Ben Curry & Marcus Smith Headline England World Rugby U20 Championship Squad

England U20s head coach Steve Bates has named his 28-man squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship (30 May – 17 June).

The squad includes eight players who were involved at last year’s tournament in Georgia where England were beaten by New Zealand in the final with Alex Seville (Gloucester Rugby), Henry Walker (Gloucester Rugby), Ciaran Knight (Gloucester Rugby), James Grayson (Northampton Saints), Will Butler (Worcester Warriors), Tom Parton (London Irish), Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins) and Ali Crossdale (Saracens) playing in their second World Rugby U20 Championship.

The squad also includes several players with Premiership experience, including Grayson, Butler, Ibitoye as well prop Ehren Painter (Northampton Saints), back-row forwards Josh Basham (London Irish), Tom Willis (Wasps), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), scrum-half Ben White (Leicester Tigers), fly-half Marcus Smith (Harlequins), wing Ben Loader (London Irish) as well as full back Jordan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers).

Loader and Smith were also named in the pre-Barbarians training squad, while Curry toured Argentina with the senior team last summer.

Marcus Street (Exeter Chiefs), Dino Lamb (Harlequins) and Sam Moore (Sale Sharks) are unavailable through injury while Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Ben Earl (Saracens) and Cameron Redpath (Sale Sharks) who are eligible for the tournament have been named in the senior squad for the three-Test series in South Africa.

England U20s squad for 2018 World Rugby U20 Championship:

Forwards
Josh Basham (London Irish)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Beck Cutting (Worcester Warriors)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Ted Hill (Worcester Warriors)
Aaron Hinkley (Gloucester Rugby)
Ciaran Knight (Gloucester Rugby)
Joel Kpoku (Saracens)
Sam Lewis (Leicester Tigers)
Gabriel Oghre (Wasps)
Ehren Painter (Northampton Saints)
James Scott (Worcester Warriors)
Alex Seville (Gloucester Rugby)
Toby Trinder (Northampton Saints)
Henry Walker (Gloucester Rugby)
Tom Willis (Wasps)

Backs
Rory Brand (London Irish)
Will Butler (Worcester Warriors)
Ali Crossdale (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
James Grayson (Northampton Saints)
Tom Hardwick (Leicester Tigers)
Gabriel Ibitoye (Harlequins)
Ben Loader (London Irish)
Jordan Olowofela (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Parton (London Irish)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ben White (Leicester Tigers)

Unavailable through injury:
Dino Lamb (Harlequins)
Sam Moore (Sale Sharks)
Marcus Street (Exeter Chiefs)

Unavailable as named in senior squad:
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Cameron Redpath (Sale Sharks)