Four out of six Borderers in Scotland squad for rugby’s 2026 U20 Six Nations to start opening match in Italy
Four of the six Borderers in Scotland’s squad for rugby’s 2026 Under-20 Six Nations have been given starting places for their opening match away to Italy this Friday but captain Ross Wolfenden misses out due to a concussion sustained in training last week.
Glasgow Warriors hooker Joe Roberts, Wolfenden’s vice-captain for the tournament, takes over as skipper in Treviso.
Former Peebles fly-half Wolfenden’s No 10 shirt goes to fellow Borderer Jake Dalziel, son of Scotland senior national team’s forwards coach John Dalziel.
Aged 17, Melrose’s Dalziel, a pupil at Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School, is the youngest member of head coach Fergus Pringle’s initial squad of 31.
Kelso’s Jack Utterson, usually a hooker, starts at openside flanker, with Peebles’ Rory McHaffie and Gala’s Nairn Moncrieff lining up on left and right wings respectively.
Dalziel, Utterson and McHaffie will all be making their debuts but Moncrieff is a veteran of last year’s age-grade Six Nations.
Kick-off versus the Italians is at 7.15pm and that match will be screened live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Dalziel, McHaffie and Moncrieff’s fellow backs are Henry Widdowson, Campbell Waugh, Henry Kesterton and Hamish MacArthur.
Joining Utterson and Roberts among Friday’s forwards are Oliver McKenna, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Christian Lindsay, Alfie Blackett, Sam Byrd and Rory Purvis.
Jamie McAughtrie, Will Pearce, Jamie Stewart, Fin Ronnie, Harvey Preston, Oliver Finlayson-Russell, Adam McKenzie and Calum Jessop will be replacements.
The other Borderer besides Wolfenden in former Hawick lock Pringle’s wider squad is Melrose’s Ollie Anderson.
The young Scots continue their campaign at home to England at Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium on Friday next week, then head to Cardiff Arms Park seven days after that to take on Wales.
Their final home fixture sees the young Scots host defending champions France at the Hive on Friday, March 6, prior to proceedings concluding away to Ireland in Cork on Sunday, March 15.
Their first three games kick off at 7.15pm, their fourth at 6.15pm and their last one at 3.15pm.
“This is an exciting group that have had some time together in training camps over a number of weeks now and we’re looking forward to this championship,” said South African-born Pringle, 47, with the Greens from 2003 to 2004.
“It’s really important for our best young players to be playing in meaningful games at a high level where they will be really challenged, and they will all experience that across the five fixtures.
“The coaches are hoping to see the sort of performances we know these players are capable of, and hopefully we will continue to see improvement from the group individually and collectively throughout the tournament.”