Shannon’s Fitzgerald makes Ireland U-20 squad for World Cup

Shannon’s Stephen Fitzgerald is one of just two Munster players to be named in the Ireland U-20 squad for the upcoming World Cup in Italy.

Hooker Sean McNulty - a former Rockwell star who now plays his club rugby with UCD - is Munster’s only other player to be included.

It’s a lower than usual representation for the province as Jack Cullen and Greg O’Shea, who have both been capped at this level and are underage, miss out. Of the 28-man squad, Leinster have 15 players, Ulster have six and Connacht have five.

Fitzgerald, who was on the Ardscoil Ris team that reached the 2014 Munster Schools Cup final, featured for Ireland throughout the Six Nations campaign where he scored a memorable try against France in Athlone. He also got tries against England and Scotland.

McNulty comes back into the squad for the first time since last year’s Six Nations having recovered from injury. He is one of just two players to come in who didn’t feature in this year’s Six Nations. The other is Leinster scrum half Charlie Rock.

Eight of the squad played in last year’s World Cup in Italy - Ross Byrne, Billy Dardis, Ciaran Gaffney, Oisin Heffernan, Nick McCarthy, Rory Moloney, Josh Murphy and Gary Ringrose.

This year’s competition takes place in Parma in Italy and Ireland are in the same group as New Zealand, Argentina and Scotland. Their first game is against Italy on June 2.

IRELAND SQUAD

Sam Arnold (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster), Joey Carbery (UCD/Leinster), Fergal Cleary (Lansdowne/Leinster), Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster), Lorcan Dow (QUB/Ulster), Jack Dwan (UCD/Leinster), Stephen Fitzgerald (Shannon/Munster), Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht), Oisin Heffernan (Terenure/Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (UCD/Leinster), Zack McCall (QUB/Ulster), Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), Sean McNulty (UCD/Munster), Stephen McVeigh (Buccaneers/Connacht), Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht), Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster), Conán O’Donnell (Sligo/NUIG/Connacht), David O’Connor (St Mary’s/Leinster), Conor Oliver (St Mary’s/Leinster), Jack Owens (Queens University/Ulster), Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Charlie Rock (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Cian Romaine (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (QUB/Ulster), Alex Thompson (Queens University/Ulster), Nick Timoney (St Mary’s/Leinster)

World Rugby U-20 Championship 2015

POOL A - England, France, Wales, Japan

POOL B - South Africa, Australia, Samoa, Italy

POOL C - New Zealand, Ireland, Argentina, Scotland

Ireland Fixtures

June 2 v Argentina; June 6 v Argentina; June 10 v New Zealand; June 15 - Playoffs and semi-final; June 20 - Playoffs and final