A 39-player extended squad came together for the first time in early March following club and school fixtures which identified players for the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Regional Championship series, with players from outwith Scotland identified through the Scottish Qualified (SQ) programme.

The Scotland U18 programme has involved numerous camps at Oriam, Scotland’s High Performance centre and a training fixtures away in Newcastle against combined teams from the north of England.

Scotland will open their Under-18 Six Nations Festival campaign by playing their Italian counterparts on Saturday 9 April (kick-off 11am BST), on Wednesday 13 April they will play France (kick-off 11am BST) and their final game of their festival campaign will be against England on Sunday 17 April (kick-off 12:35pm BST). All three games will be available to watch via a live stream.

Scotland U18 Head Coach Ross Miller said: “I’m delighted to be taking 26 talented rugby players to France this week for their first taste of international rugby.

“To narrow the squad down to 26 players has been tough. The 39 players who were in our extended playing group put their hands up for selection and although we couldn’t select everyone all the players have worked hard and are showing a continued appetite for self-development which is an important part of the programme.

“The standard of players we’ve been able to select from was very high. They have all come into the programme with a good all-round skill set and rugby knowledge which is testament to the development they’ve had in their club and school environments as well as the FOSROC Scottish Rugby Regional Championship series.”

Scotland Under-18 Six Nations Festival Squad

Forwards
Jerry Blyth-Lafferty* (Firhill High School/Boroughmuir Bears)
Marcus Brogan*. (Hawick RFC)
Tom Currie* (Merchiston Castle School)
Robbie Deans* (Merchiston Castle School)
Monroe Job (Selkirk High School/Selkirk Rugby Club)
Alfie Maitland* (Stewarts Melville College)
Liam McConnell (Boroughmuir High School/Boroughmuir Bears)
Elliot Young* (Stewarts Melville College)
Euan McVie (Edinburgh BATS)
Ruaraidh Hart (Glasgow Academy)
Ben Weir* (Melrose Rugby)
Bartlomiej Brylak (St Leonards Madras)
Callum Smyth (Bedford School/Northampton Saints)
Sam Wallace (Dollar Academy)

Backs
Luke Townsend* (Earlston High School/Melrose Rugby)
Amena Caqusau (Queen Victoria School)
Hector Patterson* (Jed Thistle RFC)
Andrew McLean* (Robert Gordons College)
Alexander Thom (Strathallan)
John Ventisei (St Aloysius College)
Euan Muirhead (West College / Dumfries Saints)
Kerr Johnston* (Gala RFC)
Murdock Lock (Wellington College/Harlequins)
Finlay Thomson* (Musselburgh RFC)
Jack Brown (George Watsons College)
Logan Jarvie (Stirling County)

*FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy supported player

Scotland U18 Men’s Fixtures
Saturday 9 April: Scotland U18 Men v Italy; Marcoussis, France; (kick off 11am BMT)
Wednesday 13 April: Scotland U18 Men v France; Marcoussis, France; (kick off 11am BMT)
Sunday 17 April: Scotland U18 Men v England; Marcoussis, France; (kick off 12:35pm BMT)