Fixtures Released For Ireland Under-20s’ Six Nations Campaign

Following September’s announcement that the Ireland Under-20s will play their home games at Irish Independent Park this season, the full fixtures list has been revealed for the 2019 Under-20 Six Nations Championship.

Irish Independent Park, the 8,008-capacity Cork stadium, will make its Under-20 Six Nations debut when the Ireland Under-20s host old rivals England in the opening match of the Championship on Friday, February 1 (kick-off 7.15pm).

This is Noel McNamara’s second season as Ireland U-20 head coach, and his charges will be looking to better last year’s third place finish in the U-20 Six Nations. They averaged four tries per game in the 2018 tournament, so the freshly-installed modified 3G pitch in Cork should be to their liking.

It will be ‘Friday Night Lights’ all throughout the 2019 Championship for the Ireland U-20s, who take a round 2 trip to Netherdale in Galashiels to play Scotland on Friday, February 8 (kick-off 7.30pm). They will be out for revenge after losing 45-29 to the Scots during last summer’s World Rugby U-20 Championship.

Ireland beat both Scotland (30-25) and Italy (38-34) during last season’s U-20 Six Nations, and they will journey to Rieti’s Stadio Centro d’Italia – Manlio Scopigno for their rematch with the Italians on Friday, February 22 (kick-off 7pm local time/6pm Irish time).

The final two rounds will feature trios of Friday night fixtures with the Championship set to visit Edinburgh, Bedford, Cork, Biella, Colwyn Bay and Northampton over two weekends in March. France, the reigning U-20 Six Nations and World champions, are Ireland’s penultimate round opponents at Irish Independent Park on Friday, March 8 (kick-off 7.15pm).

Ireland’s final competitive match before next summer’s World Rugby U-20 Championship in Argentina is against Wales in Colwyn Bay on Friday, March 15 (kick-off 7.05pm). This Celtic derby was one of the matches of last year’s U-20 Six Nations with Wales prevailing 41-38 in an 11-try thriller.

With all six teams set to be boosted by graduates from last April’s Under-18 Six Nations Festival, won by Scotland, this year’s Championship looks set to provide another dose of the thrilling attacking rugby which the Under-20s Six Nations is renowned for.

Tickets for the Ireland U-20s’ home games against England and France in Cork are available to buy now from Ticketmaster.ie and from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. Ticket prices: family terrace (two adults & two juniors): €;30; adult stand: €;20; adult terrace: €;15; junior (U-16) terrace or stand: €;10.

Details of the TV coverage for the Under-20 Six Nations will be confirmed in due course. Click here to view the full list of fixtures for the 2019 tournament.

IRELAND UNDER-20S’ 2019 U-20 SIX NATIONS FIXTURES:

Friday, February 1:

IRELAND UNDER-20s v ENGLAND UNDER-20s, Irish Independent Park, Cork, 7.15pm
Click here to buy your match ticket(s) from Ticketmaster.ie

Friday, February 8:

SCOTLAND UNDER-20s v IRELAND UNDER-20s, Netherdale, Gala RFC, Galashiels, 7.30pm

Friday, February 22:

ITALY UNDER-20s v IRELAND UNDER-20s, Stadio Centro d’Italia – Manlio Scopigno, Rieti, 7pm local time/6pm Irish time

Friday, March 8:

IRELAND UNDER-20s v FRANCE UNDER-20s, Irish Independent Park, Cork, 7.15pm
Click here to buy your match ticket(s) from Ticketmaster.ie

Friday, March 15:

WALES UNDER-20s v IRELAND UNDER-20s, Zip World Stadium, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, 7.05pm