Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Uncapped brothers included as Wales name U20 Championship squad

(Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Federugby via Getty Images)

Wales have named a World Rugby U20 Championship squad that will be captained by Dragons’ Ryan Woodman and contains two uncapped players, brothers Ioan and Steffan Emanuel. The Welsh signed off on the recent Six Nations with a fifth place finish following home wins over Scotland and Italy and are now preparing for pool fixtures in Cape Town versus New Zealand, Spain and defending champions France.

ADVERTISEMENT

A statement read: “Wales head coach Richard Whiffin has announced his men’s squad to contest the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa. The team will be captained by the returning Dragons RFC back row Ryan Woodman, who missed the Six Nations championship through injury, and includes just two uncapped players, brothers Ioan and Steffan Emanuel.

“Hooker Isaac Young, along with the Emanuel siblings and Woodman, are the only players in the squad who didn’t feature in the Six Nations. Young played for Wales last year but was ruled out for this year’s campaign through injury.”

Video Spacer

URC Head of Match Officials Tappe Henning reveals some stunning red-card statistics

Video Spacer

URC Head of Match Officials Tappe Henning reveals some stunning red-card statistics

Whiffin said: “Wednesday was a tough day, telling players who have worked incredibly hard that they haven’t made the plane. There were obviously some tough conversations but they have reacted well and the group have got tight around them and picked them up. But that is the nature of the job.

“We have got power throughout the team with genuine athletes in all areas of the field. The way we want to play is to move the ball and express ourselves in the wider channels. Hopefully we have a team who can be competitive in what is an extremely competitive pool.

Fixture
World Rugby U20 Championship
Wales U20
34 - 41
Full-time
New Zealand U20
All Stats and Data

“Ryan has had a massive impact in the two weeks he has been in with us. He has come back in very good nick after his injury-forced absence. His physicality now will be a key addition to the squad but not only that, his calmness around the group is also a positive effect. He is a natural leader and the players look up to him.”

Wales U20 Championship squad
Forwards (16):

Jordan Morris (Dragons)
Josh Morse (Scarlets)
Ioan Emanuel (Bath Rugby)
Harry Thomas (Scarlets)
Isaac Young (Scarlets)
Will Austin (Sale Sharks)
Kian Hire (Ospreys)
Sam Scott (Bristol)
Jonny Green (Harlequins)
Nick Thomas (Dragons RFC)
Osian Thomas (Leicester Tigers)
Ryan Woodman (Dragons RFC, capt)
Lucas de la Rua (Cardiff Rugby)
Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers)
Morgan Morse (Ospreys)
Owen Conquer (Dragons RFC)

Backs (14):
Ieuan Davies (Bath Rugby)
Rhodri Lewis (Opsreys)
Lucca Setaro (Scarlets)
Harri Wilde (Cardiff Rugby)
Harri Ford (Dragons RFC)
Macs Page (Scarlets)
Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby)
Louie Hennessey (Bath Rugby)
Elijah Evans (Cardiff Rugby)
Aidan Boshoff (Bristol Rugby)
Harry Rees-Weldon (Dragons RFC)
Kodie Stone (Cardiff RFC)
Huw Anderson (Dragons RFC)
Matty Young (Cardiff Rugby)

ADVERTISEMENT

Wales U20 pool fixtures:
Saturday, June 29: vs New Zealand, Athlone Sports Stadium
Thursday, July 4: vs Spain, Athlone Sports Stadium
Tuesday, July 9: vs France, Athlone Sports Stadium

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 4 hours ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

Yep, that's exactly what I want.

Glasgow won the URC and Edinburgh finished 16th, but Scotland won the six nations, Edinburgh would qualify for the Champions Cup under your system.

It's 'or'. If Glasgow won the URC or Scotland won the six nations. If one of those happens I believe it will (or should) be because the league is in a strong place, and that if a Scotland side can do that, there next best club team should be allowed to reach for the same and that would better serve the advancement of the game.


Now, of course picking a two team league like Scotland is the extreme case of your argument, but I'm happy for you to make it. First, Edinbourgh are a good mid table team, so they are deserving, as my concept would have predicted, of the opportunity to show can step up. Second, you can't be making a serious case that Gloucester are better based on beating them, surely. You need to read Nicks latest article on SA for a current perspective on road teams in the EPCR. Christ, you can even follow Gloucester and look at the team they put out the following week to know that those games are meaningless.


More importantly, third. Glasgow are in a league/pool with Italy, So the next team to be given a spot in my technically imperfect concept would be Benneton. To be fair to my idea that's still in it's infancy, I haven't given any thought to those 'two team' leagues/countries yet, and I'm not about to 😋

They would be arguably worse if they didn't win the Challenge Cup.

Incorrect. You aren't obviously familiar with knockout football Finn, it's a 'one off' game. But in any case, that's not your argument. You're trying to suggest they're not better than the fourth ranked team in the Challenge Cup that hasn't already qualified in their own league, so that could be including quarter finalists. I have already given you an example of a team that is the first to get knocked out by the champions not getting a fair ranking to a team that loses to one of the worst of the semi final teams (for example).

Sharks are better

There is just so much wrong with your view here. First, the team that you are knocking out for this, are the Stormers, who weren't even in the Challenge Cup. They were the 7th ranked team in the Champions Cup. I've also already said there is good precedent to allow someone outside the league table who was heavily impacted early in the season by injury to get through by winning Challenge Cup. You've also lost the argument that Sharks qualify as the third (their two best are in my league qualification system) South African team (because a SAn team won the CC, it just happened to be them) in my system. I'm doubt that's the last of reasons to be found either.


Your system doesn't account for performance or changes in their domestic leagues models, and rely's heavily on an imperfect and less effective 'winner takes all' model.

Giving more incentives to do well in the Challenge Cup will make people take it more seriously. My system does that and yours doesn't.

No your systems doesn't. Not all the time/circumstances. You literally just quoted me describing how they aren't going to care about Challenge Cup if they are already qualifying through league performance. They are also not going to hinder their chance at high seed in the league and knockout matches, for the pointless prestige of the Challenge Cup.


My idea fixes this by the suggesting that say a South African or Irish side would actually still have some desire to win one of their own sides a qualification spot if they win the Challenge Cup though. I'll admit, its not the strongest incentive, but it is better than your nothing. I repeat though, if your not balance entries, or just my assignment, then obviously winning the Challenge Cup should get you through, but your idea of 4th place getting in a 20 team EPCR? Cant you see the difference lol


Not even going to bother finishing that last paragraph. 8 of 10 is not an equal share.

126 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Fissler Confidential: One England international in, one out for Bath Fissler Confidential: One England international in, one out for Bath
Search