Eleven members of the Scarlets title-winning U18s have been named in an extended Wales training squad ahead of the forthcoming Six Nations festivals.
Six of our women’s U18s group, who have just completed their regional campaign, have also been rewarded with a national call-up
Forwards Jac Pritchard, Nathan Davies, Will Evans, Sam Williams, Osian Williams, Deian Gwynne, Keanu Evans, Dom Kossuth and Alex Ridgway are joined by 16-year-old fly-half Carwyn Jones (pictured) and fellow pivot Steff Jac Jones in Richie Pugh’s 48-strong squad for a three-day camp at Christ College in Brecon next week.
Stella Orrin, Milly Geering, Lois Jones, Lona Harding-Jones, Ffion Davies and Scarlets skipper Rhiannon Griffin have been named in an extended women’s training squad.
The men’s camp, which begins on Monday, is the next step towards Pugh selecting a 27-man squad for the U18 Six Nations Festival being staged in Parma, Italy between March 27 and April 7 where Wales will face England, Portugal and France.
Before that tournament, there will be plenty of opportunities for players to stake a claim as Wales U18 host Scotland at Ystrad Mynach on March 3 while a Wales Development side will also face a Scottish Development squad in a curtain-raiser.
Wales U18 then play Ireland on March 10 for the players to have one final chance to impress Pugh as he trims the squad for Italy.
Siwan Lillicrap, the former Wales captain and head coach of Wales U18s, has named an exciting squad of the best young talent in the country based on performances for clubs, regions and colleges so far this season.
The squad will meet up at the Welsh Rugby Union’s National Centre of Excellence on February 11 before heading for an intensive training camp at Christ College, Brecon. The squad will then be cut down to the 28 best players for the Six Nations festival.