Queensland Reds flanker, Curtis Browning, has been appointed captain of Australia’s 28-man Under-20s squad for the IRB Junior World Championship being held in France in June.

This will be Browning’s second year at the Junior World Championship, after he made his U20s debut at last year’s tournament in South Africa. 

A shining light of Australia’s 2012 Junior World Championship campaign, Browning was crowned the Australian Under-20s Player of the Year at the annual John Eales Medal evening last November.

Browning’s appointment is just one of a number of stories to arise from the naming of coaches Adrian Thompson and Sean Hedger’s 28-man squad, including:

• This year's squad features three Super Rugby players
• 19 representatives have been delivered from the ARU National Academy
• Eight members of the Australian U20s 2012 campaign return
• Five 2012 Australian Schoolboys earn selection

The Australian Under-20 squad for the IRB Junior World Championship enters its first preparation camp at Bond University in the first week of May 2013. They face Papua New Guinea’s national team in a trial on Thursday 2 May at 3:00pm at Bond University.

The 2013 IRB Junior World Championship runs 5-23 June in France.

In its brief history since changing from the Australian Under-19 and Under-21 programs, the Australian Under-20 side has nurtured the talent of a number of current Qantas Wallabies and FxPro Super Rugby players including, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, David Pocock, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Rob Horne and Kurtley Beale.
 

Australian Under-20 Selection Camp