THE keenly-awaited 2026 European Under 19 championships will begin on Sunday, with ten teams involved. The Championship itself will comprise six sides (defending champions England and hosts France, together with Scotland, Serbia, Ukraine and Wales).
The other four (Canada, Greece, Ireland and Norway) will battle it out for the Shield.
Teams in the Championship have been split into two pools and seeded in accordance with Euro Under 19 results from the last tournament in 2024.
Sides will play the three teams in the other pool, rather than those in their own. England, Scotland and Serbia are in Pool A while France, Ukraine and Wales are in Pool B.
As new or returning teams Canada, Greece, Ireland and Norway will challenge for the Shield. The table-toppers will be granted a berth in the Championship in 2028.
All games will be played at CREPS Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees.
Sunday, July 12
CHAMPIONSHIP: England v Ukraine (2.00pm); France v Scotland (4.00pm); Serbia v Wales (6.00pm).
SHIELD: Greece v Ireland (10.00am); Canada v Norway (noon).
Wednesday, July 15
CHAMPIONSHIP: Scotland v Ukraine (2.00pm); France v Serbia (4.00pm); England v Wales (6.00pm).
SHIELD: Ireland v Norway (10.00am); Canada v Greece (noon).
Saturday, July 18
CHAMPIONSHIP: Serbia v Ukraine (2.00pm); Scotland v Wales (4.00pm); England v France (6.00pm).
SHIELD: Greece v Norway (10.00am); Canada v Ireland (noon).
Championship squads:
ENGLAND: Rhomen Alick, Billy-Joe Towers (both Wath Brow Hornets), Jack Barker, Rio Walker (both Millom), Zak Bennett, Daniel Houghton (both Halton Farnworth Hornets), Austen Coates (Shevington Sharks), Harrison Dickinson (Waterhead Warriors), Jason Frankling (West Bank Bears), Connor Hall (Wigan St Judes), Ellis Holliday (Aspatria Hornets), Kieran Horner (King Cross Park), Jake Lerigo (York Acorn), Dylan Morris (Egremont Rangers), Louey Pinkerton (Skirlaugh), Josh Smith (Brentwood Eels), Kier Starkie, Rylan Templeton (both Hensingham), Jaden Tallantire (Seaton Rangers), Eligh Wilkinson (West Hull), Bailey Worthington (Distington). Coach: Gary Hewer.
FRANCE: Yanis Ballet, Jimmy Bavent, Ilan Boualem, Mathis Dumont, Sione Lamelangi (all Albi), Mahault Beauvilliers, Adrian De La Rose (both XIII Limouxin), Teddy Cadenas, Tom Zitter (both Carcassonne), Elio Cazanave, Giordano Descalzi Ganthier, Nathan Gandou, Joris Martignoles, Leo Ricard, Leny Stacul, Clement Troni (all St Esteve XIII Catalan), Colin Clement, Lorik Lejeune (both Rugby Club Salon), Luka Clottes, Charly Martinez (both FC Lézignan), Oscar Jocelyn, Stevy Richmond, Thibault Guttierez (all Toulouse Olympique), Louis Tranier (Villefranche XIII Aveyron). Coach: Remi Casty.
SCOTLAND: Lucas Anderson-Moore (Barrow Island), Shaun Callan, Arran Jamieson, Promise Nkabi (all West End Warriors), Finley Cannon (Rochdale Mayfield), Seth Clapham (Leeds Beckett), Oscar Ellicott-McCulloch (Sherwood Wolf Hunt), Finlay Davies, Max Erasmus, Ben Milnes (all Edinburgh Eagles), Callum Duncan (Gateshead Storm), Zack Emerson (Newsome Panthers), Ethan Frary (York Acorn), Charlie Jackson (Stanningley), Jarrod Jones (West Hull), Isaac Maclean (Furness Raiders/Dalton), Connor McGuinness (Huddersfield Giants), Reuben Morrison (Skirlaugh), Declan Smith (Siddal), Cuillin Stoddart-Shannly (Border Barbarians), Jacob Walker (Seaton Rangers), Oliver Watkins-Smith (Bristol All Golds), Harry Woodard (London Broncos). Coach: Mick Piper.
SERBIA: Marko Conic, Danilo Gavrilovic, Nikola Ilic, Jovan Miljkovic, Nikola Savic, Mateja Stojkovic, Danilo Todorovic (all Morava Gepardi), Jakov Dojcinovic (Partizan 1953), Mihajlo Malesevic (Radnicki NBGD), Filip Mihajlovic, Strahinja Milankovic, Branko Nedeljkovic, Uros Polic, Filip Punos, Uros Rusimovic, Vukasin Savic (all R13K Crvena Zvezda), Milan Milovanovic, Aleksa Radojkovic (both Torpedo Mlava), Zaric Saban (West Brisbane Panthers), Kai Saric (Newcastle Knights), Tyson Walker, Archie Wheeler (both Illawarra Steelers). Coach: Vladislav Dedic.
UKRAINE: Hryhorii Ahulov, Anton Lukashchuk (both Ivano Frankivsk Stanislaviv), Vladyslav Biletskyi, Ruslan Lipisii, Roman Lomonos (all Donetsk Region Hard Sign), Dmytro Cherneha (Rivne Giants), Cruz Death (Penrith Panthers/Narrabeen Sharks), Liam Gallagher (Oakdale Workers), Zac Gedz (Manly Sea Eagles), Oleksii Harkusha, Kostiantyn Prydatko (both Kharkiv Legion), Nikita Korolchuk, Nikita Naurynskyi, Pavlo Pistoliuk, Dmytro Shevchuk, Oleksandr Vilinchuk (all Khmelnytskyi Eagles), Daniel Olshansky, David Winter (both Bondi United), Rostyslav Polulikh, Ruslan Stasiuk (both Ternopil Teren), Roman Pomirchyi, Yaromyr Yaremus (both Lviv Tigers). Coach: Ukraine: Artur Martyrosian.
WALES: Oli Bellavia-Walker, Kavan Phillips (both South Wales Jets), Joshua Gabrielsen, Ioan Herbert, Jacob Jones, Oscar Jones (all Bridgend Blue Bulls), Josh Harding, Will Mathers (both Hull FC), Rhys Hughes, Kyson Rees, Oli Rees (all Swansea Rams), Cae Jones, Reuben Malson (both Torfaen Tigers), Jacob Morris (Aberavon Fighting Irish), Charlie Newton (Huddersfield Giants), Regan Preece (unattached), Alex Richardson (Latchford Giants), Evan Rowlands (North Wales Crusaders), Harley Smith (unattached), James Tucker (unattached), Finlay Walker (Leigh Leopards), Ethan Williams (Cynon Valley Cavaliers), Evan Williams (Hull KR). Coach: Gary Dunn.
Shield squads:
CANADA: Leon Bansen (Brampton Beavers), Elliot Barton (Tavistock Trash Pandas), Santiago Benavides, Thomas Haufe (both Toronto City Saints), Noah Bolton, Alexander Dymock, Patricio Estrada, Tristan Fletcher, Dexter Johnson, Wyatt Klassen, Oliver Lenahan, Cameron Seed, Michael Tsoutsis, Jacob Williams (all Vancouver Valley Vipers), Torin Brooks, Tobias Mennie (both Vancouver Dragons), Bogdan Dimitrijevic (Royal City Goons), Rory Jago (Point Grey Thunder), Brady Nooski, Jack Shortis (both Whistler Wolves), Blake Marshall (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), Alexander Paddle (Mud Bay Boggers), Jack Smart, Joshua Williams (both Brantford Broncos). Coach: Stephen Lenahan.
GREECE: Jonathan Armatas (St Pius), William Giovas (St Clair), Lucas Hanmer (West Harbour), Alexandar Jelenkovic (South West Goannas), Peter Kokontis (Ipswich), Lukas Kontrafouris (Penshurst RSL), Bailey-Dean Latanis (Renown United), Alexandros McGrath, Vasileios Karageorgiou (both Rhodes Knights), Rafael-Marius Macovei, Konstantinos Grivas Tzimopoulos, Theodoros Tiari Tipene, Vasileios Tzitzivakos (all Panionios), Napoleon Mavrokefalos (Lefkada Rams), Zac Papa (Berkeley Vale), Peter Papoulis (Aquinas Colts), Jonathan Siambis (Bankstown Bulls), Dean Tsavaris (Paddington Colts), Ethan Tsiamis (Arncliffe Scotts), Jack Tsokos (St Ingatius Riverview), Leo Valdmanis (Campbelltown City). Coach: Jim Pizanias.
IRELAND: Bobby Barton (Folly Lane/ St Helens Academy), Cillian Brennan (Cill Dara), Jack Browne (Newcastle Thunder), Oisín Carroll, Dominic Greene (both Longhorns), Tiernan Conway (Thatto Heath Crusaders/Swords), Finn McLaughlin (Thatto Heath Crusaders/St Helens), Aaron Corbett (Brentwood Eels), Matt Toothill (Brentwood Eels/London Broncos), Theo-Cole Cyprien (West Bowling), Sam Douglas (Cork Bulls), Joe Gill (Dodworth Miners/Bradford Bulls), Ieffe Hannan (New College Pontefract), Mitch Ireland (Latchford Giants/Swinton Lions), Harry Knowles (Latchford Giants), Finn Maguire (Greystones), Eddie McGillan (Heworth/Castleford Tigers), Rhys Morgan (unattached), Daniel Ridpath (Crosfields/Swinton Lions), Charlie Sweeney (Drighlington), Wilfred Taylor (Mill Hill School), Michael Walsh (Leigh Miners Rangers), Ritchie Whelan (Nenagh Ormond), Ethan Whyte (Banbridge Broncos). Coach: Dave Merrick.
NORWAY: Tobias Andresen-Langaas, Filip Naparty (both Horten), Sebastian Båtnes, Victor Morrow Blackburn (both Porsgrunn), Filip Bø, William Giddings, Tobias Hoel Auno, Odin Thabo Leuta Ovesen, Silas Mjølhus, Valentin Jølhus, Odinn Leo Numeson, Håkon Sivertsen Lauvsnes, Iver Sivertsen Lauvsnes, Joshua Silverstone-Utheim, Matias Tjemsland (all Sandnes Øst), Theodore Eidsaune Chongdee (Norane), Elias Gradert, Kristoffer Gradert, Arian Harbas, Dag Hansen, Trygve Hansen (all Farsund Bobcats), Vetle Kørra-Østby (Lillestrøm), Joel Rohrs (Sandefjord). Coach: Joshua Hornby.