The Australia U18 and U20 State Academy games are set to kick off as the Super Rugby Pacific sides showcase their pathways.
It will begin with the NSW Waratahs facing the Queensland Reds at Ballymore on Saturday, February 24 before facing off a week later at Concord.
Catch the NSW v Queensland U18 Academy game LIVE on Rugby Xplorer
The ACT Brumbies, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels U20s sides will also face off in matches across March.
The Waratahs have named a large contingency from their successful U16s Super Rugby championship sides, including 2022 Player of the Final Zion Poitaha.
He is joined in the starting side by Australian Schools number eight Toby Brial, son of former Wallaby Michael and brother of Reds backrower Joe.
2023 U16s Player of the Final Justice Taumoepeau has also been included on the bench alongside Tom Farr-Jones, nephew of former Wallabies captain Nick.
The Reds have announced a strong squad, headlined by electric fullback Treyvon Pritchard.
Prop Kingsley Uys is one of several from the U16s side that went down to the Waratahs in November, joined by lock Bennett Armistead, flyhalf Finn Mackay and Pritchard.
“Our 2024 Academy Series is an extremely important part of our Super Rugby Clubs pathway, creating a platform for talent ID, recruitment and retention of the best rugby talent in the country," RA Manager of National Pathways and High-Performance Nic Henderson said.
"By putting these matches on earlier in the year we're creating a high performance competition for those players to showcase their talent.
"At a national level, this series will form an important part of our early selection of the Australian U18 squad, with an initial Player of National Interest (PONI) squad named at the completion of these matches.
"We'll monitor this squad closely throughout the year and look to add players to it as club and schoolboy rugby competitions begin.
"The Academy Series also gives players from the Brumbies, Force and Rebels a platform to play themselves into an Australian U20's jersey later in the year."
REDS (1-15): Kingsley Uys, Ewald Kruger, Lehopoama Leota, William Ross, Bennett Armistead, Tom Robinson (c), Joe Gray, Teina Graham, Sam Watson, Finn Mackay, Tom Howard, Angus Kelly, Josh Takai, Nick Conway, Treyvon Pritchard
Reserves: Blaze Moana, Daniel Christodoulou, Jonah Rangiwai, Eli Langi, Jye Crowthers, Stan Keats, Chace Oates, Chris Jensen, John Grenfell, Wallace Charlie
WARATAHS (1-15): Nicholas Hill, Riley Osborn, Edwin Langi, Zion Poitaha, Isaac Fonua, Luca Cleverley, Marshall Le Maitre (c), Toby Brial, Angus Grover, Harrison Dene, Jay McKenzie, Kahu Capper, Tom Watts, Tom Hartman, Charlie Poynton
Reserves Poni Ravubale, Hayden Lavercombe, Lewis Wilson, Charlie Ulcoq, Justice Taumoepeau, Sam Blank, Matt Gough, Tom Farr-Jones, Keegan Daly, Henry Conick
*All times local
Saturday 24th February: Queensland Reds Academy U18s v NSW Waratahs Academy U18s, Ballymore, QLD (1:30 pm)
Saturday 2nd March: NSW Waratahs Academy U18s v Queensland Reds Academy U18s, Concord, NSW (2:35 pm)
Sunday 10th March: ACT Brumbies Academy U20s v Western Force Academy, Brumbies UC, ACT (12:05 pm)
Thursday 14th March: Melbourne Rebels Academy U20s v Western Force Academy, The Grange Secondary College, VIC (4:30 pm)
Saturday 23rd March: ACT Brumbies Academy U20s v Melbourne Rebels Academy U20s, Brumbies UC, ACT (12:05 pm)
