England have named their U20 squad to travel to South Africa for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championships.
Head Coach Mark Mapletoft and his assistant Andy Titterell have named a 30-man squad, led by Leicester Tigers’ Finn Carnduff, who also led the side to the U20 Six Nations title back in March.
They will aim to become the first England side to win the World Rugby U20 Championship since 2016, a side that contained the like of England internationals Jack Willis, Max Malins, Joe Marchant, Will Stuart, Harry Randall, and Jack Singleton, among others, as well as Wales’ Johnny Williams, beating an Ireland side in the final that contained Andrew Porter, James Ryan, Hugo Keenan, and Jacob Stockdale.
England are in Pool C alongside Argentina, Fiji, and the host nation, South Africa, and will face Argentina on Saturday 29th June, before Fiji on 4th July and South Africa on the 9th, ahead of the knockout rounds afterwards.
Mapletoft has named an experienced side, 23 of the squad were capped in the Six Nations campaign. Seven of the squad will be making their competitive debuts, Leicester Tigers’ Cameron Miell and Ollie Allan, Bath’s Arthur Green, Exeter Chiefs’ Benjamien Coen, and three schoolboys, Trinity’s Lucas Friday, soon to join Harlequins full time, and Saracens pair Angus Hall, The Judd, and Jack Bracken, St Albans, a remarkable achievement.
All did earn appearances in uncapped recent games against Coventry RFC and a two-game series with Georgia, where England won one of the three games.
Carnduff is the most experienced in the squad with 15 caps, but others in the forward pack have plenty of experience too, notably in the front row were Gloucester’s Afolabi Fasogbon, Bristol Bears’ James Halliwell, and Sale Sharks’ Asher Opoku-Fordjour all have caps in the double figures, likewise Saracens number 8 Nathan Michelowwith 10 caps. The most experienced players in the backs are Harlequins’ Benjamin Waghorn and Sale Sharks’ Alex Wills, who each have seven caps.
Speaking at the announcement of the squad, Mapletoft said: “Over the last month, we’ve had a block of preparation that has helped our development and planning for the upcoming Championship. “
“Recent fixtures against Coventry and Georgia have also afforded us the opportunity to integrate new faces into the fold, seven of which are set for their first competitive caps this summer. I’d like to congratulate Arthur, Cam, Ollie, Jack, Ben, Lucas and Angus and thank them and the squad as whole for their impressive work put in recently. “
“Our pool stage fixtures are an exciting bill of opponents with varying styles and approaches to the game that will test our capabilities in a short turnaround between matchdays. The players, staff and I are excited to make the country proud.”
England U20 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship Squad:
Forwards
Joe Bailey (Exeter Chiefs, 5 caps)
Finn Carnduff (Leicester Tigers, 15, captain)
Harvey Cuckson (Bath, 2)
Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester, 11)
Arthur Green (Bath, uncapped)
James Halliwell (Bristol Bears, 10)
James Isaacs (Saracens, 3)
Kane James (Exeter Chiefs, 4)
Junior Kpoku (Racing 92, 4)
Nathan Michelow (Saracens, 10 caps)
Cameron Miell (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Jacob Oliver (Newcastle Falcons, 5)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks, 14)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints, 5)
Billy Sela (Bath, 6)
Olamide Sodeke (Saracens, 4)
Craig Wright (Northampton Saints, 5)
Backs
Ollie Allan (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Josh Bellamy (Harlequins, 4)
Jack Bracken (Saracens, uncapped)
Benjamin Coen (Exeter Chiefs, uncapped)
Toby Cousins (Northampton Saints, 6)
Lucas Friday (Harlequins, uncapped)
Angus Hall (Saracens, uncapped)
Ioan Jones (Gloucester, 4)
Sean Kerr (Harlequins, 4)
Ben Redshaw (Newcastle Falcons, 5)
Oli Spencer (Newcastle Falcons, 5)
Ben Waghorn (Harlequins, 7)
Alex Wills (Sale Sharks, 7)
England U20 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship Fixtures
Matchday 1 (29 June) – England vs. Argentina – Athlone Stadium – (13:00 BST kick-off)
Matchday 2 (4 July) – England vs. Fiji – Athlone Stadium – (15:30 BST kick-off)
Matchday 3 (9 July) – South Africa vs. England – Athlone Stadium – (18:00 BST kick-off)
Matchday 4 (Sunday 14 July) – Semi Final Matches
Matchday 5 (Friday 19 July) – Finals Matches