whereas the Exiles were selected from imports from the southern hemisphere, the All Stars will draw on the other home nations, as well as France and Jamaica, so England could find themselves going up against St Helens' Wales winger Regan Grace.

The Rugby Football League says final interviews for the positions of head coach and selector for the All Stars were conducted on Monday and an announcement will be made later this week.