UCD FLANKER DAN LEAVY will captain Ireland’s U20s when their Six Nations campaign begins later this month.

Coach Mike Ruddock today named a 28-man squad for the tournament which gets underway at home to Scotland in Dubarry Park on 31 January.

Peter Dooley and Peadar Timmins are the only players to be retained from last year’s panel. Both players also featured at the U20 World Cup last summer as did Leavy, Jack O’Donoghue, Adam Byrne and Alex Wootton.

Harrison Brewer, the son of former All Black back-row Mike Brewer, has also been named in the squad. The centre was one of the stars of last season’s Leinster Schools Senior Cup for Terenure.

Ireland squad for U20 Six Nations

Max Abbott (Cork Constitution FC / Munster), Harrison Brewer (Terenure College RFC / Leinster), Rory Burke (Cork Constitution FC / Munster), David Busby (QUB RFC / Ulster), Ross Byrne (UCD RFC / Leinster), Adam Byrne (UCD RFC / Leinster), Jack Cullen (Bruff RFC / Munster), William Dardis (UCD RFC / Leinster), Shane Delahunt (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Peter Dooley (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Dan Goggin (Young Munster RFC / Munster), Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Dan Leavy (captain, UCD RFC / Leinster), Nick McCarthy (UCD RFC / Leinster), Conor McKeon (Lansdowne FC / Leinster), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers RFC / Connacht), Ross Molony (UCD RFC / Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Galwegians RFC / Connacht), Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians RFC / Munster), Gary Ringrose (UCD RFC / Leinster), Peter Robb (Old Belvedere RFC / Leinster), Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster), Peadar Timmins (UCD RFC / Leinster), Jacob Walshe (Buccaneers RFC / Connacht), Alex Wootton (Garryowen / Munster).

U20 Six Nations fixtures

• 31 January — Ireland v Scotland (Dubarry Park, 7.05pm)
• 7 February — Ireland v Wales (Dubarry Park, 7.35pm)
• 22 February — England v Ireland (Franklin’s Gardens, 6.15pm)
• 7 March — Ireland v Italy (Dubarry Park, 7.05pm)
• 14 March — France v Ireland (Maurice Trelut, 8.55pm local)

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