Scotland U18 Boys Programme Returns

11 Mar 2022

After a two-year hiatus, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Scotland U18 boys programme will resume this weekend with their first training camp.

Scotland U18 Head Coach Ross Miller has invited a squad of 39 players (22 forwards and 17 backs) to the Oriam for first of three camps prior to the Under-18s Six Nations in Marcoussis, France from Saturday 9 April to Sunday 17 April.

Following club and school fixtures, which have played an important part in the return to rugby activity from the pandemic and continued their development, players have been selected to the national U18 programme after a series of identification events one of which was with the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Regional Championship series last month.

From the regional fixtures players were then selected to represent either Edinburgh Rugby or Glasgow Warriors in a U18 Junior 1872 Cup fixture with players from Edinburgh and the Borders and East Lothian academies representing the victorious capital side and players from Caledonia and Glasgow and the West academies selected to represent Glasgow Warriors.

Following that fixture those players travelled down to Wales last weekend to create two teams who faced the Welsh Celts and Druids sides in training fixtures as a final selection event for the Scotland U18 programme.

Supporting Ross Miller as Assistant Coaches for Scotland U18 will be Gary Strain and FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy Skills Coach Chris Laidlaw.

Scotland U18 Head Coach Ross Miller said: “I’m delighted that the Scotland U18 programme is able to resume after such a long break, which was enforced upon us by the pandemic.

“The FOSROC Scottish Rugby Regional Championship and the pro-alignment fixture was a fantastic foundation to lead into the national programme. These events meant we were able to select from over 100 home-based players, as well as bring in players from the Scottish Qualified (SQ) programme for those who live out with our country.”

Scotland U18 Boys Extended Six Nations Squad

Forwards
Jerry Blyth-Lafferty* (Boroughmuir High School/RFC)
Marcus Brogan* (Hawick RFC)
Tom Currie* (Merchiston Castle School)
Eben Cairns (Ardrossan Academicals)
Robbie Deans* (Merchiston Castle School)
Monroe Job (Selkirk High School/ Selkirk Rugby Club)
Alfie Maitland* (Stewarts Melville College)
Liam McConnell* (Boroughmuir High School/RFC)
Elliot Young* (Stewarts Melville College)
Lochie Milne* (Gala Rugby)
Ruaraidh Hart (Glasgow Academy)
Ben Weir* (Melrose Rugby)
Bartlomiej Brylak (St Leonards Madras)
Callum Smyth (Bedford School/Northampton Saints)
Ewan Venerus (Royal Grammar School/Newcastle Falcons)
Reuben Logan (Bedhamsted School/Wasps)
Archie Callaghan (Llandovery College
Seth Findlay (Exeter Chiefs)
Oliver Stirling (Harrow School/London Irish)
Gregor Thomson (Stewarts Melville College)
Struan Reekie (Strathallan)
Ben Nehring (Mackie RFC)

Backs
Nick Adler (Boroughmuir RFC)
Fergus Watson (Biggar RFC)
Kerr Johnston* (Gala Rugby)
Jamie Littlefield* (George Watsons College)
Connor McAlpine* (George Watsons College)
Hector Patterson* (Jed-Thistle)
Luke Townsend* (Earlston High School/Melrose Rugby)
Finlay Wheelans (Selkirk RFC)
Aminio Bogidrau (Queen Victoria School)
Amena Caqusau (Queen Victoria School)
Andrew McLean* (Robert Gordons College)
Alexander Thom (Strathallan)
John Ventisei (St Aloysius College)
Kerr Yule (West of Scotland)
Harrison Lang (Biggar RFC)
Euan Muirhead * (West College)
Logan Jarvie (Stirling County)