The Ireland national under-20 rugby team was formed in 2006, having previously been known as the under-21 team. It participates principally in the Under-20 Six Nations Championship which it has won on five occasions and the World Rugby Under 20 Championship where it has finished as runner-up twice.

History Ireland Under-20's have won the Grand Slam four times and the Six Nations Championship five times: 2007(as the Under-21s) , 2010, 2019, 2022 and 2023. In the pandemic-truncated competition in 2020, Ireland won the Triple Crown. At the time the competition was halted, Ireland were undefeated and led the table. However, this was not considered a championship nor a grand slam.

Ireland won two consecutive Grand Slams in the 2022 and 2023 Six Nations championships, the only nation ever to do so at that point, but were denied a third consecutive Grand Slam and championship title following a final day draw away to England. Despite Ireland and England having both recorded four wins and a draw, England were crowned champions as they had earned one more try bonus point than Ireland.

Ireland Under-20's streak of fourteen consecutive Under 20-Six Nations victories (before the England match) and fifteen matches undefeated in the tournament over three seasons (after the match) are tournament records as of 2026; both streaks came to an end with defeat to England 3-19 in the first game of the 2024 tournament.

Players Current squad Head coach Andrew Browne named his 29–man squad for the 2026 U20 Six Nations on 20 January 2026.

Name Date of birth Position Club Province Tyrese Abolarin Prop Queen's University Ulster Sami Bishti (c) Prop UCD Leinster Max Doyle Prop UCD Leinster Christian Foley Prop Young Munster Munster Blake McClean Prop Instonians Ulster Jonathan Byrne Hooker Garryowen Munster Rian Handley Hooker Old Wesley Leinster Duinn Maguire Hooker UCD Leinster Joe Finn Lock Garryowen Munster Donnacha McGuire Lock UCD Leinster Dylan McNeice Lock UCD Leinster Sean Walsh Lock Barnhall Leinster Ben Blaney Back-row Terenure College Leinster Bill Hayes Back-row Garryowen Munster Alex Lautsou Back-row Shannon Munster Josh Neill 28 February 2007 Back-row Old Wesley Leinster Diarmaid O'Connell Back-row Corinthians Connacht Christopher Barrett Scrum-half UCC Munster Luke Fogarty Scrum-half Barnhall Leinster James O'Dwyer Scrum-half Old Belvedere Leinster Charlie O'Shea Fly-half UCC Munster Tom Wood Fly-half Garryowen Munster Ethan Black Centre Old Wesley Leinster Johnny O'Sullivan Centre Dublin University Leinster Derry Moloney 1 February 2006 Wing Blackrock College Leinster Harry Waters Wing Blackrock College Leinster Daniel Ryan Wing Corinthians Connacht Noah Byrne Fullback Dublin University Leinster Charlie Molony 16 March 2006 Fullback UCD Leinster

Award winners The following Ireland U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008: + World Rugby Junior Player of the Year Year Nominees Winners 2012 JJ Hanrahan — 2014 Garry Ringrose 2016 Max Deegan Max Deegan

Overall record

Correct as of 20 July 2025

Six Nations Under 20s Championship

Year Pos Played W D L PF PA PD TF TA TD LBP TBP Triple Crown Grand Slam 2008 4th 5 2 0 3 56 90 –34 3 13 –10 N/A N/A No No 2009 2nd 5 4 0 1 86 88 –2 5 9 –4 N/A N/A No No 2010 1st 5 4 0 1 147 62 85 17 5 12 N/A N/A Yes No 2011 4th 5 2 1 2 147 99 48 11 14 –3 N/A N/A No No 2012 3rd 5 4 0 1 86 46 40 7 4 3 N/A N/A No No 2013 3rd 5 2 1 2 98 83 15 13 9 4 N/A N/A No No 2014 4th 5 2 0 3 74 79 –5 7 8 –1 N/A N/A No No 2015 5th 5 2 0 3 120 90 30 13 10 3 N/A N/A No No 2016 3rd 5 3 0 2 108 120 –18 10 12 –2 N/A N/A No No 2017 4th 5 3 0 2 111 122 –11 12 13 –1 1 0 No No 2018 3rd 5 2 0 3 145 182 –37 21 26 –5 1 3 No No 2019 1st 5 5 0 0 150 92 58 18 12 6 0 3 Yes Yes 2020 Cancelled 3 3 0 0 113 69 44 17 10 7 0 3 Yes Cancelled 2021 3rd 5 3 0 2 151 100 51 20 14 6 1 3 No No 2022 1st 5 5 0 0 210 65 145 29 9 20 0 4 Yes Yes 2023 1st 5 5 0 0 239 116 123 32 17 15 0 4 Yes Yes 2024 2nd 5 4 1 0 171 93 78 23 12 11 0 4 No No 2025 6th 5 1 0 4 72 91 –19 11 12 –1 1 1 No No 2026 2nd 5 4 0 1 177 145 +32 25 22 +3 4 0 Yes No

World Rugby U20 Championship

Year Place Pool Played W D L PF PA PD TF TA TD LBP TBP 2008 9th A 5 3 0 2 112 127 –15 11 13 –2 0 1 2009 8th A 5 2 0 3 81 54 27 9 3 6 0 1 2010 9th B 5 2 0 3 154 118 36 18 9 9 2 0 2011 8th C 5 1 0 4 120 183 –63 11 24 –13 0 0 2012 5th B 5 4 0 1 124 70 54 13 7 6 1 1 2013 8th B 5 2 0 3 121 86 35 14 9 5 1 1 2014 4th B 5 2 0 3 124 127 –3 14 16 –2 1 2 2015 7th C 5 3 0 2 74 92 –18 6 9 –3 0 0 2016 2nd A 5 4 0 1 173 153 20 17 16 1 0 1 2017 9th B 5 2 0 3 128 167 –39 16 25 –9 2 0 2018 11th C 5 1 0 4 129 158 –29 16 23 –7 2 0 2019 8th B 5 2 0 3 137 155 –18 18 20 –2 0 2 2020–2022 Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2023 2nd B 5 3 1 1 156 133 23 23 19 4 0 3 2024 4th B 4* 2 0 2 121 100 21 17 12 5 0 1 2025 11th C 5 2 0 3 132 173 –41 19 26 –7 2 2 2026 Nth C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0*The 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship Pool B match between Ireland and Australia was cancelled due to weather conditions, rendering the pitch unplayable and unsafe. Both teams were awarded two points.

Honours

Six Nations Under 20s Championship: Winner (5): 2007, 2010, 2019, 2022, 2023 Grand Slam: Winner (4): 2007, 2019, 2022, 2023 Triple Crown: Winner (7): 2007, 2010, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2026 World Rugby Under 20 Championship: Runner Up (2): 2016, 2023

See also Ireland national rugby union team Ireland Wolfhounds Emerging Ireland Ireland national schoolboy rugby union team Six Nations Under 20s Championship World Rugby Under 20 Championship

References

External links Ireland U-20 Squad from official IRFU site