2025 New Zealand Under 20 squad and coaching group announced

New Head Coach Milton Haig has announced a talented 31-man 2025 New Zealand Under 20s squad for The Rugby Championship (TRC) Under 20 tournament in South Africa in May.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced Haig will lead the Under 20 coaching group alongside returning assistant coaches Jarrad Hoeata and Craig Dunlea with the addition of Alex Robertson.

The group have selected a 2025 squad featuring six returning players from the squad that won the inaugural TRC Under 20 tournament in Australia last year including halves Dylan Pledger and Rico Simpson, front rowers Manumaua Letiu and Sika Pole, loose forward Mosese Bason, and outside back Stanley Solomon.

The squad has a broad regional make up with players spread across New Zealand’s five Super Rugby clubs with the Blues (9), Crusaders (7), Chiefs (6), Hurricanes (5) and Highlanders (4).

Haig replaces Jono Gibbes, who led the team in 2023 and 2024 but is now focusing on his coaching role with the Chiefs in DHL Super Rugby Pacific. Current Canterbury Bunnings NPC Assistant Coach Robertson will take over the attack coach duties after four years with the Crusaders Under 20s.

Haig is a vastly experienced coach who started as a club rugby coach in Tauranga in 1991and most recently with Suntory in Japan since 2020 as well as a high-performance consultancy role with World Rugby since 2023.

He was the Counties-Manukau’s Head Coach in the NPC from 2008 to 2011 before spending eight years leading Georgia’s national team, taking the side to two Rugby World Cups. He has also held assistant coaching roles with the Chiefs and Māori All Blacks and was last involved in NZR’s age-grade system as an assistant coach with the then New Zealand U21 team in 2006-07.

“I’m thrilled to be back in New Zealand and coaching the under 20s. A lot has changed since I was last coaching at home, but the immense amount of talent and potential of our young players remains the same.

“We’ve got a highly skilled coaching group with Craig, Jarrad and Alex and we’re really happy with the squad we’ve selected. The depth of talent this year was evident at the U20 tournament in Taupo and although it was difficult team to pick, we believe we have the right group and there is some great leadership including a number of players from last year’s campaign.”

New Zealand Rugby High Performance Player Development Manager Matt Sexton said:

“It’s great to have a coach of Milton’s calibre return home to New Zealand he will bring a wealth of experience after coaching extensively around the world in different environments. It’s a well-rounded coaching group and they have selected an exciting squad to kick off a big year for this group of young men.”

The 2025 squad will assemble for the first time at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation in Sport (NZCIS) in Wellington from 18-23 April.  Selectors will review selections after the TRC campaign before announcing the New Zealand Under 20 squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy from 29 June to 19 July.

The 2025 New Zealand U20 squad is:

Hookers
Shaun Kempton, Highlanders/Southland
Manumaua Letiu, Crusaders/Canterbury
Eli Oudenryn, Crusaders/Tasman

Props
Tamiano Ahloo, Blues/Auckland
Robson Faleafa, Blues/Auckland
Dane Johnston, Chiefs/Taranaki
Riley Tofilau, Blues/North Harbour
Sika Pole, Blues/Auckland

Locks
Dylan Eti, Chiefs/Waikato
Joshua Tengblad, Highlanders/Otago
Randall Baker, Blues/Auckland

Loose Forwards
Mosese Bason, Hurricanes/Manawatū
Micah Fale, Chiefs/Waikato
Harry Irving, Hurricanes/Wellington
Aio Keith, Blues/Auckland
Xavier Treacy, Crusaders/Canterbury
Caleb Woodley, Blues/Auckland
Finn McLeod, Crusaders/Canterbury

Halfbacks
Dylan Pledger, Highlanders/Otago
Charlie Sinton, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Jai Tamati, Hurricanes/ Manawatū

First five-eighth
Will Cole, Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay
Rico Simpson, Blues/Auckland

Midfielders
James Cameron, Crusaders/Canterbury
Tayne Harvey, Highlanders/Southland
Cooper Roberts, Crusaders/Tasman
Jack Wiseman, Chiefs/Taranaki

Outside backs
Maloni Kunawave, Crusaders/Tasman
Taniela Maisiri, Chiefs/Bay of Plenty
Harlyn Saunoa, Blues/Auckland
Stanley Solomon, Hurricanes/Wellington

Unavailable due to injury
Logan Wallace, Aisake Vakasiuola, Jayden Sa.

Unavailable due to All Blacks Sevens duties
Oli Mathis, Joey Taumateine, Xavier Tito-Harris, Frank Vaenuku.