Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, July 4.
Irish youngsters qualify for semi-final amid tragedy
Ireland under-20s managed to overcome tragedy to beat Fiji and qualify for the semi-finals of the World Rugby U20 Championship.
The squad were left "devastated" after former Scotland international Greig Oliver, the father of Ireland U20s scrum-half Jack Oliver, died in a paragliding accident in Cape Town. The 58-year-old Munster elite performance officer had been in South Africa to support his son in the tournament.
His death came shortly after two Irish teenagers - Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall - known to members of the team died while on holiday in Greece.
After taking to the field in black armbands and delivering an emotional rendition of Ireland's Call, the brave side showed huge character in their performance as they held off a spirited Fiji side and secured a bonus-point win. No. 9 Jack was replaced on the bench ahead of the fixture but attended the game.
Prior to the match, Fiji had presented Ireland with a jersey as a mark of respect.
Tries from Brian Gleeson (2), Gus Mccarthy (2), Danny Sheahan, George Hadden and Andrew Osborne booked the U20 Six Nations champions a place in the semi-finals as they triumphed 47-27 and topped Pool B, with England being held to a 22-22 draw by Australia.
Speaking after the two young men's deaths were confirmed, Ireland coach Richie Murphy said his squad were having a "really tough time," adding: "We have a number St Michael’s guys here in the squad, who know them well, and as a father of kids around that age and an Irishman I feel really devastated for them and we’d like to offer our condolences to the Wall and O’Donnell family."
Georgia stun Italy to keep dream alive
Georgia U20s pulled off another upset at the World Rugby U20 Championship as they beat Italy to put themselves in pole position for making the semi-finals.
Both sides stunned the competition in the previous round of fixtures, with Italy beating hosts South Africa while Georgia thumped Argentina 20-0.
The Italians were heavily fancied for their final game of Pool C against the Georgians, but it was the junior Lelos who came out on top in a momentous clash as they secured a 30-17 win.
With nine points now to their name, Georgia have taken control of their group, and if neither Argentina nor South Africa secure a bonus-point victory in their game on Tuesday evening, then they will make the U20 semi-finals for the first time ever.
Ex-Ireland lock to make Springboks debut
Former Ireland lock Jeyn Kleyn will make his debut for South Africa this weekend as they face Australia in their opening game of the Rugby Championship.
Kleyn, who was born in Johannesburg, has five caps for Ireland but has not made a squad since the 2019 World Cup, with the 29-year-old again overlooked by coach Andy Farrell when he named his squad for this year's tournament in France.
He was called up by Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber last month and was then named in the preliminary 40-man South African squad for the Rugby Championship, offering him a shot at going to the World Cup.
The Munster man will make his debut alongside Marvin Orie at lock in Saturday's game in Pretoria, with the 'Boks being led by Duane Vermuelen, who skippers the side in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi.
Reacting to his call-up last month, Kleyn said: "I was blown away with this opportunity to be a part of the Springbok squad. I could not pass up on it when it was offered.
“Munster has shaped me as a person and player. It’s where I have built a life with my young family but to be offered this opportunity by my home country is an honour I never thought I would receive."
England star eyes World Cup 'dream' after years of disappointment
Danny Care says he is "giving it everything" as he looks to make the England squad for this year's World Cup.
The 36-year-old has suffered years of disappointments when it comes to rugby's greatest showpiece, none greater than 2019 when he failed to make the cut.
But now after years in the wilderness, he has been named in Steve Borthwick's training group as one of only three scrum-halves and has said that making the squad would be a "dream" as he looks to cap his "rollercoaster" career.
]"I've never been as determined to get in an England shirt as I am now," Care told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. "As soon as I spoke to Steve and there was a possibility of coming into camp and fighting for a shirt I jumped at the chance.
"To play in a World Cup is a dream and I will give it everything. For me anytime an England coach wants you to come in and give it a crack, the answer is always yes. It's why I've stayed in England for 18 years as a player, I always wanted to play for my country, it means an awful lot to me.
"I feel as good as I have in years. It's been tough and it's been graft, but it's the World Cup and it has to be. I've loved every minute. It's been a rollercoaster, but I wouldn't swap any of it."
Care's motivation to make the final squad partly stems from frustration, having missed out on the 2011 World Cup through injury, before falling down the pecking order four years later and then failing to make the training camp in 2019. These setbacks mean that he has played just one game at a World Cup, when England faced Uruguay back in 2015.
"World Cups haven't been what I wanted them to be," he added. "So I would give anything to get in that 33 to France. The dream is the dream, to do what the '03 lads did and go and win the trophy.
"I've seen it all. I've been there, I've been named in a squad and not been able to make the plane through injury. I've seen lads come from nowhere and make a World Cup. Anything could happen, it's rugby. All I am focusing on is each day and trying to work hard and help the team."
