The teams for the 2026 Rugby Championship, which starts on 27 April in Gqeberha, have been named. The New Zealand U20S are the reigning TRC U20 champions.
Rugby Championship U20 Fixtures Gqeberha 2026 (SA Time)
Monday, 27 April
14:00: New Zealand v Australia
16:10: Junior Boks v Argentina
Sunday, 3 May
14:00: New Zealand v Argentina
16:10: Junior Boks v Australia
Saturday, 9 May
14:00: Argentina v Australia
16:10: Junior Boks v New Zealand
Riley Norton will lead an exciting Junior Springbok squad for the third edition of SANZAAR’s Under-20 Rugby Championship, which starts on 27 April in Gqeberha.
Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote included four members of the SA U20 squad that won the Junior World Championship in Italy last year, as well as several of the most promising young local rugby talent. Apart from Norton, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Oliver Reid, and Vusi Moyo were members of the successful Junior Bok side of last year. They are joined in the squad by Markus Muller, Ethan Adams (both centres), Gert Kemp (No 8) and Kai Pratt (prop), all of whom played for the SA U18 side last year.
Cheswill Jooste (wing) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (fullback) were placed on standby pending their duties in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, along with Jade Muller and Akahluwa Boqwana.
Junior Springbok squad.
Props: Oliver Reid (DHL Stormers), Rambo Kubheka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jordan Jooste (DHL Stormers), Danie Kruger (DHL Stormers), Kai Pratt (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Hookers: Siphosethu Mnebelele (Vodacom Bulls), Liam van Wyk (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Locks: Heinrich Theron (Vodacom Bulls), Riley Norton (captain, DHL Stormers), JD Hattingh (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Jaythen Orange (Fidelity Securedrive Lions).
Loose forwards: Kebotile Maake (Vodacom Bulls), Risima Khosa (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Luke Canon (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Thomas Beling (Vodacom Bulls), Wasi Vyambwera (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gert Kemp (DHL Stormers).
Scrum-halves: Hendré Schoeman (Vodacom Bulls), Jayden Brits (DHL Stormers).
Fly-halves: Yaqeen Ahmed (DHL Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Centres: Ethan Adams (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Samuel Badenhorst (DHL Stormers), Markus Muller (DHL Stormers), Olunje Mehlomakulu (DHL Stormers).
Outside backs: Khuthadzo Rasivhaga (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Lindsey Jansen (Vodacom Bulls), Jack Benade (DHL Stormers), Jade Muller (Toyota Cheetahs)*, Akahluwa Boqwana (Vodacom Bulls)*, Alzeadon Felix (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheswill Jooste (Vodacom Bulls)*, Zekhethelo Siyaya (Hollywoodbets Sharks)*.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) National Pathways Head Coach Kane Jury has named 30 players to contest the 2026 Under 20 Rugby Championship in South Africa. The squad includes six returning players from the team that narrowly lost to South Africa in last year’s World Rugby Under 20 Championship, while five have playing experience in the NPC.
The squad was selected by Jury and his Assistant Coaches Brock James, James Lentjes, and Will Henry with NZR High Performance Talent Identification Manager PJ Williams providing detailed insights and data during the selection process.
One additional player will be added to the squad before they fly out to South Africa on 20 April, while nine non-travelling reserves will attend a pre-departure camp at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation & Sport in Wellington from 12-19 April.
The 2026 New Zealand U20 squad:
Props: Alexander Hewitt (Hurricanes, Wellington), Dane Johnston (Chiefs, Taranaki), Henry Stuart (Highlanders, Otago), Ethan Webber (Highlanders, Otago).
Hookers: Josh Findlay, Crusaders, Canterbury, Luka Patumaka Makata, Blues, Auckland, Jericho Wharehinga, Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay.
Locks: Jake Frost (Crusaders, Canterbury), John Falloon (Hurricanes, Wellington), Max Fale (Crusaders, Canterbury).
Loose Forwards: Alex Arnold, Highlanders (Otago), Kobe Brownlee (Crusaders, Tasman), Micah Fale (Chiefs, Waikato), Patrick Mauga (Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay), Finn McLeod (Crusaders, Canterbury), Logan Platt (Blues, Auckland), Caleb Woodley (Blues, Auckland).
Scrum-halves: Jackson Hughan (Highlanders, Southland), Boston Krone (Blues, Auckland), Charlie Sinton, Chiefs (Bay of Plenty).
Fly-halves: Cohen Norrie (Blues, Auckland), Mika Muliaina (Highlanders, Southland).
Centres: David Lewai (Chiefs, Waikato), Siale Pahulu (Blues, Auckland), Angus Revell (Blues, Auckland), Haki Wiseman (Chiefs, Taranaki)
Outside backs: Oliver Guerin (Chiefs, Waikato), Jay Reihana (Highlanders, Southland), JD Van Der Westhuizen (Blues, North Harbour), Logan Williams (Crusaders, Canterbury).
Australia U20 head coach Chris Whitaker has revealed a 31-man squad for their U20 Rugby Championship campaign in South Africa.
The squad came together in Sydney on 18 April before flying out to South Africa for three games in thirteen days.
The side is coming off a successful training camp where they claimed wins against both the Fiji U20s and Japan U23s as part of the Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby.
Australia U20 Squad:
ACT Brumbies: Ewald Kruger - Hooker, Tavita Loughland - Lock, Cooper Eagle - Backrow, Eli Langi - Backrow, Chayse Geros - Scrumhalf/Wing, Riley Whitfeld - Centre/Wing.
Western Force: Jasper Asi - Prop
Queensland Reds: Jacob Job - Prop, Jonah Rangiwai - Prop, Charlie Hollyman - Hooker, Kenneth Harris - Lock, Will Ross - Lock, Tom Robinson - Backrow, Finn Mackay - Flyhalf, Frankie Goldsbrough - Centre, Taione Taka - Centre/Wing.
NSW Waratahs: Edwin Langi - Prop, Harper Strachan - Prop, Nick Hill - Prop, Tyler Maybery - Hooker, Isaac Fonua - Lock/Backrow, Luca Cleverley - Backrow, Marshall Le Maitre - Backrow, Toby Brial - Backrow, Angus Grover - Scrumhalf, Sam Blank - Scrumhalf, Jonty Fowler - Flyhalf, Zach Fittler - Centre, Cooper Watters - Centre/Wing, Leo Jaques - Centre/Wing, Louis Fenwicke - Centre/Fullback.
The Argentina U20 team (Los Pumitas): Before leaving for South Africa, Los Pumitas will hold a training camp at the Hindu Club from April 17 to 20.
The 31-man squad, captained by Jerónimo Sorondo (Belgrano), features experienced players from 2025, including Jeremy Annand, Nicolás Cambiasso, Pedro Coll, Tomás Dande, and Ramón Fernández Miranda.
Many players also featured in the 2026 Super Rugby Americas (SRA) for franchises like Dogos, Capibaras, and Tarucas. Key players from these sides include Luciano Avaca, Bautista Benavides, Basilio Cañas, Manuel Cuneo, Benjamín Farías Cerioni, Benjamín Ordiz, Simón Pfister, and Ignacio Zabella. The squad is rounded out by Fabrizio Cebron, Álvaro Degrati, Manuel Gianantonio, Constantino Keller, Benjamín Ledesma Arocena, Franco Marizza, Federico Narvaez, Joaquín Pascual Viale, Agustín Ponzio, Juan Preumayr, Bautista Quiroga Miguens, Federico Torre, and Mateo Tanoni.
Argentina U20 Rugby Championship Squad:
ANNAND, JEREMY (BELGRANO ATHLETIC – URBA)
AVACA, LUCIANO (TALA RC – UNION CORDOBESA DE RUGBY)
BENAVIDES, BAUTISTA (SANTA FE – UNIÓN SANTAFESINA DE RUGBY)
CAMBIASSO, NICOLÁS (BUENOS AIRES – URBA)
CAÑAS, BASILIO (CAE – UNION ENTRERRIANA DE RUGBY)
CEBRON, FABRIZIO (REGATTAS – URBA)
COLL, PEDRO (TIGRES R.C – SALTA RUGBY UNION)
CUNEO, MANUEL (SAN JUAN R.C – UNIÓN SANJUANINA DE RUGBY)
DANDE, TOMÁS (HUIRAPUCA R.C – TUCUMÁN RUGBY UNION)
DEGRATI, ÁLVARO (ATLÉTICO DEL ROSARIO – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE ROSARIO)
FARIAS CERIONI, BENJAMÍN (UNIVERSITARIO R.C – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE TUCUMAN)
FÉRNANDEZ MIRANDA, RAMÓN (HINDU – URBA)
GIANANTONIO, MANUEL (TALA RC – UNIÓN CORDOBESA DE RUGBY)
KELLER, CONSTANTINO (CÓRDOBA ATHLETIC – UNIÓN CORDOBESA DE RUGBY)
LEDESMA AROCENA, BENJAMÍN (SIC – URBA)
MARIZZA, FRANCO (PARANÁ ROWING – UNION ENTRE RÍOS DE RUGBY)
NARVAEZ, FEDERICO (ATLÉTICO DEL ROSARIO – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE ROSARIO)
ORDIZ, BENJAMÍN (LOS CARANCHOS – ROSARIO RUGBY UNION)
PASCUAL VIALE, JOAQUÍN (ALUMNI – URBA)
PFISTER, SIMÓN (TUCUMÁN RC – UNION DE RUGBY DE TUCUMÁN)
PONZIO, AGUSTÍN (CRAI – UNIÓN SANTAFESINA DE RUGBY)
PREUMAYR, JUAN (JOCKEY – ROSARIO RUGBY UNION)
QUIROGA MIGUENS, BAUTISTA (CUBA – URBA)
SALINAS MALLEA, BAUTISTA (LOS TORDOS RC – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE CUYO)
SERPA, FEDERICO (LOS TORDOS RC – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE CUYO)
SORONDO, JERÓNIMO (BELGRANO ATHLETIC – URBA)
TANONI, MATEO (JOCKEY – ROSARIO RUGBY UNION)
TELLO FREDES, GERMÁN (MARISTA R.C – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE CUYO)
TOWER, FEDERICO (CÓRDOBA ATHLETIC – UNIÓN CORDOBESA DE RUGBY)
VALLE, LAUREANO (MENDOZA R.C – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE CUYO)
ZABELLA, IGNACIO (UNIVERSITARIO RC – UNIÓN DE RUGBY DE ROSARIO)