New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

New Zealand
UnionNew Zealand Rugby
Nickname(s)Baby Blacks
Coach(es)Jono Gibbes
Top scorerTrent Renata (59)
Most triesZac Guildford and Tevita Li (8)
Team kit
First international
New Zealand 48–9 Tonga
(6 June 2008; Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff)
Largest win
New Zealand 92–0 Wales
(14 June 2011; Rugby Rovigo Delta, Rovigo)
Largest defeat
Australia 24–0 New Zealand
(5 May 2019; Bond Sports Park, Gold Coast)
World Cup
Appearances12 (First in 2008)
Best resultChampions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017)

The New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team, nicknamed the Baby Blacks, is the representative rugby union team from New Zealand. It replaced the two former age grade teams: the under-19s and the under-21s. Their first tournament was the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship, which they won after defeating England 38–3 in the final.[1] They have gone on to also win the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2017. The team also competes in the Oceania U20 Championship as of 2015. The New Zealand under-20s have been nicknamed the "Baby Blacks" after the youthful All Blacks side which played in 1986.

Overall

Summary of all matches played by the New Zealand Under-20s as of 15 July 2023

Opposition Played Won Drawn Lost % Won
 Argentina 5 5 0 0 100%
 Australia 16 12 0 4 75%
 England 6 5 0 1 83%
 Fiji 7 7 0 0 100%
 France 4 2 0 2 50%
 Georgia 3 3 0 0 100%
 Ireland 8 7 0 1 88%
 Italy 2 2 0 0 100%
 Japan 4 4 0 0 100%
 Samoa 5 5 0 0 100%
 Scotland 4 4 0 0 100%
 South Africa 7 1 0 6 14%
 Tonga 2 2 0 0 100%
 Uruguay 1 1 0 0 100%
 Wales 10 8 0 2 80%
Total 84 68 0 16 81%

World Rugby U20 Championship record

Year Round Position Pld W D L PF PA
2008 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 242 28
2009 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 215 54
2010 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 262 52
2011 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 274 51
2012 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 0 2 148 49
2013 Semi-finals 4th 5 3 0 2 159 116
2014 Semi-finals 3rd 5 3 0 2 196 107
2015 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 191 63
2016 5th place 5th 5 4 0 1 223 86
2017 Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 282 92
2018 Semi-finals 4th 5 3 0 2 173 84
2019 7th place 7th 5 3 0 2 161 96
2023 7th place 7th 5 3 0 2 188 150
Total 13/13 6 titles 65 52 0 13 2,714 1,028

Oceania Rugby U20 Championship record

Year Round Position Pld W D L PF PA
2015 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 157 43
2016 Champions 1st 2 1 0 1 54 35
2017 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 186 32
2018 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 195 43
2019 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 140 43
2022 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 175 26
Total 6/6 5 titles 17 15 0 2 907 222

Squads

Current squad

On 14 April 2023, a wider squad was announced for a two-match series against Australia on 29 May and 3 June 2023 in Wellington.[2] From that wider squad, the following group was selected for the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:[3]

Player Position Province
Vernon Bason Hooker Manawatu
Jack Taylor Hooker Southland
Raymond Tuputupu Hooker Manawatu
Ben Ake Prop Auckland
Malakai Hala Prop Manawatu
Siale Lauaki Prop Wellington
Gabe Robinson Prop Waikato
Bradley Crichton Prop Wellington
Tom Allen Lock Hawke's Bay
Tahlor Cahill Lock Canterbury
Hunter Morrison Lock Hawke's Bay
Will Stodart Lock / loose forward Otago
Che Clark Flanker Auckland
Cooper Flanders Flanker Hawke's Bay
Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo Flanker Auckland
Peter Lakai Number 8 Wellington
Malachi Wrampling-Alec Flanker / number 8 Waikato
Jordi Viljoen Halfback Manawatu
Riley Williams Halfback Auckland
Noah Hotham (c) Halfback Tasman
Taha Kemara First five-eighth Waikato
Ajay Faleafaga First five-eighth Otago
Xavi Taele Midfield back Auckland
Leo Gordon Midfield back Auckland
Aki Tuivailala Midfield back Waikato
Caleb Tangitau Wing Auckland
Codemeru Vai Wing Bay of Plenty
Macca Springer Wing / fullback Tasman
Isaac Hutchinson Wing / fullback Canterbury
Harry Godfrey First five-eighth / fullback Hawke's Bay

Coaches

Due to the U20 category only existing since the combining of the U19 and U21 age groups in 2007, the following table only includes coaches appointed since. In the inaugural tournament in 2008, Dave Rennie and Russell Hilton-Jones served as co-coaches in charge of the team. Craig Philpott is the longest serving coach.

For the 2023 season, Clark Laidlaw is the head coach, with Marty Bourke and Wesley Clarke as assistant coaches.

Coach Tenure P W D L W%
Dave Rennie 2008 5 5 0 0 100%
Russell Hilton-Jones 2008 5 5 0 0 100%
Dave Rennie 2009–2010 10 10 0 0 100%
Mark Anscombe 2011 5 5 0 0 100%
Rob Penney 2012 5 3 0 2 60%
Chris Boyd 2013–2014 10 6 0 4 60%
Scott Robertson 2015–2016 15 14 0 1 93%
New Zealand Craig Philpott 2017–2019 24 19 0 5 79%
Tom Donnelly 2022 3 3 0 0 100%
Clark Laidlaw 2023 7 4 0 3 57%
Jono Gibbes 2023– TBD.

See also

References

  1. ^ Clutton, Graham. "Final: New Zealand 38–3 England". irb.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  2. ^ "New Zealand Under 20 wider squad announced". allblacks.com (Press release). 14 April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "New Zealand Under 20 squad named for the World Rugby U20 Championship". allblacks.com (Press release). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

External links