• Tournament runs from 24 June - 14 July
• Leicester's Lewis Chessum named captain
• Mapletoft has named a 30-player squad

There is a strong mix of experienced and emerging players, with nine uncapped at U20 level, though all have previously been part of the England Rugby pathways programme.

Preparations for the World Rugby U20 Championship will continue when the side convene at the Honda England Rugby Performance Centre, Pennyhill Park on 17th June.

The tournament, hosted in the Cape Town region, returns for the first time in four years, and features the top 12 U20 rugby nations. England will be in Pool B with Ireland, Fiji and Australia.

"Congratulations to all players selected," said Mapletoft. "The World Rugby U20 Championship is the peak of the age grade calendar and for many this will be the highlight of their rugby journeys so far.

"The players have learned a lot as a team and about themselves this year, including during our Six Nations campaign and on our recent tour of Georgia, and we’ll be better as a group for it. This is the first time since 2019 that the World Rugby U20 Championship has been played, so we’re very excited to take this squad to South Africa and test ourselves against the world’s best teams.

"Our squad reflects the diversity and strength of English rugby with every Premiership club represented, and we trust each player to play with pride every time they pull on an England shirt."