Scotland U20 squad named for New Zealand clash at 2026 World Rugby Junior Championship

Loosehead prop Ollie McKenna comes into the starting XV for his first appearance of the tournament for the first time since playing Ireland during the Six Nations tournament, joining hooker Roberts and tighthead Ollie Blyth-Lafferty in the front row.

Alfie Blackett and Dan Halkon are retained in the second row after starting against Italy, while Christian Lindsay and Jack Utterson continue in the back row at blindside and openside respectively. Harvey Preston is promoted from the replacements bench to start at No 8.

There is one change at half-back, with Asa Stewart-Harris making his first start of the championship at scrum-half alongside stand-off Jake Dalziel, who retains the number 10 jersey.

In the backs, Alex Bryden moves from the replacements bench into the starting line-up at inside centre, partnering Henry Kesterton in midfield. Co-captain Ross Wolfenden is named among the replacements after co-captaining the side from the start against Italy.

The back three remains unchanged, with Nairn Moncrieff on the left wing, Daniel Kelly on the right and Rory McHaffie continuing at full-back.

The replacements include front-row cover from Jamie McAughtrie and Will Pearce, who comes onto the bench after Jamie Stewart is ruled out through illness. Jackson Rennie, Sam Byrd and Oliver Finlayson-Russell provide the remaining forward options, while Matthew Fick, Wolfenden and Campbell Waugh complete the matchday 23.

Head coach Fergus Pringle said: “The players put in strong performance against Italy to start the championship. The most pleasing aspect was how we responded to some big momentum swings in the game, finding a way to get back into the game after some costly errors.

“Looking ahead to New Zealand, we want to build on our Italy performance and show consistency in key areas of our game. We’re aware that New Zealand will pose a different challenge to Italy, and it’s a great opportunity to test ourselves against a quality team. The players are really excited by the challenge ahead.”

Scotland U20 team to play New Zealand in the 2026 World Rugby Junior Championship on Thursday 3 July at the AIA Arena, Kutaisi, Georgia (kick-off 6pm local time, 3pm BST): Live on Premier Sports and Rugby Pass TV.

15. Rory McHaffie (Edinburgh Rugby)
14. Dan Kelly (Edinburgh Rugby)
13. Henry Kesterton (Edinburgh Rugby)
12. Alex Bryden (Glasgow Warriors)
11. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh Rugby)
10. Jake Dalziel (Merchiston Castle/Newcastle Red Bulls
9. Asa Stewart Harris (Saracens)

1. Ollie McKenna (Glasgow Warriors)
2. Joe Roberts Co-Captain (Glasgow Warriors)
3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh Rugby)
4. Alfie Blackett (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
5. Dan Halkon (Glasgow Warriors)
6. Christian Lindsay (Edinburgh Rugby)
7. Jack Utterson (Edinburgh Rugby)
8. Harvey Preston (Glasgow Hawks)

Replacements

16. Jamie McAughtrie (Ayr RFC)
17. Will Pearce (Cardiff Metropolitan University/Bristol Bears)
18. Jackson Rennie (Glasgow Warriors)
19. Sam Byrd (Edinburgh Rugby)
20. Oliver Finlayson-Russell (University of St Andrews)
21. Matthew Fick (Edinburgh Rugby)
22. Ross Wolfenden (Edinburgh Rugby) Co-Captain
23. Campbell Waugh (Glasgow Hawks)