BORDERERS have made the cut to make it into Scotland’s U20 squad for the Six Nations.
Head coach Kenny Murray named his 35-player group ahead of the start of the tournament next week.
Southern Knights’ Monroe Job is in the squad, as are Borderers Fraser Wilson, Kerr Johnston and Hector Patterson.
Biggar’s Fergus Watson has also got the nod.
Murray said: “We’ve been able to name a strong squad today, one which involves many players who, thanks to the involvement of the FOSROC Future XV, have shown a lot of improvement and great promise over the past season. This includes the likes of Tom Currie who had the second highest tackle completion rate of the whole Championship and Amena Caqusau who was in the top five try scores.
“We know how tough the Six Nations can be for this young group, so it has been vital for us to prep the guys the best we can for what should be another exciting competition.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Liam [McConnell] take on the captaincy role by himself this campaign as he has been an outstanding leader for the group over the past year.”
The team will travel to face Wales at Stadiwm CSM, Colwyn Bay, on Friday (February 2). Kick-off is at 7.15pm and it is live on BBC iPlayer.
Their campaign continues the following Friday when the side will host France at Edinburgh Rugby Stadium.
After a week’s break, the squad host England.
In the penultimate game of the tournament, the team will travel to Treviso to meet Italy U20 at Stadio Comunale di Monigo.
Finally, the U20s will face Ireland at Musgrave Park in Cork.
Murray’s squad is made up of 18 forwards and 17 backs, with 16 players returning to represent the Scotland age-grade side after being involved in the Under-20 Six Nations and/or World Rugby U20 Trophy last year.
Of the 35 players named, 29 have developed their skills in Scottish schools and clubs, with the other six coming through the Scottish Qualified system which identifies potential players from outside of the country who qualify to play for Scotland through certain eligibility criteria.
Last year saw the introduction of the FOSROC Future XV into the FOSROC Super Series Championship. This team was established to better prepare Scotland’s young players for the challenges of international U20 rugby and beyond, allowing the young talent to benefit from the increased game time and level that the Super Series provides. During the 2023 Championship, 25 of the players named in this Scotland U20 Six Nations squad made appearances for the side.
The squad contains 23 players who are aligned with either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors as part of the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy. These players train full time alongside the professional club’s senior players, allowing them to immerse themselves in the pro-team environment where they benefit from professional coaches and support staff.
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