Baby Blacks name powerful squad to defend title in Gqeberha

New Zealand have named a powerful squad of 30 players to defend their Sanzaar U20 Rugby Championship title in Gqeberha from April 27 to May 9.

The Baby Blacks held on to beat the Junior Springboks 48-45 in front of 14,835 spectators at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha to retain their title in dramatic fashion in 2025.

Having to play with 13 players in the final minutes, NZ overturned a fast Junior Springbok start to the match, which saw the home side scoring 19 unanswered points in the opening 15 minutes to pave the way for 26-24 at the break.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) national pathways head coach Kane Jury said the selected players had earned their places through their efforts during the recent U20 development programme in Taupo.

“The programme was a standout success, both on and off the field,” he said. “One hundred of our most promising players arrived eager to learn, compete, and showcase their talent, and they delivered in spades.

“As we head into the Rugby Championship, there’s genuine excitement about this group around who they are, who they can become, and how we can contribute to the legacy of this team.”

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 SA on April 20, while nine non-travelling reserves will attend a pre-departure camp at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation & Sport in Wellington from April 12 to 19, which will include a warm-up match against the Hurricanes Hunters development team.

The first edition of the U20 Rugby Championship was held in Australia in 2024, with the up-and-coming stars of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and SA doing battle.

In 2025 the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape played host to the six matches, with New Zealand successfully defending their title.

New Zealand U20 squad

Hookers: Josh Findlay (Crusaders, Canterbury), Luka Patumaka Makata (Blues, Auckland), Jericho Wharehinga (Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay)
Props: Alexander Hewitt (Hurricanes, Wellington), Dane Johnston (Chiefs, Taranaki), Henry Stuart (Highlanders, Otago), Ethan Webber (Highlanders, Otago)
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)
Scrumhalves: Jackson Hughan (Highlanders, Southland), Boston Krone (Blues, Auckland), Charlie Sinton (Chiefs, Bay of Plenty)
Flyhalves: Cohen Norrie (Blues, Auckland), Mika Muliaina (Highlanders, Southland)
Midfielders: 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)

Meanwhile, Junior Bok coach Kevin Foote has named a training squad that is busy preparing for the Gqeberha tournament at a two-week camp in Stellenbosch.

Sharks utility back Luan Giliomee, who recently made his international debut for the Blitzboks, has been named as a utility player.

Bulls wing Cheswill Jooste, who, like Vusi Moyo, was also a member of last year’s successful Junior Bok side, was not considered for this training camp due to his URC commitments.