NZ Under 20 team named to play Italy

New Zealand U20

3 hours ago

New Zealand Under 20s Head Coach Kane Jury has named his team to play Italy in the second round of the 2026 Under 20 Junior World Championship.

Seven changes to NZ Under 20 team following win against Scotland

There are seven changes to the side that defeated Scotland 36-26 in round two.

The starting forward pack remains unchanged after an impressive performance against Scotland, where New Zealand scored five tries to secure a bonus-point victory.

Oliver Guerin will make his first start of the tournament on the right wing, while Logan Williams moves into the starting line up on the left wing. Siale Pahulu and David Lewai combine in the midfield.

Five new players come onto the bench, with Xavier Leota, James Moore, Finn McLeod, Boston Krone and Lautasi Etuale rounding out the matchday 23.

Where to watch

New Zealand face another short turnaround, with the final pool match kicking off at 9.00pm NZT on Tuesday 7 July. The match will be broadcast live and exclusive on Sky.

Scotland

challenged

us

physically

and

highlighted

areas

we

need

to

keep

improving

as

the

tournament

progresses.

We've

made

a

few

changes

to

the

side

to

give

players

valuable

game

time

while

maintaining

continuity

in

key

areas.

We've

got

confidence

in

the

depth

of

this

squad,

and

everyone

has

an

important

role

to

play.

Italy

will

present

a

different

challenge.

We'll

need

to

be

accurate,

disciplined

and

deliver

another

consistent

performance.
Kane Jury, NZ U20s Head Coach

The New Zealand Under 20s team to play Italy is:

Henry Stuart (Highlanders/Otago)
Josh Findlay (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Ethan Webber (Highlanders/Otago)
Max Fale (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Jake Frost (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Bradley Tocker (Chiefs/Taranaki)
Caleb Woodley (vc) (Blues/Auckland)
Patrick Mauga (Hurricanes/Hawke's Bay)
Charlie Sinton (c) (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Mika Muliaina (Highlanders/Southland)
Logan Williams (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Siale Pahulu (Blues/Auckland)
David Lewai (Chiefs/Waikato)
Oliver Guerin (Chiefs/Waikato)
Cohen Norrie (Blues/Auckland)

Reserves

Xavier Leota (Blues/Auckland)
James Moore (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Dane Johnston (Chiefs/Taranaki)
Finn McLeod (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Micah Fale (Chiefs/Waikato)
Boston Krone (Blues/Auckland)
Lautasi Etuale (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Kobe Brownlee (Crusaders/Tasman)

Match Highlights: NZ Under 20 v Scotland Under 20

The New Zealand Under 20 JWC 2026 pool match schedule:

Saturday, 27 June: New Zealand v Japan, AIA Arena, Kutaisi, Won 38-21
Friday, 3 July: New Zealand v Scotland, AIA Arena, Kutaisi, Won 36-26
Tuesday, 7 July: New Zealand v Italy, AIA Arena, Kutaisi, Kick-off 9.00pm NZT

Unavailable for selection: Haki Wiseman (concussion). Johnny Falloon and Kele Lasaqa have returned to New Zealand due to injury. Now available for selection, Finn McLeod (Crusaders / Canterbury) has joined the squad alongside Jimmy Taylor (Highlanders / Southland) as injury cover.

New Zealand U20