With more than 300 players in Manchester for the World Rugby U20 Championship 2016, there are a whole host of new names hoping to star on the global stage. However, if you take a closer look at those squad lists, there are also a few names you will have seen before.

The World Rugby U20 Championship has seen more than 400 players go on to play test rugby since it began in 2008, so it comes as no surprise that it has become a family affair over the years. 

New Zealand’s Julian and Ardie Savea have both come off the U20 production line, while Colby Faingaa followed in the footsteps of his brothers Anthony and Saia who led Australia to the Under-19 World Championship crown in 2006.

RUGBY WORLD CUP PEDIGREE

So brothers are commonplace in the U20 Championship, but after a spate of twins in recent years there are none this time around in Manchester.

We do, though, have the younger brother of a Rugby World Cup 2015 winner with Jordie Barrett (main picture) following in the footsteps of his brother Beauden, a try-scorer in the U20 Championship final in 2011 when New Zealand beat England 33-22. 

Barrett is not the only New Zealand player with an All Blacks connection as back-row Fin Hoeata’s brother Jarrad, 14 years his senior, played three tests in 2011 and has also played for the Maori All Blacks and on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series a decade ago.

There are also a couple of players in the Scotland squad with fathers or uncles who have also graced the Rugby World Cup stage. Fly-half Adam Hastings has both, his father being former Scotland captain Gavin (pictured right) and his uncle Scott who between them played more than 130 tests for their country and the British and Irish Lions. 

The Hastings brothers played at the first three Rugby World Cups, helping Scotland to the semi-finals in 1991, and their team-mate for two of those tournaments was Graham Shiel, whose son Charlie could form a half-back pairing with Adam in Manchester. Graham currently coaches the Scotland women’s sevens team, while his own father Douglas Morgan also played for Scotland and the Lions in the 1970s.

Darcy Graham’s uncle Scott MacLeod also played for Scotland at RWC 2007 among his 24 tests, while hooker Jake Kerr’s father John was part of Scotland’s side at the inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens back in 1993. Fellow forward Matt Smith also has a connection to a Scotland international with his sister Hannah having played five tests for the women’s team in the last two years.

Argentina’s coaching team has two of the Fernández Lobbe three brothers to have worn the famous jersey with Nicolas head coach and older brother Ignacio one of his assistant coaches. Nicolas played for Argentina on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, while Ignacio played 65 tests for Los Pumas and played at three Rugby World Cups. Their younger brother Juan Martín also played more than 60 tests for Argentina, including RWC 2007 alongside Ignacio when Los Pumas finished third.

TRIPLE CROWNS AND INFAMOUS WINKS

Ilia Maisuradze will take charge of Georgia in their first appearance in the U20 Championship and his brother Simon has 33 caps for Los Lelos, having appeared against New Zealand at RWC 2015 – ironically the nation which the U20 side will play in their opening match on Tuesday.

Meanwhile on the Wales’ management team is physio Ben Warburton, the twin brother of Wales captain Sam, who captained the U20 side to fourth place in the inaugural tournament in 2008 and then the British and Irish Lions to a first series win in 16 years, against Australia in 2013. Fly-half Billy McBryde also has a connection to the senior Wales team in his father forwards coach Robin, who played 37 tests for his country and played at RWC 2003.

The Ireland and France squads also have a number of sons following their fathers onto the international scene, including Les Bleuets’ Damian Penaud, whose father Alain played 32 tests for France and captained Brive to Heineken Cup success against Leicester Tigers. 

Youth Olympic Games gold medallists Alexandre Roumat and Atila Septar also have fathers who played test rugby and also at a Rugby World Cup. Olivier Roumat played 13 tests for France and played at RWC 1999, while Erdinci Septar captained France on eight of his 61 appearances and played in both RWC 1991 and 1995.

Niall Saunders’ father Rob, who was a scrum-half like him, became the youngest ever Ireland captain when he led the side on his debut against France in 1991, while Paul Kiernan’s father Tom kicked the drop goal against England that secured the Triple Crown for Ireland in 1985. He also toured New Zealand with the Lions in 1983, alongside his brother and Paul's uncle Michael Kiernan, before returning to the country four years later for the inaugural Rugby World Cup.

Terry Kennedy’s father Terry also played for Ireland, while Vahktang Abdaladze’s father Nika wore the national jersey of Georgia in two tests as a number eight in 1997 and the Ireland prop could come up against the Junior Lelos when they come face to face on day three in Manchester.

Meanwhile Angus Scott-Young’s father Sam played seven tests for Australia in the early 1990s, winning three of his four Bledisloe Cup encounters against the All Blacks and infamously winking and blowing kisses at opponents during the haka in 1992. Another former Wallaby with a connection to this Australia squad is David Nucifora, the uncle of Harry. David coached Australia in the U20 Championship for four years, guiding them to their only final appearance in 2010 in Argentina.

PASSING ON THE ARMBAND

Two brothers both captaining their country at the U20 Championship is nothing new after Hanro Liebenberg followed in the footsteps of his brother Wiaan (pictured above), who led South Africa to their only title in 2012. The younger Liebenberg reached the semi-finals in his tenure as captain last year and Jack Walker will hope to better this brother Chris’s record as captain from 2012, when England finished in their lowest ever ranking of seventh in South Africa.

Walker isn’t the only member of the England squad with a brother who played in an earlier edition of the U20 Championship as Andrew Kitchener’s brother Graham reached the final in 2009 in Japan, a tournament the second-row remembers only too well.

“I actually went out to watch him in Tokyo for a couple of weeks and that was awesome to see close up the environment,” the 19-year-old recalled. “The atmosphere was really special and I remember thinking it would be cool one day to have the chance to emulate him.

“It will be pretty special to emulate him and that is adding to the buzz.

“He really enjoyed it and being away with that group of lads and playing at the highest level possible at that time and I think it helped him with his future career. He had a lot of good experiences from the World Championship so that is hopefully something I can put behind me.

“I am sure he might come to a game or two and it would be great if he can.”