Holy Moly
@Steven-Harris said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
Is this a warm up,game ?
Yes. The tournament starts on Sat. NZ play Japan at 11:30 pm NZT.
@Crazy-Horse Yep. Looks like they were playing footy too.
This is a shame for NZ rugby. I couldn't believe what I was watching. NZ can't seem to produce quality players anymore. Something fundamentally must be changed, and I don't see anyone in NZ media talking openly about that. The last time NZ won the Junior Rugby World Cup was in 2017—what happened after that? Does anyone even ask this question?
@Crazy-Horse even for a warmup game that's appalling. Our scrum got demolished too.
@antipodean said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
Our scrum got demolished too.
Nothing changes here. The scrum and defending the maul. Tocker showed his speed for his try. Lasaqa with a shocking fumble with the tryline in sight.
@zedsdeadbaby said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
It’s been talked about a lot in media.
The NRL is having rugby’s pathways for breakfast and the bigger frames are also gravitating towards basketball plus other sports.
I've heard a couple players in the current squad have NRL offers tabled to them. So potentially more to leave.
NRL sides have always nabbed kids from 1st 15s but I think they are getting some of the higher profile ones more often than they used to, the money on offer, the recentish rise of the warriors and the mixed bag for the ABs all being factors
@taniwharugby sounds like some of the U21 kids like Harry Inch are getting contracts paying similar to what fulltime Super squadies are getting.
The average NRL salary is about 400k. You'd need to be an AB to clear that much.
@zedsdeadbaby said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
Big time - and go through the 1st XVs around the country, heaps are signed to NRL (including from what I am hearing heaps in Christchurch)
You got a list of these players? There was that list of Warriors Jersey Flegg or Harold Mathews players going around last year and the "media" were making out it was rugby players going to league, yet a little bit of research showed the majority were league players anyway but by the nature of NZ they were at rugby schools.
Like @taniwharugby says the NRL has always nabbed young players, it was especially apparent during the paid U20s heyday (I did research for TPK on it) and there was likely more going across then than now.
@SouthernMann said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
sounds like some of the U21 kids like Harry Inch are getting contracts paying similar to what fulltime Super squadies are getting.
Inch would have to be on a contract other than a Jersey Flegg one to be getting that kind of money. Surely the Warriors wouldn't be able to carry U21 players on that sort of money and not have salary cap issues?
@Nepia said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
@zedsdeadbaby said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
Big time - and go through the 1st XVs around the country, heaps are signed to NRL (including from what I am hearing heaps in Christchurch)
You got a list of these players? There was that list of Warriors Jersey Flegg or Harold Mathews players going around last year and the "media" were making out it was rugby players going to league, yet a little bit of research showed the majority were league players anyway but by the nature of NZ they were at rugby schools.
Like @taniwharugby says the NRL has always nabbed young players, it was especially apparent during the paid U20s heyday (I did research for TPK on it) and there was likely more going across then than now.
Only whispers and things - and you may be right that they are leaguies playing Union because it’s there.
@Mamuka said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
NZ can't seem to produce quality players anymore.
I’d strongly disagree with this take. New Zealand still has one of the best production rates, in my view, of great rugby athletes with quality skillsets. The current list of players leaving SR (Flanders, Sotutu, ENS, Papali’i, Fineanganofo, Lam, to name just a few) provides more than ample evidence of the quality of player produced and only Papali’i ever won any silverware at U20 level.
The current biggest hurdle for NZ U20 success, I’d argue, isn’t rugby league scouting or a lack of quality cattle but the shape of the development curve within the NZ rugby pyramid. Taking the players above as an example, most Kiwi rugby players only tend to establish themselves as starters at the highest professional level between the ages of 22 and 24, with some even pushing 26 to truly settle into a position.
SR starts for some of the current leavers: slow and steady does not win the U20 race
Papali’i (’97) only became an established starter for the Blues at 7 in 2021, Sotutu (’98) was the first-choice No. 8 from 2020 onwards, Lam (’98) jumped from an average of 5 starts across his first 3 seasons to 13 starts in 2024, Nanai-Seturo (’99) became a critical part of the Chiefs’ back 3 during the 2023 and ’24 seasons, Flanders (’99) had his most starts in a single jersey ever at age 26 this year, while Fineanganofo (’02) went from 7 starts last season to 14 this year.
Meanwhile, the trend in professional rugby is to enter players into the highest levels at a younger and younger age. Taking the French U20 wider training group as an example, 17 of the 26 forwards have already played minutes for their senior Top 14 of Pro D2 club. Of the NZ U20s, just two have sniffed the NPC: Johnny Falloon (Wellington, 91 min) and Caleb Woodley (Auckland, 8 min). Just yesterday, Rassie picked two U20 players (Riley Norton and Vusi Moyo) in his Springbok squad. It’s hard to imagine a player of the NZ U20s cracking the ABs.
Again, this is not an indictment on NZR player development. I think players are coming through in New Zealand Rugby. But their development is coming along too slowly in order for the NZ U20s to be consistently competitive at international U20 level. Their opponents are simply more advanced in their development curve, having more senior playing minutes under their belt.
As far as I see it, NZ Rugby really has two options, if it wants to win this tournament again: (1) speed up player development by giving U20 players minutes at the highest level, or (2) maximize the efforts at centralizing player development. Australia is currently moving along the second pathway, having players play together from U16 level onwards. There really is no reason NZ Rugby can’t do something similar, having a core group of around 50-75 players and giving them competitive match opportunities as they advance through the grades. It would at least give them the advantage of cohesion.
It is simply a matter of investment.
Having a full U20 SR competition would also help. This year's new development model meant that the players only played twice in Taupō, compared to three times with the old SR U20 tournament. Most of the NDC players were involved with their Dev teams but that's only a small group amongst the wider pool of players.
@Mauss said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
@Mamuka said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
NZ can't seem to produce quality players anymore.
As far as I see it, NZ Rugby really has two options, if it wants to win this tournament again: (1) speed up player development by giving U20 players minutes at the highest level, or (2) maximize the efforts at centralizing player development. Australia is currently moving along the second pathway, having players play together from U16 level onwards. There really is no reason NZ Rugby can’t do something similar, having a core group of around 50-75 players and giving them competitive match opportunities as they advance through the grades. It would at least give them the advantage of cohesion.
It is simply a matter of investment.
Out of interest, would you be in favour of those ideas mate?
I always have a bit of a worry that centralising and 'youthanising' the development pathways means you are excluding guys who might turn out better, and they might be lost to the game.
@reprobate said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
I always have a bit of a worry that centralising and 'youthanising' the development pathways means you are excluding guys who might turn out better, and they might be lost to the game.
I'll answer this part first: I don't think creating a national rep group means dismantling the entire development pathway. There would still be provincial academies, First XV rugby, SR development camps. If anything, I think a national U16 group would be a good tool for convincing some players that they are in the frame, especially those who might opt for league.
Would a late bloomer like Callum Harkin disappear with a centralized development pathway? I highly doubt it. As far as I can tell, he never made a single national age grade rep team and he's still stuck around. That said, talent identification can still be a whole lot better, but that's a different discussion.
Out of interest, would you be in favour of those ideas mate?
Well, that largely depends on the perspective. From an institutional perspective, professional sports is a performance machine where the wheels only spin faster and faster as time goes on. The idea of choice is largely illusory here: either you get on board or you get left behind. And I would find it strange if NZR is fine with not winning the tournament anymore, so I'd hope they, at least, take some kind of action.
Still, the two options above are largely a false dilemma, as I don't think NZR has the finances nor the desire for the first option. Because that would require either more SR teams or more SR games, and neither look particularly likely.
The second would be pretty achievable, though. And it would help with the kind of attacking rugby NZ Rugby wants to achieve, as that requires connection and understanding between the players. And there seems to be very little of that with the current crop.
Not considered due to injury: Patrick Mauga (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay)
Rambo to lead Bokkies
Saturday’s match will kick off at 6:30pm (SA time).
JUNIOR SPRINGBOKS – 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, 13 Markus Muller, 12 Ethan Adams, 11 Jordan Steenkamp, 10 Alzeadon Felix, 9 Hendré Schoeman, 8 Vuyo Gwiji, 7 Gert Kemp, 6 Risima Khosa, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Jaythen Orange, 3 Luan van der Berg, 2 Liam van Wyk, 1 Rambo Kubheka (c).
Bench: 16 Siphosetho Mnebelele, 17 Jordan Jooste, 18 Danie Kruger, 19 Thomas Beling, 20 Wasi Vyambwera, 21 Jayden Brits, 22 Akahluwa Boqwana, 23 Cheswill Jooste.
Ahmed will only played from the 3rd match. He has been awesome this season. Unlucky to get red against the Zimbos This season CC should set him up for URC with the Stormers.
@antipodean said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
NZ v Japan 21 - 7 in the 30h minute. Game being played in the rain.
I turned it on after seeing your post only to see a Japanese infant score a try.
I switched channels at one stage to see the score and the broadcast was interrupted. I will watch the 1st half replay, but what did Muliaina do to get his YC?
@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
I switched channels at one stage to see the score and the broadcast was interrupted. I will watch the 1st half replay, but what did Muliaina do to get his YC?
Accumulation of team warnings, was off side.
This might be the dumbest NZ 20s side ive ever seen
Just moronic decision after moronic decision
@KiwiMurph bi product of the NZ pathway system?
@Steven-Harris said in WR U20 Championship 2026:
@KiwiMurph bi product of the NZ pathway system?
Was interesting to hear a comment recently that the 20s program will be changing now that Don Tricker is back