Union | New Zealand Rugby | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Baby Blacks | |
Coach(es) | Jono Gibbes | |
Top scorer | Trent Renata (59) | |
Most tries | Zac Guildford and Tevita Li (8) | |
| ||
First international | ||
New Zealand 48–9 Tonga (6 June 2008; Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff) | ||
Largest win | ||
New Zealand 92–0 Wales (14 June 2011; Rugby Rovigo Delta, Rovigo) | ||
Largest defeat | ||
Australia 24–0 New Zealand (5 May 2019; Bond Sports Park, Gold Coast) | ||
World Cup | ||
Appearances | 12 (First in 2008) | |
Best result | Champions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) |
The New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team, nicknamed the Baby Blacks, is the representative rugby union team from New Zealand. It replaced the two former age grade teams: the under-19s and the under-21s. Their first tournament was the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship, which they won after defeating England 38–3 in the final. [1] They have gone on to also win the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2017. The team also competes in the Oceania U20 Championship as of 2015. The New Zealand under-20s have been nicknamed the "Baby Blacks" after the youthful All Blacks side which played in 1986.
Summary of all matches played by the New Zealand Under-20s as of 12 May 2024
Opposition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Australia | 17 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 76% |
England | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83% |
Fiji | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
France | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% |
Georgia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Ireland | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 88% |
Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Japan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Samoa | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Scotland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
South Africa | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13% |
Tonga | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Uruguay | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Wales | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 80% |
Total | 87 | 70 | 1 | 16 | 80% |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 242 | 28 |
2009 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 54 |
2010 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 262 | 52 |
2011 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 274 | 51 |
2012 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 148 | 49 |
2013 | Semi-finals | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 159 | 116 |
2014 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 196 | 107 |
2015 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 191 | 63 |
2016 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 223 | 86 |
2017 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 282 | 92 |
2018 | Semi-finals | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 173 | 84 |
2019 | 7th place | 7th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 161 | 96 |
2023 | 7th place | 7th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 188 | 150 |
Total | 13/13 | 6 titles | 65 | 52 | 0 | 13 | 2,714 | 1,028 |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 43 |
2016 | Champions | 1st | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 35 |
2017 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 32 |
2018 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 195 | 43 |
2019 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 140 | 43 |
2022 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 26 |
Total | 6/6 | 5 titles | 17 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 907 | 222 |
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 58 |
Total | 1/1 | 1 titles | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 58 |
On 10 April 2024 a squad was announced for the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship in Australia. [2]
Player | Position | Region/Province |
---|---|---|
A-One Lolofie | Highlanders, Otago | |
Andrew Smith | Flanker | Chiefs, Waikato |
Ben O’Donovan | Half-back | Crusaders, Canterbury |
Cameron Christie | Lock | Blues, North Harbour |
Cooper Grant | 1st Five-eighth | Crusaders, Tasman |
Dylan Pledger | Half-back | Highlanders, Otago |
Frank Vaenuku | Wing | Chiefs, Bay of Plenty |
Giancarlo Tuivailala | Centre | Chiefs, Waikato |
Isaac Hutchinson | Fullback | Crusaders, Canterbury |
Jeremiah Avei-Collins | Hurricanes, Wellington | |
Jonathan Lee | Flanker | Crusaders, Canterbury |
Josh Whaanga | Centre | Highlanders, Otago |
Joshua Smith | Prop | Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay |
King Maxwell | Wing | Blues, Auckland |
Konradd Newland | Prop | Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay |
Kurene Luamanuvae | Blues, Auckland | |
Liam Jack | Lock | Crusaders, Canterbury |
Malachi Wrampling-Alec | No 8 | Chiefs, Waikato |
Manumaua Letiu | Crusaders, Canterbury | |
Matt Lowe | Flanker | Crusaders, Tasman |
Mosese Bason | Hurricanes, Manawatū | |
Rico Simpson | 1st Five-eighth | Blues, Auckland |
Sam Coles | Fullback | Hurricanes, Manawatū |
Sika Pole | Blues, Auckland | |
Stanley Solomon | Wing | Hurricanes, Wellington |
Toby Bell | Crusaders, Canterbury | |
Tofuka Paongo | 2nd five-eighth | Hurricanes, Wellington |
Tom Allen | Lock | Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay |
Tristyn Cook | Blues, North Harbour | |
Vernon Bason | Hooker | Hurricanes, Manawatū |
William Martin | Prop | Chiefs, Waikato |
Xavi Taele | 2nd five-eighth/centre | Blues, Auckland |
Non-travelling reserves named were:
On 14 April 2023, a squad was announced for a two-match series against Australia on 29 May and 3 June 2023 in Wellington. [4] From that wider squad, the following group was selected for the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship: [5]
The following New Zealand U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008: [6]
Year | Nominees | Winners |
---|---|---|
2008 | Luke Braid | Luke Braid |
Chris Smith | ||
2009 | Aaron Cruden | Aaron Cruden |
Winston Stanley | ||
2010 | Tyler Bleyendaal | Julian Savea |
Julian Savea | ||
2011 | Sam Cane | — |
Luke Whitelock | ||
2013 | Ardie Savea | |
2014 | Tevita Li | |
2015 | Akira Ioane | |
Tevita Li (2) | ||
2016 | Shaun Stevenson | |
2017 | Tiaan Falcon | |
Will Jordan | ||
Due to the U20 category only existing since the combining of the U19 and U21 age groups in 2007, the following table only includes coaches appointed since. In the inaugural tournament in 2008, Dave Rennie and Russell Hilton-Jones served as co-coaches in charge of the team. Craig Philpott is the longest serving coach. As of 2024, the current Head Coach is Jono Gibbes.
Coach | Tenure | P | W | D | L | W% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dave Rennie | 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Russell Hilton-Jones | 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Dave Rennie | 2009–2010 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Mark Anscombe | 2011 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Rob Penney | 2012 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% |
Chris Boyd | 2013–2014 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 60% |
Scott Robertson | 2015–2016 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 93% |
Craig Philpott | 2017–2019 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 5 | 79% |
Tom Donnelly | 2022 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Clark Laidlaw | 2023 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 57% |
Jono Gibbes | 2024– | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 67% |
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