Scotland U16

Three Scotland U16 squads have been named ahead of the Colwyn Bay Rugby Festival this Sunday (1 April).

The six-day festival will take place at Parc Eirias, where the young Scots will go head-to-head against Welsh sides Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and RGC and English side, The Lambs.

The squads have prepared for the tournament with a series of training days and camps, following internal matches and a fixture against Newcastle Falcons.

Scotland U16 is an important stage in the development of young, ambitious players, with the selected home based 50 being split into two teams – the Reds and the Blues, and an additional team formed entirely of Scottish Qualified players – the Greens.

Following these games, players will be selected to attend a two-week training camp in Valladolid in Spain over the summer.

Scotland U16 Blues Head Coach Graham Shiel has been encouraged by his side’s spirit and determination but is under no illusion of the task ahead.

Shiel said: "Now in our third year as Scotland Blues, we are building some momentum and looking forward to the challenges of playing as a squad versus some tough opposition in Cardiff Blues, RGC and The Lambs.

“The coaching team have been very encouraged by the enthusiasm and hunger of the group to improve and both warm up fixtures, against Scotland Reds and Newcastle Falcons U16, have proved to be very positive.

“This program also provides us with the chance to benchmark out-with Scotland along with acting as a selection tool for the next stage of the groups development, where identified players will be afforded an opportunity to travel to Valladolid to train for two weeks in July 2018.”

Scotland U16 Reds Head Coach Bryan Easson emphasised that the tournament is an important platform for aspiring players.

Easson said: “We are looking forward to bringing Scotland Reds down to the excellent festival in Colwyn Bay.

“The festival has been an outstanding development tool over the past few years for our players who use these games to continue work on the U16 theme of attack from our National technical blueprint.

“The preparation has gone extremely well for all involved with all of the management team seeing huge progress in all players’ development both on and off the field.”

Scotland U16 Greens Head Coach David Wilson said: “The introduction of the Green squad to attend this year’s festival in Colwyn Bay allows for Scottish qualified players to be introduced and developed through the age-grade pathway.

“Players have had the opportunity to prepare at three weekend camps including a close preparation match playing against the Reds.

“The Welsh festival will be a great opportunity for all the players to experience a higher level of development rugby and an insight into the expectations required for further growth and improvement. We are all looking forward to the challenge.”

Colwyn Bay Rugby Festival fixtures:

Sunday 1st April

12 noon: RGC v Scotland Green @ Parc Eirias

2pm: Lambs v Scotland Red @ Parc Eirias

Monday 2nd April

3pm: Cardiff Blues (Dev) v Scotland Blue @ CSE Ystrad Mynach

5pm: Scarlets V Ospreys @ CSE Ystrad Mynach

7pm: Dragons v Blues @ CSE Ystrad Mynach

Wednesday 4th April

12 noon: RGC v Scotland Blue @ Parc Eirias

2pm: Lambs v Scotland Green  @ Parc Eirias

3pm: Ospreys (Dev) v Scotland Red @ The Gnoll (Neath RFC)

Friday 6th April 

5.30pm Scarlets v Cardiff Blues @ St Helens (Swansea RFC)

7.15pm Ospreys v Dragons @ St Helens (Swansea RFC)

Sunday 8th April

12 noon: RGC v Scotland Red @ Parc Eirias

2pm: Lambs v Scotland Blue @ Parc Eirias

Wednesday 11th April

TBC -Blues v Ospreys @ Parc y Scarlets

TBC - Dragons v Scarlets @ Parc y Scarlets

Scotland U16 squads named for 2018 Colwyn Bay Rugby Festival

Scotland U16 Reds

Forwards

Callum Anderson (George Heriot’s School)

Tom Banatvala (Fettes College)

Archie Bogle (Eyemouth High School / Duns)

Alex Geddes (Merchiston Castle School)

Ewan Henderson (Royal High School)

Nick Henderson (Earlston High School / Melrose)

Duncan Hood (Stewart's Melville College)

James Lascelles (Merchiston Castle School)

Fraser McAslan (Royal High School/Currie)

David Murphy-Clark (Hawick High School / Hawick)

Gregor Scougall (George Watson’s College / Currie)

Hector Skipworth (Merchiston Castle School)

Archie Watters (George Watson’s College)

Backs

Aidan Boyle (Stewart’s Melville College)

Roly Brett (Earlston High School / Melrose)

Daniel Brown (George Watson’s College)

Keiran Clark (Earlston High School / Melrose)

Angus Cousin (George Watson’s College)

Ryan Daley (George Watson’s College / Currie)

Ben Grainger (Royal High School)

Angus Hoffie (George Watson’s College)

James Kemp (Kelvinside Academy / Glasgow Hawks)

Cameron Scott (Preston Lodge High School / Preston Lodge)

Jamie Thompson (Stewart’s Melville College)

Scotland U16 Blues

Forwards

Owen Brown (Dunfermline High School / Dunfermline)

Tim Brown (Lathallan School / Montrose)

Eoin Cameron (High School of Glasgow / Glasgow Hawks)

Rory Cockburn (Dumfries Academy / Dumfries Saints)

Callum Hunter (Falkirk High School / Stirling County)

Thomas McGuire (St Aloysius College / Garnock)

Finlay Overend (Williamwood High School / GHA)

John Paterson (High School of Glasgow / Glasgow Hawks)

George Ratcliff (Strathallan School / Howe of Fife)

Robbie Renwick (Jordanhill School / Glasgow Hawks)

Alex Samuel (St Leonards School / Madras)

Dougal Sands (Dollar Academy)

Charles Wall (Forres Academy / Highland)

Max Williamson (Dollar Academy)

Backs

Toby Adamson (Glenalmond College)

Luke Armstrong (High School of Glasgow / Glasgow Hawks)

Euan Cunningham (Stirling High School / Stirling County)

Oscar Del Priore (Hermitage Academy / Cartha Queens Park)

Angus Fraser (Aboyne Academy / Deeside)

Michael Gray (Dollar Academy / Stirling County)

Ross McKnight (Dollar Academy)

Cameron Paterson (Strathallan School / Marr)

Gabriel Smith (St Leonards School/ Howe of Fife)

Finlay Troup (Robert Gordon’s College)

Peter Wallwork (Strathallan School)

Scotland U16 Greens

Forwards

Andrew Curtis (Wollaston School)

Olly Frostick (William de Ferrers School / Northampton Saints)

Hamish Janaway (Lord Wandsworth / London Irish)

Bailey Albert (Bishop Stortford High School)

Iain Carmichael (Sedburgh / Newcastle Falcons)

Will Harding (Salesian College / London Irish)

Innes Hill (Stokesley School / Newcastle Falcons)

James Loraine (Bilton School / Wasps)

Charlie Christie (Harrow School)

Matthew Deehan (RGS Newcastle / Newcastle Falcons)

Henry Mair (Wisbech Grammar)

Matthew O’Connor (Lawrence Sherriff School / Wasps)

Backs

Jonty Cope (Kirkham Grammar School)

Jack Sykes (Radley College)

Scott Masson (Royal Grammar School High Wycombe)

George Prentice (Crofton School)

Max Lindsey (British School of Paris / Racing 92)

Cameron Ritchie (Bromsgrove School / Wasps)

Markuss Boyd (Queen Elizabeth School Kirby Lonsdale / Newcastle Falcons)

Dylan Evans (Millfield School)

Robin McClintock (Lycee Notre Dame / Lyon Olympique)

James Aikman (Royal Grammar School Worcester)