With the additions of Georgia and Portugal, eight teams will contest this year’s Festival, making for a bumper competition across three matchdays.
The men’s action will be staged at Parma’s Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, the first Festival to be hosted in Italy, on 30 March, 3 April and 7 April.
HOW IT WORKS
Each matchday will bring four standalone 70-minute fixtures, with every player looking to start at least one game and rolling substitutions throughout to ensure the best development opportunities across the Festival.
Matchday 1 begins with newcomers Georgia taking on Scotland, before England and Wales conclude four mouth-watering opening ties.
Wales are first up on Matchday 2 when they lock horns with Portugal before Italy do battle with Ireland.
The Azzurrini close the competition on Matchday 3 against Scotland as last year’s unbeaten France take on Wales.
THE CONTENDERS
New additions to this year’s Six Nations Under-18s Men’s Festival Georgia and Portugal are certain to push the competition to new levels.
France enter as reigning champions following an unbeaten Festival last year while England and Wales will be looking to pick up where they left off, the Class of 2023 having signed off in style with Wales’ 35-29 win against Scotland and England’s 56-14 win over Ireland.
Jonathan Pendlebury’s England side features eight uncapped players while Wales field a spread of talent from all five regional academies.
Returners Charlie Molony and Luke McLaughlin return from last year to spearhead Ireland’s 26-man squad while Joe Roberts leads Scotland.
WHERE TO WATCH
Every game will be live streamed across both Men’s and Women’s Festivals. Fans will be able to watch all the action on the Six Nations Under-20s YouTube channel.
Spectators will also be able to attend the matchdays at Parma’s Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, which will host the Six Nations Under-18’s Men’s Festival free of charge.
WHAT THEY SAID
England head coach Jonathan Pendlebury: “Our purpose is to support our players in exploring their competitive opportunities, and give them the tools to excel as England players as they have for their academies.
“We have every confidence that they will, and they are fully prepared to represent their country with pride.
"With our selection now finalised, the playing squad and staff group eagerly anticipate our trip to Parma."
Ireland national talent squad & talent ID manager Wayne Mitchell: “The Six Nations festival is a traditional part of the rugby calendar for our young players.
It offers a wonderful opportunity for them get a taste of what it is like to play at an elite level. We’re really looking forward to seeing how the squad goes.”
Scotland head coach Ross Miller: “Preparations have been going really well, and the players and staff are very much looking forward to the experience in Parma.
“The group have been excellent to work with, and we’ve seen real progress in the training and matches we’ve had so far.
“The Six Nations Festival gives the players the chance to develop and progress against international opponents, which will give the players valuable experience to support their future development.”
Wales head coach Richie Pugh: “It’s an exciting squad who have prepped well.
“We’ve had a large squad in and it has been difficult to narrow it down just to 26 players because off the back of the regional programme there is a lot of talent in the U18s group.
“This is what we want to expose the boys to. Up against some of the best teams that they can come across.”
SQUADS
ENGLAND : Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Israel Akinrowo, Olly Allport, Jonno Balding, Felix Bateman-Champain, Lucas Friday, Sam Graham, Dan Green, Patrick Hogg, Seb Kelly,George Knowles, Nick Lilley, James Linegar, Josh Mann, Jamie Miller, Finn Newton, Tyler Offiah, George Pearson, Fraser Rawlins, Solomon Shand, Jimmy Staples, Ollie Streeter, Connor Treacey (c), Jonny Weimann, Elliot Williams, Rafe Witheat
FRANCE : Dylan Cazemajou, Alessio Contigliani Maillet, Liam Couturier, Adrien Drault, Gabriel Ellisalde, Mathéo Frisach, Gabin Garault, Ellyjah Ibsaiene, Samuel Jean Chrisophe, Luka Keletaona, Gabin Kretchmann, Gabin Lacoste, Rémy Lanen, Tom Leveque, Roméo Martin Bonnard, Marceau Marzullo, Léo Michaux, Charly Mignot, Ruben-Diego Pargade, Clément Paul, Bastien Rasal, Melvyn Rates, Ethan Tia, Baptiste Tilloles, Quentin Valentino, Baptiste Veschambre
GEORGIA : Archil Nozadze, David Archvadze, Anri Shvelidze, Levani Ezieshvili, Nikoloz kumaritovi, Giorgi Turashvili, Davit Baramia, Nikolozi Chkhortolia, Tornike Toradze, Giorgi Meparishvili, Mikheili Shioshvili, Luka Saginadze, Luka Babunia, Giorgi Ardzenadze, Temuri Dzodzuashvili, Daviti Tsiklauri, Gigi Sirbiladze, Luka Tvauri, Ika Kvaratskhelia, Daviti Barbakadze, Ioane Basilaia, Leonide Saldadze, Giga Kipshidze, Data Akhvlediani, Nikolozi Khalvashi, Saba Sharvashidze
IRELAND : Bill Hayes, Blake McClean, Brian O'Flaherty, Charlie Meagher, Charlie Molony, Chris Barrett, Cian Walsh, Conor Magee, Conor O'Shaughnessy, Diarmuid O'Connell, Donnacha McGuire, Dylan McNeice, Ethan Black, Jack Deegan, James O'Dwyer, James O'Leary, Jamie Conway, Joe Finn, Josh Gibson, Luke McLaughlin, Max Doyle, Michael Walsh, Noah Byrne, Paddy Curry, Rory Gavin, Tom Wood
ITALY : Francesco Agnelli, Christopher Baas, Carlo Antonio Bianchi, Henry Bruno Bonetti, Christian Brasini, Pietro Celi, Thomas Del Sureto, Inza Dene, Giacomo Dolci, Alessandro Drago, Malik Faissal, Simone Fardin, Roberto Fasti, Lorenzo Ferrari, Filippo Giagnoni, Pietro Herve’ Victor Mastrangelo, Antony Italo Miranda, Luigi Nalin, Nicola Noselli, Matteo Giorgio Noventa, Marco Ravanelli, Antonio Reina, Luca Rossi, Marco Spreafichi, Edoardo Todaro, Samuele Venuto
PORTUGAL : Lucas Fonseca, Eduardo Uva, Diogo Carvalho, Martim Ferreira, Rodrigo Mateus, Gonçalo Marques, António Mello, Miguel Romero, Francisco Macedo, Tomás Marques, Evan Monteiro, Bernardo Valente, Tomé Lobo, Martin Bento, Martim Dias, Diego Ferreira, João Pissarra, António Carmona, Duarte Vasco Costa, Dinis Pitta, Salvador Guimarães, Aurélien Rousselle, João Menéres, Eduardo Leite, Francisco Teixeira, Tomás Monteiro
SCOTLAND : Oliver McKenna, Lochlan Hodge, William Pearce, Joe Roberts, Mickey Kesson, Dan Halkon, Mac Rutherford, Christian Lindsay, Rory Purvis, Sam Byrd, Harrison Wood, Harry Stewart, Harry Blackie, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Ben Curtis, Ross Wolfden, Henry Armstrong, Nairn Moncrieff, Sam Leweni, Campbell Waugh, Jamie Thomson, Elliot Southworth, Harry Provan, Hamish McArthur, Nicky Thompson, Alex Bryden
WALES : Dylan Alford, Alex Bosworth, Tom Cottle, Ruben Cummings, Keanu Evans, Will Evans, Deian Gwynne, Thomas Howe, Caio James, Dylan James, Ryan Jones, Dom Kossuth, Jac Pritchard, George Tuckley, Sam Williams, Tom Bowen, Harrison Doe, Sion Davies, Lewis Edwards, Steffan Emanuel, Jac Harrison, Carwyn Jones, Joseff Jones, Stef Jac Jones, Tudur Jones, Jack Woods.
