Ireland U-20 Squad Named For Junior World Championship
The Ireland Under-20 squad, sponsored by PwC, has been named today for this year’s IRB Junior World Championship which will take place in New Zealand in June.
Eight players who were not involved in the Under-20 Six Nations Championship have been added to the squad.
Diarmaid Dee, Dylan Donnellan, John Madigan, Darragh Moloney and Craig Trenier are named in the forwards, while Billy Dardis, Ryan Foley and Ciaran Gaffney join the backs division.
Four of the squad featured in the 2013 Junior World Championship last summer – forwards Peter Dooley, Jack O’Donoghue and Peadar Timmins and full-back/winger Alex Wootton.
Connacht’s Sean O’Brien will captain the Ireland U-20s for the June tournament. He was skipper during the recent Six Nations in the absence of Dan Leavy, who misses the Junior World Championship through injury as does his UCD and Leinster colleague Adam Byrne.
Ireland share Pool B with Six Nations winners France, Fiji and Wales. Mike Ruddock’s youngsters open their campaign against the French at QBE Stadium in Auckland on Monday, June 2.
IRELAND UNDER-20 Squad (2014 IRB Junior World Championship, New Zealand, June 2-20):
Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster)
David Busby (Queen’s University/Ulster)
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Denis Coulson (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster) *
Diarmaid Dee (Young Munster/Munster) *
Dylan Donnellan (UCD/Leinster) *
Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ryan Foley (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster)
Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)
John Madigan (Dolphin/Munster) *
Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)
Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Darragh Moloney (Cork Constitution/Munster) *
Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster)
Sean O’Brien (Galwegians/Connacht) (capt)
Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)
Peter Robb (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster)
Craig Trenier (Terenure College/Leinster) *
Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)
* Denotes uncapped player at international Under-20 level
IRELAND – POOL B FIXTURES:
Monday, June 2: France v IRELAND, QBE Stadium, Auckland, 5.35pm local time/6.35am Irish time (Buy match tickets)
Friday, June 6: Wales v IRELAND, ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe, 5.35pm local time/6.35am Irish time (Buy match tickets)
Tuesday, June 10: IRELAND v Fiji, QBE Stadium, Auckland, 1.35pm local time/2.35am Irish time (Buy match tickets)
For the full fixtures list, please click here.
Related Links –
Ireland Under-20s Denied By Late French Flourish
Ireland Under-20s End Championship In Eighth Place