8 Munster Players In Ireland U20s Squad For 6 Nations

Head Coach Andrew Browne has today named his Ireland Men’s U20s Squad, sponsored by PwC, for the upcoming 2026 Men’s U20s Six Nations.

Munster’s Jonathan Byrne (hooker), Joe Finn (lock), Christian Foley (prop) and back-row forwards Bill Hayes and Alex Lautsou are named among the forwards.

Scrum-half Christopher Barrett and out-halves Charlie O’Shea and Tom Wood are the Munster backs named in the squad. All three home games will be played at Virgin Media Park, scroll down to get your tickets.

Browne has selected a panel of 29 players and named Leinster tighthead prop Sami Bishti as captain for the 2026 Championship, which gets underway with a Round 1 clash against France in Perpignan on Saturday, 7 February.

There are four returning players who were involved in last year’s Six Nations campaign and World Rugby U20 Championship, with forward Donnacha McGuire and backs Tom Wood, Charlie Molony and Derry Moloney all included at this age-grade for a second year.

The Ireland U20s squad have been building towards the Six Nations through a series of camps at the IRFU High Performance Centre, while uncapped challenge matches against South Africa and Italy either side of Christmas have aided preparations.

Ireland get their Championship campaign underway in France before returning home to Virgin Media Park in Cork to face Italy on Friday, 13 February (Kick-off 7.45pm).

Browne’s side then travel to Bath to face England on Friday, 20 February (Kick-off 7.45pm) before welcoming Wales and Scotland to Cork for back-to-back home fixtures to finish the campaign on Saturday, 7 March (Kick-off 7.45pm) and Sunday, 15 March (Kick-off 3.15pm) respectively.

Speaking at today’s squad announcement and media day at PwC Ireland headquarters in Dublin, Browne said: “We have been working hard together as an extended squad for a number of months and it’s an exciting time for these young players, who have the honour of representing the wider group in the Six Nations.

“We, as coaches, have pushed the players over the last number of months and I have been impressed by their work-rate, commitment, and application. Now our focus turns to performance and the opening game against France, which we know will be a big challenge first up.

“We are looking forward to the opportunities over the coming weeks and are excited by the prospect of an Ireland U20s team returning to Six Nations action at Virgin Media Park in Cork, where we always have huge support.”

Commenting at the squad announcement and media day, Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner at PwC Ireland, said: “At PwC, we are delighted to support the Ireland U20 squad as they prepare for their 2026 Six Nations campaign.

“Our commitment to supporting Ireland’s next generation is central to our partnership with the IRFU. The U20s programme plays a vital role in developing emerging talent, and we are proud to stand behind these young players as they take the next step in their rugby journey.

“We wish the team every success in the Championship and look forward to supporting them throughout their campaign.”

Tickets for Ireland’s home matches at Virgin Media Park are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.ie.

Ireland Men’s U20s Squad

Forwards (17):

Tyrese Abolarin (Queen’s University/Ulster)

Sami Bishti (UCD/Leinster)(captain)

Ben Blaney (Terenure/Leinster)

Jonathan Byrne (Garryowen/Munster)

Max Doyle (UCD/Leinster)

Joe Finn (Garryowen/Munster)

Christian Foley (Young Munster/Munster)

Rian Handley (Old Wesley/Leinster)

Bill Hayes (Garryowen/Munster)

Alex Lautsou (Shannon/Munster)

Duinn Maguire (UCD/Leinster)

Blake McClean (Instonians/Ulster)

Donnacha McGuire (UCD/Leinster)

Dylan McNeice (UCD/Leinster)

Josh Neill (Old Wesley/Leinster)

Diarmaid O’Connell (Corinthians/Connacht)

Sean Walsh (MU Barnhall/Leinster)

Backs (12):

Christopher Barrett (UCC/Munster)

Ethan Black (Old Wesley/Leinster)

Noah Byrne (Dublin University/Leinster)

Luke Fogarty (MU Barnhall/Leinster)

Derry Moloney (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Charlie Molony (UCD/Leinster)

James O’Dwyer (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

Charlie O’Shea (UCC/Munster)

Johnny O’Sullivan (Dublin University/Leinster)

Daniel Ryan (Corinthians/Connacht)

Harry Waters (Blackrock College/Leinster)

Tom Wood (Garryowen/Munster)

Ireland Men’s U20s Fixtures

Saturday, 7 February: France v Ireland, Stade Aime Giral, 8pm Irish time;

Friday, 13 February: Ireland v Italy, Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm; Buy tickets here

Friday, 20 February: England v Ireland, The Rec, 7.45pm;

Saturday, 7 March: Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, 7.45pm; Buy tickets here

Sunday, 15 March: Ireland v Scotland, Virgin Media Park, 3.15pm; Buy tickets here