Ireland U20s Team To Face South Africa In Cork

The Ireland Men’s U20s Match Day Squad, sponsored for PwC, has been named for Friday’s challenge match against South Africa U20s at Virgin Media Park (Kick-off 7.30pm).

Match tickets are available here.

Head Coach Andrew Browne assembled an extended squad of players for a training camp in Cork this week and has selected a strong Match Day Squad to take on South Africa in the opening match of the 2025/26 season.

Munster’s James O’Leary, Tom Wood, Christopher Barrett, Joe Finn, Christian Foley and Michael O’Sullivan are all included.

UCC centre O’Leary is a former PBC student who has started the last three Pinergy Munster Schools Senior Cup finals, earning winners’ medals in 2023 and 2024.

Garryowen out-half Wood joined the Munster Rugby Academy in the summer and lined out for the Ireland U20s last season. He plays his club rugby with Garryowen after coming up through the ranks at Ballina-Killaloe RFC and St Munchin’s College.

UCC scrum-half Barrett is a former CBC student nd helped the school to the Senior Cup last season having also reached the final of the competition in 2023 and 2024.

Garryowen flanker Joe Finn is a former Cistercian College Roscrea student and, along with Tom Wood, also started out at Ballina-Killaloe RFC.

Young Munster prop Christian Foley is from Abbeyfeale RFC and has been playing in Division 1A of the Energia AIL over recent seasons. He was also involved with the Ireland U20s last year.

UCC back-row forward Michael O’Sullivan is from Iveragh Eagles in Kerry and won a Leinster Schools Senior Cup with Blackrock College last season.

Leinster prop Sami Bishti will captain the side on Friday night with a number of players – including Charlie Molony, Tom Wood and Donnacha McGuire – returning for Ireland this season having been capped at U20s level last campaign.

Friday’s match will provide Browne and his Coaching Team with a valuable opportunity to test squad depth and build momentum and cohesion ahead of the 2026 Men’s U20s Six Nations, which gets underway in February.

Tickets are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.ie and the game will be streamed live on IrishRugby+ thanks to PwC, the official sponsor of the Ireland U20s.

Ireland Men’s U20s

15. Noah Byrne (DUFC/Leinster)
14. Charlie Molony (UCD/Leinster)
13. Sean Walsh (Corinthians/Connacht)
12. James O’Leary (UCC/Munster)
11. Daniel Ryan (Corinthians/Connacht)
10. Tom Wood (Garryowen/Munster)
9. Christopher Barrett (UCC/Munster)

1. Max Doyle (UCD/Leinster)
2. Lee Fitzpatrick (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster)
3. Sami Bishti (UCD/Leinster)(captain)
4. Donnacha McGuire (UCD/Leinster)
5. Dylan McNeice (UCD/Leinster)
6. Joe Finn (Garryowen/Munster)
7. Arthur Ashmore (Terenure College RFC/Leinster)
8. Diarmaid O’Connell (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)

Replacements:

16. Rian Handley (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
17. Christian Foley (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
18. Blake McClean (Instonians RFC/Ulster)
19. Sean Walsh (MU Barnhall RFC/Leinster)
20. Michael O’Sullivan (UCC/Munster)
21. Fergus Callington (Durham University/IQ Rugby)
22. Conor O’Shaughnessy (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
23. Johnny O’Sullivan (DUFC/Leinster).

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