The first round of fixtures takes place on Sunday 12 January and over the course of seven successive weekends the champions will emerge. Scarlets are the holders of the title and they sit out the first weekend.
The opening round will give Pugh the chance to take in two games with Cardiff hosting RGC at the Arms Park at 2.30pm and the Dragons welcoming the Ospreys to their training facility at Ystrad Mynach with a 5pm start.
“Having all the games being played on a Sunday gives all the teams the chance to have a full week of preparation for the games, rather than playing at weekends and midweek as in the past,” said Pugh.
“We think that will be a huge help and it will also mean that those players in the squads who are not required to play on a Sunday can go back to their clubs and play Youth rugby on a Saturday.
“We’ve had a really competitive WSC U18 Rugby campaign, even though the final was a bit of a runaway for Llandovery College. But there were some strong performances in Conference B as well and it is exciting for the regions now to see how the best of those players go through into the RAG U18 competition.
“The season structure has been improved and after WSC we move into the RAG campaign, which then leads into the international season. The opportunities are there for these young players and they can see that they aren’t that far away from reaching their dream of playing for Wales at senior level when they see the progress that has been made by the likes of Cam Winnett, Mackenzie Martin, Alex Mann, Evan Lloyd and Eddie James.
“We’ve brought through a lot of young players in the last few years and it is the next group of youngsters who really are the future of our game at professional level.”
RAG U18 FIXTURES
12 January: Cardiff v RGC (Arms Park); Dragons v Ospreys (Ystrad Mynach)
19 January 2025: RGC v Dragons (Parc Eirias); Scarlets v Cardiff (Church Bank)
26 January: Dragons v Scarlets; Ospreys v RGC (Brewery Field)
2 February: Ospreys v Cardiff (Brewery Field); RGC v Scarlets (Parc Eirias)
9 February: Cardiff v Dragons (Arms Park); Scarlets v Ospreys (Parc Y Scarlets)
16 February: Semi Finals (Church Bank, Llandovery)
23 February: Final (Arms Park)
RAG U18 SQUADS
OSPREYS U18 SQUAD
FORWARDS: Zak Bevan, Callum Boland, Elis Cox, Mason Curry, Cody-Ray David, Josh Drew, Thomas Edwards, Luke Fender, Sam Gardner, Owen Griffiths, Logan Heaven-Hearne, Josh Ireland, Cellan James, Will Jones, Logan Lloyd, Jayden Maybank, Freddie Milward, Sam Morgan, Miles Nelson, Gruff Roberts, Ross Rosi, McKenzie Scales, Alfie Thomas, Sam Watkins
BACKS: Ethan Bolche, Harrison Burke, Caelan Carson-Jones, Louis Cooper, Sam Daunter, Aled Davies, Isaac Davies, Cian Evans, Evan Goodwin, Jack Hoskins, Emrys Jones, Logan Jones, Rhodri Jones, Noah Mason, Bailey Porter, Iwan Powell, Harri Williams-Wynn, Mackenzie Williams
CARDIFF RUGBY U18 SQUAD
FORWARDS: Dylan Barratt (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Vinnay Cleak (Whitchurch HS), Harvey Jones (Glantaf), Tom Howe (Glantaf), Jack Morris (Whitchurch HS), Elgan Williams (Glantaf), Sion Hill (Glantaf), Jack Clease (CAVC), Movado Hall (CAVC), Issac Jones (Junior Academy), Sonny Mccabe (Whitchurch HS), Lucca Alexander-White (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Gabe Williams (Glantaf), Niall Moore (Whitchurch HS), Osian Howells (CAVC), Tom Christopher (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Ben Bora (CAVC), Josh Davies (Cathedral School), Bryana Kamanga (Llandovery), Alfie Prygodzicz (Glantaf), Theo Williams (Whitchurch HS), Ioan Dacey (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Matt Halsall (Whitchurch HS), Ethan Evans (Whitchurch HS)
BACKS: Rhys Rutley (Whitchurch HS), Mason Daniels (Glantaf), Arthur Garfield (Epsom College), Ben Coomer (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Lloyd Lucas (Glantaf), Fraser Britton (Whitchurch HS), Josef Jones (Glantaf), Fin Hart (CAVC), Harrison Nixon (Clifton College), Ioan Penry (Glantaf), Ioan Leyshon (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Bailey Cutts (Glantaf), Calen Edwards (Coleg Y Cymoedd), Harry Turner (Whitchurch HS), Joe Fernandez (Glantaf), Salem Kimabi (Whitchurch HS), Will Adams (Glantaf), Rhys Cummings (CAVC), Rhys Wyatt (Coleg Y Cymoedd)
RGC U18 SQUAD
FORWARDS: Joe Ryder (Coleg Llandrillo / Mold), Charlie Cuckson (Ellesmere College / Mold), Olly Roe (Coleg Llandrillo / Rhyl), Robert Jones (Coleg Llandrillo / Caernarfon), Gruff Rhys Jones (Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen / Caernarfon), Cameron Harry (Coleg Llandrillo / Caernarfon), Cian Owen (Coleg Llandrillo / Llangefni), Huw Owen (Coleg Llandrillo / Llangefni), Jake Young (Coleg Llandrillo / Pwllheli), Corin Jones (Coleg Llandrillo / Pwllheli), Dylan Avery (Shrewsbury College / Oswestry), Eddie Robertson (St David’s College / Chester), Hywyn Jones (Ysgol Tryfan / Bangor), Caeleb Mahoney (Ellesmere College / Whitchurch RFC), Dylan Bufton (Coleg Llandrillo / Cobra), Josh Jones (Ysgol Glan Clwyd / Rhyl), Morgan Harding (NPTC Newtown Campus | Cobra), Nathan Jones (Llysfasi / Cobra), Logan Goodluck (St David’s Coll / Colwyn Bay), Will Kellett (Coleg Llandrillo / Ruthin), Tom Cottle (Ysgol Castell Alun / Mold)
BACKS: Brychan Gwilym (Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen / Caernarfon), Osian Llewelyn (Coleg Llandrillo / Caernarfon), Gruff Llwyd (Ysgol Brynrefail / Caernarfon), Gwern Doherty (Coleg Llandrillo / Ruthin), Archie Talbot (Coleg Llandrillo / Cobra), Jac Williams (Coleg Llandrillo / Newtown), Caio Thomas (Coleg Llandrillo / Llangefni), Gwern Ap Rhys (Coleg Llandrillo / Pwllheli), William Hughes (Ysgol Brynhyfryd / Ruthin), Hayden Meyers (Coleg Llandrillo / Abergele), Connor Dean (Ysgol Glan Clwyd / Rhyl), Owain Jones (Ysgol Dinas Bran / Oswestry), Rory Williams (Coleg Llandrillo / Colwyn Bay), George Owen (Ellesmere College / Whitchurch), Aron Roberts (Coleg Llandrillo / Nant Conwy), Dafydd Wynne (Hartpury College / Nant Conwy), Ted Wilson (Kirkham GS / Chester), Reuben Gordon – Astbury (Hartpury College / Ruthin), Chris Gordon-Astbury (Hartpury College / Ruthin), Ryan Williams (Hartpury College / Llangefni), Alex Orehawa (Hartpury College / Newtown)
DRAGONS U18 SQUAD
FORWARDS: Ashton Swain (Coleg Gwent / Ebbw Vale), Benson Ngoshi (Newport HS / Sengenydd), Harri Jacob (Newport HS / Pontypool United), Jack Parcell (St Cenydd School / Sengenydd), Josh Bradley (Coleg Gwent / Ebbw Vale), Josh Parfitt (Nantgarw College / Penallta), Lewys Robinson-Blanche Creel (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Scott Crewe Creel (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Tiaan Hall (Coleg Gwent / Risca), Tobie Cribb (Yysgol Cwm Rhymni / Senghenydd), Regan Jones (Monmouth School / Cwmbran), Luke Daniel (Monmouth School / Pontypool United), Sam Walters (Merthyr College / Ebbw Vale), Cerrig Smith (Coleg Gwent / Abercarn), Tiehi Chatham (Newport HS / Cwmbran), Jake Sheppard (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Chester Creel (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Elliot Beavan (Newport HS / Cwmbran), Freddie Hicks (Monmouth School), Cae Jones (Newport HS / Cwmbran), Max Woodward (Hartpury College / Cwmbran), Jack Williams (Newport HS / Whiteheads), Joseph Lydiatt (Christ College, Brecon / Whiteheads)
BACKS: Aneurin Evans (Newport HS / Cwmbran), Brogan Leary (Monmouth School / Monmouth), Cai Wardman (Coleg Gwent / Penallta), Callaghan Leary (Monmouth School), Danny Hutchinson (Newport HS / Cwmbran), David Petrescu (Newport HS / Cwmbran), Devon Shorney (Coleg y Cymoedd / Senghenydd), Felix Preece-Jones (Coleg Gwent / Abercarn), Harry Dawes (Monmouth School / Cwmbran), Jake Jenkins (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Joe Salter (Monmouth School / Whiteheads), Kai Kinsey (Llandovery College / Abercarn), Morgan Carter (Coleg Gwent / Pontypool United), Morgan Cusack (Pontypool United), Noah Morgan (Newport HS / Caerphilly), Rhys Cole (Coleg Gwent / Blackwood), Ryley Fussell (Coleg Gwent / Senghenydd), Sam Morgan (Cenydd School / Caerphilly), Tegwyn Mahoney (Coleg Gwent / Blackwood), Carter Pritchard (Cardiff & Vale College / Caerphilly), Will Ford (St Cenydd School / Senghenydd), Ethan Patterson (Hartpury College / Oakdale), Regan Watkins (Coleg Gwent / Ebbw Vale)
