Four Highlanders named in NZ u20 squad

Dylan Pledger in last year's U20 world championship semi-final. Photo: Getty Images

Four players from the Highlanders system have been named in the New Zealand under-20 squad.

New coach Milton Haig has named an extended squad of 31 for the Rugby Championship under-20 tournament in South Africa in May.

It includes dynamite Highlanders and Otago halfback Dylan Pledger, who was the national side’s best player at the junior world championship last year.

He is joined in the backs by midfielder Tayne Harvey, who was exceptional for the Baby Landers at the Super Rugby under-20 tournament in Taupo this year and made his NPC debut for Southland last season.

There are two rising Highlanders in the forwards.

Josh Tengblad is a lock on the rise and seems certain to make his Super Rugby debut before long, while Southland hooker Shaun Kempton showed all of his wares at the national tournament.

Pledger is one of six players backing up from the squad that won the inaugural Rugby Championship under-20 tournament in Australia last year.

The others are classy first five Rico Simpson, front-rowers Manumaua Letiu and Sika Pole, loose forward Mosese Bason, and outside back Stanley Solomon.

Oli Mathis, Joey Taumateine, Xavier Tito-Harris and Frank Vaenuku are all unavailable as they are on national sevens duties.

Haig, who will have former Highlanders lock Jarrad Hoeata, former Otago prop Craig Dunlea and Crusaders under-20 coach Alex Robertson as his assistants, takes over from Jono Gibbes, who is with the Chiefs.

Haig coached Counties-Manukau for four years before taking Georgia to two World Cups.

After the Rugby Championship tournament, a squad will be named for the world tournament in Italy in June-July.