Final Preparations Underway for U18 Festival

Final preparations are being put in place for The Six Nations U18 Festival, sponsored by The Bowen Group, which kicks off next Wednesday in Cork.

The festival will see the national Under-18 teams from England, Ireland, France, Italy, Scotland and Wales play a series of matches at Musgrave Park, Cork Constitution FC, the Mardyke (UCC) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) from March 26 until April 1.

Tournament Director Diarmuid Kelly said planning for the competition had been underway for over a year.

"Shortly following last year’s inaugural and very successful event in Glasgow the Six Nations Committee agreed that this season’s festival should be hosted by the IRFU and we have been putting in place the plans to make it happen since then."

He praised the help of local clubs in Cork who have made their facilities available throughout the tournament.

An independent training facility has been assigned to each team throughout the next week. Scotland will be based at Crosshaven RFC, Italy at Ballincollig RFC, Wales at UCC RF, England at Highfield RFC, France at CBC and Ireland at PBC.

Mr. Kelly added that all Cork rugby fans might try and get to the venues to watch the games which are free of charge.

"The support of the people of Munster and Cork for quality sporting events is long established and internationally recognised. The rugby people of Munster have for many decades supported Ireland and Munster in large numbers and appreciate good football. In more recent times the support enjoyed by Munster both at home and abroad has been phenomenal I am confident that these people will turn up in large numbers to see the stars of the future in competition."

U18 Squads for the Six Nations Festival.

France
Squad: David Tarroque, Baptiste Gay, Adrien Alazard, Teddy Iribaren, (all Toulouse), Anthony Maury (Montferrand), Mickael Ivaldi, Sonny Falconetti (both Toulon). Kevin Legeun, Adrein Gach, Amaury Geneste (all Begles). Paul Oliver (Beziers), Victor Muret, Julien Petrod (both Bourgoin), Sullivan Guyon (Orleans), Joris Archimbeau (Montpellier), Florent Brunet, Gilles Arnaudies, Joran Salgues (all Perpignan), Antoine Erbano (Agen), Julien Cabannes (Mont de Marsan), Clement Baldy (La Reunion), Raphael Eymond, Lucas DuPoint (Grenoble), Adrien Domec (Biarritz), Camille Canivet (La Rochelle), Valentin Tourenne (Brive).

Wales
Squad: Jamie Loxton, Rys Downes (both Blues), Adam Hughes, Ieuan Coombes, (both Dragons), Liam Powell, Ashley Beck, Kristian Phillips, Ben John, Matthhew Jarvis (all Ospreys). Chris Lewis Pratt (Exiles), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Daniel Watchurst, Stewart Maguire, Tom Crandon, James Thomas, Morgan Allan, Dave Francis, Rys Williams (captain) (all Dragons), Gareth Jenkins, Ceri Davies, Lloyd Peers, Ben Howe (all Ospreys), Rys Williams (Blues), James King, Joel Galley, James Davies (all Scarlets)

Scotland
Squad: Nicky Little (Hawick), Craig Owenson (Musselburgh), Andrew Fraser (York), Luke Pettie (Gala Wanderers), Mungo Strachan (Fettes College), Alun Walker (Musselburgh), Robert Harley (West of Scotland), Grant Gilchrist (Stirling County), Michael Maltman (Musselburgh), Michael Fedo (Bell Baxter / Howe of Fife), Stuart McInally (George Watsons College), Ross Sutherland (Sandbach) Jason Hill (Stirling County) Alex Black (Prince Henrys School), Russell Weir (Merchiston Castle School), Alex Blair (Edinburgh Academy), Ross Aitken (Bell Baxter / Howe of Fife), Sam Hughes (Merchiston Castle School), Alec Dunbar (Annan), Michael Tait (Kelso Quins), Max Learmonth (Berwick), Jamie Harris (Merchiston Castle School), Rory Drummond (Bell Baxter/Howe of Fife), Seamus McKenzie (Murrayfield Wanderers), Tom Brown (Edinburgh Academy).

England
Squad: Joe Barker (Leeds Carnegie), David Blackwell (Gloucester), James Currie (Bath), James Gaskell (Sale Sharks), Jamie George (Saracens), Alex Gray (Newcastle Falcons), Tom Holmes (Sale Sharks), Lee Imiolek (Sale Sharks), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Rob Milligan Northampton Saints), Jacob Rowan (Leeds Carnegie), Joe Trayfoot (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Bristol Rugby), Freddie Burns (Bath), Tom Casson (Sale Sharks), Tom Catterick (Newcastle Falcons), Rory Clegg (Newcastle Falcons), Andrew Forsyth (Leicester Tigers), Sam Harrison (Leicester Tigers), Tom Homer (London Irish). Will Hurrell (Leicester Tigers), Jordi Pasqualin (Gloucester), Sam Smith (Harlequins), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Jack Wallace (London Wasps), Joe Quinn (Leeds Carnegie)

Ireland
Squad: Michael Allen, Niall Annett (both Methodist College), Marl Atkinson (Grosvenor G.S), Richard Bent, Ray Crotty (St Mary’s College), Jason Bloomfield (Coleraine Academical Institution), Denis Buckley (Blackrock College), Patrick Butler (Rockwell College), Risteard Byrne (Terenure College), Brian Cagney, David O’Driscoll, Brian O’Hara (PBC Cork), Diarmaid McCarthy (Castletroy College), Brian Hayes (CBC Cork), Michael Kelleher (St Munchins College), Ben Marshall (St Andrews College), Luke Marshall (Ballymena Academy), James McKinney (Campbell College), David McSharry (Templeogue College), Martin Moore (Castleknock College), David O’Callaghan (Midleton College), Luke O’Connell (Clongowes Wood College), Paul Pritchard (Ballymena Academy), Noel Reid (St Michaels College), Dominic Ryan (Gonzaga College), Gavin Nugent (PBC).

Italy
Squad: Edoardo Carugi, Tommaso Benvenuti, Antonio Denti (all Viadana), Nicole Corbanese, Tommaso Benvenuti (Bennetton Treviso), Zamparo Matteo (Amatori San Dona), Enrico Lioineri (Ruggers Tarvisum), Andrea Manici, Michele Mortali (Gran Parma), Filippo Cazzola (Montebelluna), Daniele Fratalochhi (Sambendettese), Paolo Stinchello, Gabriele Cicchinelli, Giovanbattista Venditti (both SSD Unione Capitolina),Tomaso , Enrico Michelini (both Modena), Fillppo Ferrarini (Noceto FC), Lorenza Santelli (ASD Universita Cosenza), Alberto Chillon, Marco Barbini, Alberto Bennettin, Costantino Ricciardi (all Petrarca), Edoardo Gori, Francesco Lenzi (Cavalieri), Giovanno Frapporti (Valpolicella), Sebastian Rodwell (Firenze), Alberto Zorzi

Tournament Schedule:
Date Time Venue
Wed 26th Mar 08 17:00 England v Italy Temple Hill, Cork
Wed 26th Mar 08 17:00 France v Scotland CIT
Wed 26th Mar 08 19:30 Ireland v Wales Musgrave Park, Cork
Sat 29th Mar 08 14:30 England v France CIT
Sat 29th Mar 08 14:30 Ireland v Scotland Musgrave Park, Cork
Sat 29th Mar 08 14:30 Italy v Wales Mardyke, Cork
Tue 1st Apr 08 14:30 Ireland v Italy Mardyke, Cork
Tue 1st Apr 08 14:30 Scotland v England Musgrave Park, Cork
Tue 1st Apr 08 14:30 Wales v France Temple Hill, Cork

All information on fixtures, results, teams and other news from the festival will be available on www.Irishrugby.ie/u18festival <https://www.webmail.irfu.ie/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.Irishrugby.ie/u18festival>

For further information:
Alison Donnelly
Media Liaison Officer
T: +44 7516797560
E: Alison.donnelly@irfu.ie