8 Munster Players Named On Ireland U20 World Cup Squad

The Ireland Under 20 Squad to feature in the upcoming 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester has been named.

Head Coach Nigel Carolan has named a squad of 28 that include 8 Munster players.

The squad contains 3 Munster players who are uncapped at Under 20 level featuring Cork Constitution forwards Vincent O’Brien and Even Mintern. Uncapped Munster Academy out-half Bill Johnston has also been added to the side, having recovered from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Six Nations campaign.

Young Munster prop Ben Betts, second row Seán O’Connor from Cashel and Shannon backrow Kelvin Browne, who all represented Ireland in the Under 20 6 Nations championship last February, have all been named in the forwards.

Centres Shane Daly (Cork Constitution) and Paul Kiernan (UCC), who both competed in the 6 nations have also been selected.

Ireland will open their campaign against Six Nations Grand-Slam winners Wales on Tuesday 7th June in the Manchester City Academy Stadium. They then face last year's U20 Championship winners New Zealand and their final Pool A game is against Georgia.


Ireland U-20 Squad (World Rugby, Under-20 Championship Squad 2016)

Forwards (16):
Andrew Porter (UCD / Leinster)
James Bollard (DUFC (Trinity College) / Leinster)
Vakh Abdaladze (Clontarf / Leinster)*
Adam McBurney (Ballymena / Ulster)
Vincent O'Brien (Cork Con / Munster)*
Conor Kenny (Buccaneers / Connacht)
Ben Betts (Young Munster / Munster)
Cillian Gallagher (Sligo / Connacht)
James Ryan (Lansdowne / Leinster) (Capt.)
Sean O'Connor (Cashel / Munster)
Evan Mintern (Cork Con / Munster)*
Greg Jones (UCD / Leinster)
Will Connors (UCD / Leinster)
Max Deegan (Lansdowne / Leinster)
Kelvin Brown (Shannon / Munster)
David Aspil (UCD / Leinster)*

Backs (12):
Stephen Kerins (Sligo / Connacht)
Niall Saunders (Epsom College)
Bill Johnston (Garryowen / Munster)*
Johnny McPhillips (QUB / Ulster)
Conor O'Brien (Clontarf / Leinster)
Shane Daly (Cork Con / Munster)
Jimmy O'Brien (UCD / Leinster
Paul Kiernan (UCC / Munster)
Jacob Stockdale (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster)
Terry Kennedy (St. Mary's / Leinster)
Hugo Keenan (UCD / Leinster)
Matthew Byrne (Terenure / Leinster)

*Denotes uncapped player at U20 level

Ireland U20 World Rugby Championship Fixtures Pool A

Wales v Ireland
Manchester City Academy Stadium
Tuesday 7th June, 2016
KO: 17:30

New Zealand v Ireland
Manchester City Academy Stadium
Saturday 11th June, 2016
KO: 13:30

Ireland v Georgia
Manchester City Academy Stadium
Wednesday 15th June, 2016
KO: 17:30

Semi-Finals
Manchester City Academy Stadium OR AJ Bell Stadium, Salford
Monday 20th June 2016

Play-Offs
Manchester City Academy Stadium OR AJ Bell Stadium, Salford
Saturday 25th June 2016

Ireland's Pool A fixtures will be shown live on TG4.
The tournament will also be shown on Sky Sports and streamed via World Rugby