Interview
What would leave Mark Mapletoft 'pretty devastated as a coach'
Having clinched the Six Nations title with a spectacular win away to France in Pau last March, the English have been drawn in a po…
Liam Heagney
29 Jun 2024, 3:01
Contributors
Liam Heagney
@heagneyl
A seasoned rugby journalist, Liam hails from Limerick and has covered World Cups, Lions tours, Six Nations Championships and European Cup campaigns since 2000. He became a content editor at RugbyPass in 2019 after joining from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday in Ireland.
Interview
The play where South Africa are expecting 'a lot more gamesmanship'
Six round one pool matches are on the schedule, with the host nation rounding off the three-game DHL Stadium programme with an eve…
Liam Heagney
29 Jun 2024, 2:56
Analysis
Four World Rugby U20 Championship opening round talking points
It won’t be until the July 19 final that the 2024 champions become known, but this weekend’s six-match round one is set to del…
Liam Heagney
29 Jun 2024, 2:04
Interview
Getting to know: Australia U20s out-half Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
However, if selection was a criteria that included good manners and conversational ability, then Harry McLaughlin-Phillips has eve…
Liam Heagney
29 Jun 2024, 1:41
Mark Mapletoft: Why England U20s invited RugbyPass to film Embedded
The English open their Pool C campaign this Saturday with a heavyweight clash versus Argentina in Athlone and the first episode of…
Liam Heagney
28 Jun 2024, 5:24
Analysis
World Rugby U20 Championship: Pool C team by team guide
It will be round three in Athlone on July 9 when that fancied duo – last year’s beaten semi-finalists – go head-to-head in a…
Liam Heagney
28 Jun 2024, 2:34
Analysis
World Rugby U20 Championship: Pool B team by team guide
Australia felt hard done by in their round two loss to Ireland in Paarl because in the aftermath of their 10-30 defeat, Irish back…
Liam Heagney
28 Jun 2024, 2:24
Analysis
World Rugby U20 Championship: Pool A team by team guide
The Spanish have the honour of opening the pool the DHL Stadium this Saturday, taking on a French team that didn’t fire on all c…
Liam Heagney
28 Jun 2024, 2:13
Interview
Getting to know: New Zealand U20s hooker Vernon Bason
For a country with a glittering heritage in the tournament, especially in the early years when they won four in a row, seventh pla…
Liam Heagney
28 Jun 2024, 2:00
Analysis
Five 2023 U20 Championship players who are already playing Test rugby
Multiple stars were born, especially from the better performing European teams who had the advantage of having a taxing Six Nation…
Liam Heagney
27 Jun 2024, 2:15
Interview
Getting to know: Wales U20s blindside Ryan Woodman
The back-rower has timed him run to rude health perfectly to ensure he is fit and ready to lead Wales out when they take on New Ze…
Liam Heagney
27 Jun 2024, 2:07
Interview
Getting to know: Ireland U20s out-half Jack Murphy
The youngster demonstrated he had nerves of steel during the recent age-grade Six Nations, calmly kicking late penalties for the I…
Liam Heagney
26 Jun 2024, 2:45
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2023 England World Rugby U20 Championship team
His preparations consisted of an on-the-fly drawn two-match series in Georgia before flying to South Africa where his English youn…
Liam Heagney
26 Jun 2024, 2:35
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2008 New Zealand U20 Championship winners
It was music to New Zealand ears. They had won the final of the U19s tournament that was staged in Ireland in 2007, and it was onl…
Liam Heagney
26 Jun 2024, 2:04
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2012 South Africa U20 Championship winners
A crowd of 33,210 turned up at the now-closed Newlands to see an age-grade South African side inspired by a then 18-year-old Handr…
Liam Heagney
25 Jun 2024, 5:23
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2023 Ireland U20 Championship runners-up team
Ireland went into last year’s World Rugby U20 Championship with very high hopes after clinching their second successive Six Nati…
Liam Heagney
25 Jun 2024, 3:45
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2016 five to follow U20 Championship players
A glossy 28-page programme was published for that edition of the tournament and the preview intro certainly hyped what was set to …
Liam Heagney
25 Jun 2024, 3:37
Analysis
Where are they now? The 2023 France U20 Championship-winning team
Les Bleus had won the 2018 and 2019 tournament finals in Beziers and Rosario but the pandemic forced the cancellation of the next …
Liam Heagney
23 Jun 2024, 3:02
Exclusive
Jack Murphy: 'It was a bit weird and took a while to get used to'
His cake and candles milestone is July 15, four days before the DHL Stadium final of the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape…
Liam Heagney
23 Jun 2024, 2:58
Interview
Mark Mapletoft: 'Stuff like that winds me up, it’s cheap and easy'
Given that they are about to fly to South Africa for the World Rugby U20 Championship, a tournament that will be played in the sou…
Liam Heagney
16 Jun 2024, 2:24
