The Rugby Championship U20 Tournament Squads Announced

The 2025 TRC U20 will be held in Gqeberha [formerly Port Elizabeth], on South Africa’s Eastern Cape, from May 1 to 11.
 
The four head coaches have announced their squads for the 2025 TRC U20 tournament.

New Zealand U20
New Head Coach Milton Haig has announced a talented 31-man squad for the tournament. Haig replaces Jono Gibbes as head coach alongside returning assistant coaches Jarrad Hoeata and Craig Dunlea with the addition of Alex Robertson. The group have selected a squad featuring six returning players from the squad that won the inaugural TRC Under 20 tournament in Australia last year including halves Dylan Pledger and Rico Simpson, front rowers Manumaua Letiu and Sika Pole, loose forward Mosese Bason, and outside back Stanley Solomon.

The squad has a broad regional make up with players spread across New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs with the Blues (9), Crusaders (7), Chiefs (6), Hurricanes (5) and Highlanders (4).
Haig is a vastly experienced coach who started as a club rugby coach in Tauranga in 1991and most recently with Suntory in Japan since 2020 as well as a high-performance consultancy role with World Rugby since 2023.

He was the Counties-Manukau’s Head Coach in the NPC from 2008 to 2011 before spending eight years leading Georgia’s national team, taking the side to two Rugby World Cups. He has also held assistant coaching roles with the Chiefs and Māori All Blacks and was last involved in NZR’s age-grade system as an assistant coach with the then New Zealand U21 team in 2006-07.
The 2025 squad will assemble for the first time at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation in Sport (NZCIS) in Wellington from 18-23 April.  Selectors will review selections after the TRC campaign before announcing the New Zealand Under 20 squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy from 29 June to 19 July.
 
Hookers:
Shaun Kempton, Highlanders/Southland
Manumaua Letiu, Crusaders/Canterbury
Eli Oudenryn, Crusaders/Tasman
 
Props:
Tamiano Ahloo, Blues/Auckland
Robson Faleafa, Blues/Auckland
Dane Johnston, Chiefs/Taranaki
Riley Tofilau, Blues/North Harbour
Sika Pole, Blues/Auckland
 
Locks:
Dylan Eti, Chiefs/Waikato
Joshua Tengblad, Highlanders/Otago
Randall Baker, Blues/Auckland
 
Loose Forwards:
Mosese Bason, Hurricanes/Manawatū
Micah Fale, Chiefs/Waikato
Harry Irving, Hurricanes/Wellington
Aio Keith, Blues/Auckland
Xavier Treacy, Crusaders/Canterbury
Caleb Woodley, Blues/Auckland
Finn McLeod, Crusaders/Canterbury
 
Halfbacks:
Dylan Pledger, Highlanders/Otago
Charlie Sinton, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Jai Tamati, Hurricanes/ Manawatū
 
First five-eighth:
Will Cole, Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay
Rico Simpson, Blues/Auckland
 
Midfielders:
James Cameron, Crusaders/Canterbury
Tayne Harvey, Highlanders/Southland
Cooper Roberts, Crusaders/Tasman
Jack Wiseman, Chiefs/Taranaki
 
Outside backs:
Maloni Kunawave, Crusaders/Tasman
Taniela Maisiri, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Harlyn Saunoa, Blues/Auckland
Stanley Solomon, Hurricanes/Wellington
 
 
Australia U20 
Head coach Chris Whitaker has named a 31-player squad that includes Sevens breakout star Sid Harvey who is among the new faces in the group from the team that thumped Japan U23s in Coffs Harbour in April.

Whitaker said, "We have a talented group of players who are eager to learn and excited by the opportunity to represent Australia on the international stage.”
"For many of them this will be their first time managing the challenge of international travel and five-day turnarounds, combined with three tough, physical games. TRC U20 is about consolidating and adding layers to what we started together in Coffs Harbour last week, as we continue to build up to the World Rugby U20 Championship."

The squad will assemble in Perth before departing for Gqeberha on Friday April 25.
 
Finn Baxter (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
Nick Hill (NSW Waratahs, Warringah)
Trevor King (Queensland Reds, Souths)
Kaleb Ah-Colt (NSW Waratahs, Randwick)
Edwin Langi (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Lipina Ata (ACT Brumbies)
Ollie Barrett (Western Force, Associates RUFC)
Charlie O'Kane (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Ollie Aylmer (ACT Brumbies)
Charlie Brosnan (Queensland Reds, Brothers)
Eamon Doyle (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Joe Mangelsdorf (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Eli Langi (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Jacob Veiru (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Beau Morrison (ACT Brumbies, Sydney University)
Tom Robinson (Queensland Reds, University of Queensland)
Luca Cleverley (NSW Waratahs, Randwick)
Toby Brial (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
James Martens (Queensland Reds, GPS Rugby Club)
Hwi Sharples (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Joe Dillon (ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals)
Joey Fowler (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Boston Fakafanua (Western Force, Wests Scarborough)
Malakye Enasio (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
Liam Grover (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Cooper Watters (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Xavier Rubens (Queensland Reds, Souths)
Nick Conway (Queensland Reds, Wests Bulldogs)
Shane Wilcox (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Finn Prass (Western Force, Wests Scarborough)
Sid Harvey (Australia Sevens)
 
Junior Springboks 
Head coach Kevin Foote has named a competitive Junior Springbok squad consisting of 31 players for the Championship. Five capped Junior Boks are included in the squad, including three who took part in last year’s inaugural Southern Hemisphere tournament in Australia, where the SA U20s finished second behind New Zealand.  Batho Hlekani (loose forward), Haashim Pead (scrumhalf), JC Mars (outside back) are the trio who will be returning for their second Rugby Championship, while the two other returning Junior Boks are Wandile Mlaba (loose forward) and Herman Lubbe (prop). 

The naming of the 31-man Junior Bok squad is the culmination of a thorough preparation process which started with two training camps at the end of last year, another training block after the festive break, a short tour to Georgia, followed by a third training period in preparation of the season.

Foote said there is excitement in the camp in the build up to the keenly anticipated tournament in the Eastern Cape. “The Rugby Championship is a great opportunity for our players to test their abilities against quality opposition from New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina and we are looking forward to the challenge to play quality opposition in front of our passionate Eastern Cape fans,” said Foote.
 
“We worked with 80 players during our various training camps, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to test and assess our depth.I believe we have selected a competitive Junior Bok squad, consisting of players who have really put up their hand during the camps. A few missed out due to injury while there are also a couple who were retained from last year.” 
  
Props: Ranon Fouché (Vodacom Bulls), Jean Erasmus (Vodacom Bulls), Simphiwe Ngobese (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Herman Lubbe (DHL Western Province), Oliver Reid (DHL Western Province).
 
Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Vodacom Bulls), Jaundré Schoeman (Vodacom Bulls), HB Odendaal (Fidelity ADT Lions).
 
Locks: Neil Hansen (Fidelity ADT Lions), Morné Venter (Fidelity ADT Lions), Riley Norton (DHL Western Province), JJ Theron (Vodacom Bulls).
 
Loose forwards: Batho Hlekani (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Xola Nyali (DHL Western Province), Matt Romao (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wandile Mlaba (DHL Western Province), Thando Biyela (Fidelity ADT Lions).
 
Scrumhalves: Ceano Everson (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Haashim Pead (Fidelity ADT Lions), Elrich Visser (Toyota Cheetahs).
 
Flyhalves: Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kyle Smith (DHL Western Province).
 
Centres: Albie Bester (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gino Cupido (DHL Western Province), Demitre Erasmus (Vodacom Bulls), Dominic Malgas (DHL Western Province).
 
Outside backs: Scott Nel (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gilermo Mentoe (Fidelity ADT Lions), Siya Ndlozi (DHL Western Province), Cheswill Jooste (Vodacom Bulls), JC Mars (DHL Western Province).
 
Los Pumitas
A demanding and challenging year is coming up for Los Pumitas. Just like in 2024, the youth team will once again face two extremely important competitions: the U20 Rugby Championship and the World Cup. For the former, head coach Nicolás Fernández Miranda named the 31 players who will wear the Argentine jersey to face New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, in what will be the competition that will prepare the team for another World Cup. The squad had a brief two-day meeting at Deportiva Francesa on Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15, and will meet again from April 21 to 23 as part of the national training camp prior to the trip to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, host of the Youth Championship.
In 2024 Argentina recorded a 25-6 victory against the Australian team, and two defeats, against New Zealand and South Africa.
 
Annand , jeremy (belgrano athletic – urba)
Arrieta , martiniano (rc university – tucuman rugby union)
Neighborhoods , alejandro (olivos – urba)
Benedit , rafael (cuba – urba)
Cambiasso , nicolas (buenos aires – urba)
Carreras , juan ignacio (cuba-urba)
Coll , pedro (tigres rc – salta rugby union)
Corleto , felix (cuba – urba)
Correa , diego (cae – union entrerriana de rugby)
Dande , tomás (huirapuca rc – tucuman rugby union)
Dubuc , sebastián (hurling- urba)
Duclos , tomás (los tordos rc – cuyo rugby union)
Fernandez miranda , ramón (hindu – urba)
Galván , gael (pucará – urba)
Garcia campos , agustín (bella vista – urba regattas)
García iandolino , álvaro (los tordos rc – cuyo rugby union)
Ledesma arocena , tadeo (sic – urba)
Ledesma , felipe (sic – urba)
Lescano , basutista (cae – union entrerriana de rugby)
Llorens , jeronimo (teque rc – cuyo rugby union)
Maldonado , valentín (university – cordoba rugby union)
Neyra , santiago (alumni – urba)
Orsetti , ignacio (jockey – rosario rugby union)
Otaño , jerónimo (los tordos rc – cuyo rugby union)
Reggiardo , valentino (free)
Rodríguez , juan ignacio (rc high school – cuyo rugby union)
Senillosa , pascal (hindu – urba)
Sorondo , jerónimo (belgrano athletic – urba)
Storey , pampa (almost urban)
Vicente vidal , valentin (san martin rc – cordoba rugby union)
Vieyra , aquiles (alumni – urba)