New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team

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.

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)

Overall

Summary of all matches played by the New Zealand Under-20s as of 12 May 2024

Opposition Played Won Drawn Lost  % Won
 Argentina6600100%
 Australia17130476%
 England650183%
 Fiji7700100%
 France420250%
 Georgia3300100%
 Ireland870188%
 Italy2200100%
 Japan4400100%
 Samoa5500100%
 Scotland4400100%
 South Africa811613%
 Tonga2200100%
 Uruguay1100100%
 Wales1080280%
Total877011680%

World Rugby U20 Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L PF PA
2008Champions1st550024228
2009Champions1st550021554
2010Champions1st550026252
2011Champions1st550027451
2012Runners-up2nd530214849
2013Semi-finals4th5302159116
2014Semi-finals3rd5302196107
2015Champions1st550019163
20165th place5th540122386
2017Champions1st550028292
2018Semi-finals4th530217384
20197th place7th530216196
20237th place7th5302188150
Total13/136 titles65520132,7141,028

Oceania Rugby U20 Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L PF PA
2015Champions1st330015743
2016Champions1st21015435
2017Champions1st330018632
2018Champions1st330019543
2019Runners-up2nd320114043
2022Champions1st330017526
Total6/65 titles171502907222

U20 Rugby Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D L PF PA
2024Champions1st32109258
Total1/11 titles32109258

Players

2024

On 10 April 2024 a squad was announced for the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship in Australia.[2]

Player Position Region/Province
A-One LolofieHighlanders, Otago
Andrew SmithFlankerChiefs, Waikato
Ben O’DonovanHalf-backCrusaders, Canterbury
Cameron ChristieLockBlues, North Harbour
Cooper Grant1st Five-eighthCrusaders, Tasman
Dylan PledgerHalf-backHighlanders, Otago
Frank VaenukuWingChiefs, Bay of Plenty
Giancarlo TuivailalaCentreChiefs, Waikato
Isaac HutchinsonFullbackCrusaders, Canterbury
Jeremiah Avei-CollinsHurricanes, Wellington
Jonathan LeeFlankerCrusaders, Canterbury
Josh WhaangaCentreHighlanders, Otago
Joshua SmithPropHurricanes, Hawke’s Bay
King MaxwellWingBlues, Auckland
Konradd NewlandPropHurricanes, Hawke’s Bay
Kurene LuamanuvaeBlues, Auckland
Liam JackLockCrusaders, Canterbury
Malachi Wrampling-AlecNo 8Chiefs, Waikato
Manumaua LetiuCrusaders, Canterbury
Matt LoweFlankerCrusaders, Tasman
Mosese BasonHurricanes, Manawatū
Rico Simpson1st Five-eighthBlues, Auckland
Sam ColesFullbackHurricanes, Manawatū
Sika PoleBlues, Auckland
Stanley SolomonWingHurricanes, Wellington
Toby BellCrusaders, Canterbury
Tofuka Paongo2nd five-eighthHurricanes, Wellington
Tom AllenLockHurricanes, Hawke’s Bay
Tristyn CookBlues, North Harbour
Vernon BasonHookerHurricanes, Manawatū
William MartinPropChiefs, Waikato
Xavi Taele2nd five-eighth/centreBlues, Auckland

Non-travelling reserves named were:

  • Logan Wallace (Hurricanes, Manawatū)
  • Nathaniel Pole (Blues, Auckland)
  • Riley Williams (Blues, Auckland)
  • Tai Cribb (Chiefs, Waikato)
  • Tofuka Paongo was initially named as a non-travelling reserve but was subsequently selected to play in the match against Argentina U20.[3]

2023

On 14 April 2023, a squad was announced for a two-match series against Australia on 29 May and 3 June 2023 in Wellington.[4] From that wider squad, the following group was selected for the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:[5]

Player Position Province
Vernon Bason Hooker Manawatu
Jack Taylor Hooker Southland
Raymond Tuputupu Hooker Manawatu
Ben Ake Prop Auckland
Malakai Hala-Ngatai 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

Award winners

The following New Zealand U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008:[6]

World Rugby Junior Player of the Year
Year Nominees Winners
2008 Luke Braid Luke Braid
Chris Smith
2009 Aaron Cruden Aaron Cruden
Winston Stanley
2010 Tyler Bleyendaal Julian Savea
Julian Savea
2011 Sam Cane —
Luke Whitelock
2013 Ardie Savea
2014 Tevita Li
2015 Akira Ioane
Tevita Li (2)
2016 Shaun Stevenson
2017 Tiaan Falcon
Will Jordan

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. As of 2024, the current Head Coach is Jono Gibbes.

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%
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 2024– 3 2 1 0 67%

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. "Rising stars named in New Zealand Under 20 Rugby Championship squad". allblacks.com. April 10, 2024.
  3. "Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz.
  4. "New Zealand Under 20 wider squad announced". allblacks.com (Press release). 14 April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. "New Zealand Under 20 squad named for the World Rugby U20 Championship". allblacks.com (Press release). 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  6. "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
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