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Josh Bellamy takes a kick for England U20

England U20 Men

2 Jul 2025 | 3 min |

England U20 team to play South Africa in World Rugby U20 Championship

Head coach Mark Mapletoft and assistant coach Andy Titterrell have named the England U20 Men’s squad to face South Africa in the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship.

England take on the Junior Springboks at the Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo on Friday 4 July (17:00 BST kick-off) after a 56-19 opening-day win over Scotland in Verona. The match will be streamed live and for free on RugbyPass TV in the UK and Ireland.  

They faced South Africa, who beat Australia 73-17 on Sunday, in the pool stage of last year’s competition, emerging 12-17 winners in a hard-fought fixture. 

Ben Redshaw and Tom Burrow are named as co-captains, while Nic Allison, Kepu Tuipulotu, and 2024 tournament winners Vilikesa Sela and Olamide Sodeke make their first starts of the campaign. Alfie Longstaff and Noah Caluori could make their debuts as replacements.   

“South Africa always promises to be very testing yet exciting fixture. We want our boys to commit to the moment throughout and build strongly together,” pathway scrum and defence coach Nathan Catt said. 

“A core principle of our campaign is to make lifelong memories through raising our levels of high performance every week, and this match will be no exception.” 

Squad to play South Africa U20
15
Josh Bellamy
Josh
Bellamy
Harlequins
U20 Caps
13
Age
20
14
Captain icon U20 Men headshots
Ben
Redshaw
Newcastle Falcons
U20 Caps
9
Age
20
13
Nick Lilley
Nick
Lilley
Exeter Chiefs
U20 Caps
5
Age
19
12
Nic Allison
Nic
Allison
Exeter Chiefs
U20 Caps
4
Age
20
11
Jack Bracken
Jack
Bracken
Saracens
U20 Caps
9
Age
19
10
Ben Coen
Ben
Coen
Exeter Chiefs
U20 Caps
10
Age
20
9
Jonny Weimann headshot
Jonny
Weimann
Northampton Saints
U20 Caps
2
Age
19
1
Ralph McEachran
Ralph
McEachran
Sale Sharks
U20 Caps
6
Age
20
2
Kepu Tuipulotu
Kepu
Tuipulotu
Bath Rugby
U20 Caps
6
Age
19
3
Vilikesa Sela
Vilikesa
Sela
Bath Rugby
U20 Caps
11
Age
20
4
Olamide Sodeke
Olamide
Sodeke
Saracens
U20 Caps
15
Age
19
5
Captain icon Tom Burrow
Tom
Burrow
Sale Sharks
U20 Caps
6
Age
19
6
U20 Men headshots
Connor
Treacey
Bath Rugby
U20 Caps
3
Age
19
7
Sam Williams headshot
Sam
Williams
Leicester Tigers
U20 Caps
1
Age
20
8
Kane James
Kane
James
Exeter Chiefs
U20 Caps
15
Age
20

Replacements

16
England U20 men headshots 2025
Alfie
Longstaff
Sale Sharks
U20 Caps
0
Age
19
17
Oli Scola
Oliver
Scola
Northampton Saints
U20 Caps
5
Age
19
18
Tye Raymont
Tye
Raymont
Sale Sharks
U20 Caps
6
Age
19
19
Junior Kpoku
Junior
Kpoku
Racing Metro 92
U20 Caps
14
Age
19
20
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave
Aiden
Ainsworth-Cave
Northampton Saints
U20 Caps
5
Age
18
21
Archie McParland
Archie
McParland
Northampton Saints
U20 Caps
6
Age
20
22
Campbell Ridl
Campbell
Ridl
Exeter Chiefs
U20 Caps
3
Age
20
23
England U20 men headshots 2025
Noah
Caluori
Saracens U18
U20 Caps
0
Age
18