Rugby news: Scotland U20 squad named, Six Nations prop suffers heart attack, Ireland star facing ban

Scotland U20 squad named

The son of Scotland forwards coach John Dalziel has been named in the Under-20 squad for the 2026 Six Nations.

Jake Dalziel, who is the youngster member of the Scotland squad at just 17, has been called up for the first time following a breakthrough season in senior rugby with Melrose.

The stand-off, who came through the ranks at Merchiston Castle, is one of 31 players selected by head coach Fergus Pringle, who will oversee his first U20 Six Nations after taking over from Kenny Murray in November.

The squad will be captained by Edinburgh pro-academy back Ross Wolfenden, with Glasgow Warriors hooker Joe Roberts named as vice-captain.

In the forwards, props Jamie Stewart, Oliver McKenna and Will Pearce, hookers Roberts and Jack Utterson and back row Oliver Finlayson-Russell all return from the squad that competed in the World Rugby U20 Championship last year.

Second row Christian Lindsay also returns, having featured in the 2025 U20 Six Nations at just 17 years old before captaining Scotland U18 in the 2025 U18 Six Nations Festival.

Hooker Jamie McAughtrie and props Ollie Anderson and Jackson Rennie complete the front row selections, while Lindsay is joined in the second row by Aidan Orr, Fin Ronnie and Alfie Blackett.

Sam Byrd, Harvey Preston, Jack Marshall and Rory Purvis round off the selections in the pack.

In the backs, Wolfenden, scrum-half Hamish MacArthur, centre Campbell Waugh and winger Nairn Moncrieff are the players to return after featuring in 2025.

MacArthur is joined by fellow scrum-halves Adam McKenzie and Gregor Johnston, while Dalziel and Felix Champain are the stand-offs in the squad.

Harry Clark and Henry Kesteron join Wolfenden and Waugh in the centres, and the back three sees Moncrieff joined by Rory McHaffie, Mitchell Newell, Henry Widdowson and Calum Jessop.

Scotland U20’s fixtures mirror that of the Men’s Six Nations, with the campaign beginning away to Italy on Friday, February 6, in Treviso.

Pringle said: “This is an exciting group that have had some time together in training camps over a number of weeks now, and we’re looking forward to this Championship.

“It’s really important for our best young players to be playing in meaningful games at a high level where they will be really challenged, and they will all experience that across the five fixtures.

“The coaches are hoping to see the sort of performances we know these players are capable of, and hopefully we will continue to see improvement from the group individually and collectively throughout the tournament.”

Six Nations prop suffers heart attack

France prop Uini Atonio is recovering in intensive care after suffering a heart attack that has ended his career with immediate effect.

The 35-year-old, who had been named in Fabien Galthie’s initial squad for the Six Nations, was on Tuesday admitted to La Rochelle hospital with a suspected heart problem and examinations confirmed a myocardial infarction.

“His condition is now stable and he remains under surveillance in intensive care,” read a statement issued by his club La Rochelle, with whom he won two European titles.

“At the end of his hospitalisation, Uini will have to observe a long period of convalescence. It is now established that he will not be able to continue his playing career.

“Uini holds a special place in the history and heart of our club. This news touches us deeply.”

Ireland star facing ban

Bundee Aki looks set to miss Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations opener against France after being withdrawn from Andy Farrell’s squad for disciplinary reasons.

Aki is being investigated by the Irish Rugby Football Union for alleged disrespect shown to match officials in Connacht’s 34-23 United Rugby Championship defeat by Leinster on Saturday.

The 35-year-old centre has not travelled to Portugal for Ireland’s training camp ahead of their February 5 appointment in Paris, resulting in a call-up for uncapped Ulster back Jude Postlethwaite.

“The IRFU does not tolerate any form of disrespect shown towards match officials and does not condone actions that fall below the standards expected of players representing Irish rugby,” read a statement issued by the IRFU.

Aki must also face an independent hearing on Wednesday with a statement from the URC revealing that he is “alleged to have engaged with the match official team on several occasions in a manner which may be deemed to be in breach of the league’s disciplinary rules related to misconduct”.

Stuart McCloskey is expected to start at inside centre for the Stade de France showdown but Aki, a Test British and Irish Lion, was on course for a bench role for the early title clash.

The 68-cap veteran could miss further matches if the misconduct charge is upheld with fixtures against Italy and England scheduled before the fallow week.