U20 Rugby Championship 2025

[Landers92]

@Left-Right-Out-0 no Kyan Rangitutua has me stumped.

[Bovidae]

That's a weaker squad than I thought it would be. Milton Haig is the new coach.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced Haig will lead the Under 20 coaching group alongside returning assistant coaches Jarrad Hoeata and Craig Dunlea with the addition of Alex Robertson.

More importantly:

Unavailable due to injury
Logan Wallace, Aisake Vakasiuola, Jayden Sa.

Unavailable due to All Blacks Sevens duties
Oli Mathis, Joey Taumateine, Xavier Tito-Harris, Frank Vaenuku.

[Bovidae]

https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/2025-new-zealand-under-20-squad-and-coaching-group-announced

Hookers
Shaun Kempton, Highlanders/Southland
Manumaua Letiu, Crusaders/Canterbury
Eli Oudenryn, Crusaders/ Ta$man

Props
Tamiano Ahloo, Blues/Auckland
Robson Faleafa, Blues/Auckland
Dane Johnston, Chiefs/Taranaki
Riley Tofilau, Blues/North Harbour
Sika Pole, Blues/Auckland

Locks
Dylan Eti, Chiefs/Waikato
Joshua Tengblad, Highlanders/Otago
Randall Baker, Blues/Auckland

Loose Forwards
Mosese Bason, Hurricanes/Manawatū
Micah Fale, Chiefs/Waikato
Harry Irving, Hurricanes/Wellington
Aio Keith, Blues/Auckland
Xavier Treacy, Crusaders/Canterbury
Caleb Woodley, Blues/Auckland
Finn McLeod, Crusaders/Canterbury

Halfbacks
Dylan Pledger, Highlanders/Otago
Charlie Sinton, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Jai Tamati, Hurricanes/ Manawatū

First five-eighth
Will Cole, Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay
Rico Simpson, Blues/Auckland

Midfielders
James Cameron, Crusaders/Canterbury
Tayne Harvey, Highlanders/Southland
Cooper Roberts, Crusaders/ Ta$man
Jack Wiseman, Chiefs/Taranaki

Outside backs
Maloni Kunawave, Crusaders/ Ta$man
Taniela Maisiri, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Harlyn Saunoa, Blues/Auckland
Stanley Solomon, Hurricanes/Wellington

[Landers92]

Slightly off topic - With the Crusaders having Manumaua Letiu and SR20’s player of the tournament Eli Oudenryn in the system, along with a 23 year old George Bell on the books, there will be a talented young hooker or 2 available to a needy NPC/super rugby side in the near future I think.

[Bovidae]

The prop selection is a puzzler to me. So the Blues have 4 of the 5 best props, and neither starting Chiefs prop gets selected. Johnston was only a reserve until Kupita got injured.

[Left Right Out 0]

Strong halfbacks. Agree 100% with these 3 selections. Midfield as well looks fairly spot on for me.

I think we are weak at 10. Simpson is good but not great and we all know my feelings on Cole. Tiatia could have been a better option.

Outside backs a little perplexed. Maisiri and Saunoa werent even the best outside backs for their teams letalone making this squad. Rangitutua, Denyer, Norrie, Salmon would have been ahead of these two in my books.

[Landers92]

Christian MacEwan(Lock) and Kyan Rangitutia(Outside back) are on standby. Unsure about who else is on standby though.

[Mamuka]

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[Mamuka]

@Bovidae will these 7s players be available for rwc?

[Mr Fish]

This post is deleted!

[Mauss]

Some interesting selections. Like I said, I wasn't able to watch the SR U20 games so some players - like Riley Tofilau, Xavier Treacy and Harry Irving - are relatively unknown to me. Looking forward to watching them play, either way.

@Bovidae said in U20 Rugby Championship 2025:

Unavailable due to injury
Logan Wallace, Aisake Vakasiuola, Jayden Sa.

Unavailable due to All Blacks Sevens duties
Oli Mathis, Joey Taumateine, Xavier Tito-Harris, Frank Vaenuku.

You'd expect all of these players to be starting, or close to it, in different circumstances. So that would explain some of the more surprising selections, to a degree.

Can't say I understand some of the omissions, like those of Raharuhi Palmer, Nathan Salmon and Pyrenees Boyle-Tiatia.

In terms of the coaching group, I'm glad that Hoeata is retained, I thought the forwards went well last year. With Robertson coming in, though, we're looking at a completely new attacking philosophy to Brad Cooper's from last year. Milton Haig is not exactly an inspiring appointment either. It does feel like the job isn't a particularly attractive prospect at the moment.

[Bovidae]

We need Vakasiuola to be fit as there isn't a power lock selected. Eti and Tengblad are both tall and lean while Baker is a converted lock who plays more at no.8.

I'd worry about the scrum against bigger opposition.

[Bovidae]

@Mamuka said in U20 Rugby Championship 2025:

@Bovidae will these 7s players be available for rwc?

In previous years, some U20 players in a SR squad or involved with NZ sevens have been selected. The last sevens tournament is in early May.

[Bovidae]

Aust will be playing a Japan U23 team coached by Eddie Jones on Friday.

[Mauss]

@Bovidae said in U20 Rugby Championship 2025:

We need Vakasiuola to be fit as there isn't a power lock selected. Eti and Tengblad are both tall and lean while Baker is a converted lock who plays more at no.8.

I'd worry about the scrum against bigger opposition.

If Vakasiuola can't recover in time, the obvious replacement looked, to me, to be Frazer Brown but he didn't play the SR U20 tournament either, I think. Maybe also a long-term injury? Randall Baker, from what I've seen, does seem to be robustly built.

The scrum might be a real issue. It's very rarely a real strength of the NZ U20s but this cohort does look weak in that area. Relatively small hookers and skinny locks certainly won't help. I have high hopes for Tamiano Ahloo but he's more of an all-rounder than a scrummaging expert, I feel.

The good news is that the developments in the game are starting to favour attack. And this team could be very potent offensively. So I presume they'll focus on unlocking different ways of scoring rather than focus on their defence.

[Bovidae]

Vakasiuola didn't have his arm in a sling in Taupō so might be fully fit in time. There is still nearly 3 months until the WC. Sa was on crutches with what looked to be a knee injury.

[Left Right Out 0]

Would have loved to have seen a Probables vs Possibles, like a warm up game. This could iron out any kinks or test these locks vs bigger locks to prepare them for bigger teams. Would also be a good insight for 2026

[Bovidae]

Mika Muliaina is also a standby player. The same article says that the games will be played on May 1st, 5th and 11th.

[Left Right Out 0]

@Bovidae thats interesting re Mika. Good player but clearly that shows theres something missing in Tiatia's game (defence perhaps?).

[SouthernMann]

@Left-Right-Out-0 said in U20 Rugby Championship 2025:

@Bovidae thats interesting re Mika. Good player but clearly that shows theres something missing in Tiatia's game (defence perhaps?).

Mika is a long-termer for the U20s as well. He only turned 18 last month. He will still have two more years in the U20s set up.

Mika could play for the NZ U18 side this year.

https://southlandtribune.substack.com/p/savs-sidelines-the-muliaina-that