Dragons players set for Junior World Championship
Three Dragons academy players – wing Jimmy Norris, full back Jason Tovey and lock Ashley Sweet have been named in Patrick Horgan’s Wales Under 20 squad for the Junior World Championship next month.
All three have impressed in the Principality Premiership this season, Tovey for Newport, Norris for Bedwas and Ashley Sweet for Cross Keys. While Jimmy Norris is a seasoned age grade rugby international, having already participated in the 2006 and 2007 Under 19 World Championships in Dubai and Belfast, both Tovey and Sweet have this season stepped up from last year’s Under 18 Wales squad.
Wales are no 4 seeds for the tournament after reaching the semi-finals of last season’s Under 19 World Championship and will face France, Italy and Japan in the Swansea-based Pool D when the tournament kicks off in one month’s time. The new-look Under 20 tournament replaces both the IRB Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships.
Seven members of the group have played senior rugby this season, while Leigh Halfpenny is expected to make his regional debut for the Blues on Friday night against Ulster. Centres Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), and Gareth Owen (Ospreys) have 25 regional appearances between them, while full backs Daniel Evans (Scarlets) and Jason Tovey (Dragons), and Ospreys half backs Dan Biggar and scrum half Rhys Webb have also gained senior regional experience. Hooker Ryan Prosser has featured for Bristol in the Guinness Premiership.
Horgan said, “We are all absolutely excited at the prospect of competing in this tournament, especially as host nation.
“In the end, we were able to select from a position of relative strength with the returns to fitness and form of some of last season’s top performers.
Wales will play their Pool matches at the Liberty Stadium, starting with Italy on June 6, followed by Japan on June 10 and France on June 14 in a bid to reach the last four.
