SVNS Series star included in Australia U20 squad for Rugby Championship

HSBC SVNS Series star Sid Harvey headlines a talented Australia U20 squad for The Rugby Championship U20 in South Africa from May 1 to 11. Coach Chris Whitaker has named a talented 31-man group for the competition at Gqeberha’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Harvey has been impressive on the international sevens circuit, having debuted at the season-opening event in Dubai last December. The 19-year-old has since been selected to play at the other five round-robin stops, including the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens.

In a dramatic third-place playoff against fan favourites Fiji at the all-new Kai Tak Stadium, Harvey scored a last-gasp winner in front of a packed house at the venue. Harvey would later tell RugbyPass “it means a little bit more” having scored against an always-popular Fiji side.

But with coach Whitaker naming Harvey in the Australia U20 squad, the teenager’s first season on the SVNS Series is over. Harvey won’t take part in the upcoming SVNS Series World Championship in Los Angeles from May 3 to 4.

The second-ever Rugby Championship U20 will take place during that period, with Gqeberha’s (formerly Port Elizabeth) hosting all the matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Australia will take on their U20 counterparts from New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.

This is the final competitive hit-out for these teams ahead of the rapidly-approaching World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy, which will be held in June and July.

“We have a talented group of players who are eager to learn and excited by the opportunity to represent Australia on the international stake,” Whitaker said in a statement.

“For many of them this will be the first time managing the challenge of international level and five-day turnarounds, combined with three tough, physical games.

“TRC U20 is about consolidating and adding layers to what we started together in Coffs Harbour last week, as we continue to build up to the World Rugby U20 Championship.”

From the 31-man list, the Waratahs are represented the most with 13 players from New South Wales selected in the national U20 squad. The ACT Brumbies have the second-most with eight, followed by the Reds with six, and then finally the Force with three.

Fullback Shane Wilcox is another notable inclusion in this squad, as is Queensland’s Trevor King who is back for a third campaign with the team. Ollie Barrett, Boston Fakafanua and Finn Prass are the three representatives out of Western Australia.

Australia U20 squad

Finn Baxter (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
Nick Hill (NSW Waratahs, Warringah)
Trevor King (Queensland Reds, Souths)
Kaleb Ah-Colt (NSW Waratahs, Randwick)
Edwin Langi (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Lipina Ata (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
Ollie Barrett (Western Force, Associates RUFC)
Charlie O’Kane (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Ollie Aylmer (ACT Brumbies, Gordon)
Charlie Brosnan (Queensland Reds, Brothers)
Eamon Doyle (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Joe Mangelsdorf (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Eli Langi (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Jacob Veiru (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Beau Morrison (ACT Brumbies, Sydney University)
Tom Robinson (Queensland Reds, University of Queensland)
Luca Cleverley (NSW Waratahs, Randwick)
Toby Brial (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
James Martens (Queensland Reds, GPS Rugby Club)
Hwi Sharples (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Joe Dillon (ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals)
Joey Fowler (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Boston Fakafanua (Western Force, Wests Scarborough)
Malakye Enasio (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
Liam Grover (NSW Waratahs, Sydney University)
Cooper Watters (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
Xavier Rubens (Queensland Reds, Souths)
Nick Conway (Queensland Reds, Wests Bulldogs)
Shane Wilcox (ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings)
Finn Prass (Western Force, Wests Scarborough)
Sid Harvey (Australia Sevens)

Match schedule

Australia U20 v New Zealand U20
10pm AEST Thursday 1 May
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha

Australia U20 v South Africa U20
12.10am AEST Wednesday 7 May
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha

Australia U20 v Argentina U20
10pm AEST Sunday 11 May
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha