The countdown is on to the biggest showpiece in rugby.

With a little over 12 months until the 2027 World Cup, Test sides will spend the next year finessing their squads before heading to Australia. 

While the next World Cup might arrive too soon for some of the best young talents across the globe, there will undoubtedly be a bolter or two that will come to the fore. 

Here, Daily Mail Sport’s ALEX BYWATER looks at 12 stars of the next generation ready to make a name for themselves.

Yaqeen Ahmed

Age: 20, Country: South Africa, Club: Stormers Position: Fly-half

South Africa are hoping to become the first team to win three World Cups in a row, and already have perhaps the most exciting young fly-half in world rugby in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

And the bad news for their rivals is they already have another dazzling No10 coming through the youth ranks, in No10 Ahmed. 

He was at the centre of his country’s Under-20 World Cup win in Georgia this summer and despite his young age, has already developed a reputation as a playmaker with an all-round game. 

Ahmed played for his club side Stormers against New Zealand last weekend, going up against the great Beauden Barrett, which no doubt would have aided his already impressive development even further.

Yaqeen Ahmed has already had a shot at the All Blacks, as part of their ongoing tour of South Africa while playing for the Stormers

Lucas Friday

Age: 20, Country: England, Club: Harlequins Position: Scrum-half

As Steve Borthwick attempts to turn England into World Cup contenders, there are a few exciting prospects he can call upon. 

Friday, the son of former England sevens coach Mike, is a very promising scrum-half who has become a regular in senior matchday squads for Harlequins. 

He has played for England’s Under 20s side for three years, winning the Junior World Cup when he had just turned 18. Now over a serious knee injury, Friday has expert distribution and a desire to play the game quickly.

Tom Howe

Age: 18, Country: Wales, Club: Cardiff Position: Hooker

A little over a year ago, I was walking my dog in Cardiff when I bumped into a former contact. ‘Remember this name,’ he told me. ‘It’s Tom Howe. He’s going to be a Wales international.’ Most people you speak to in Welsh rugby seem to be of the same opinion.

At a dark time for the country’s national game, Howe is a player of real promise. He’s already trained with Cardiff’s senior side and would have been picked by Wales’ Under 20s earlier were it not for age restrictions. 

Hookers tend to take a while to develop, but Howe has all the raw potential, so don’t be surprised if he steps up quickly.

Treyvon Pritchard

Age: 19, Country: Australia, Club: Queensland Reds Position: Utility back

Pritchard lit up Super Rugby in his debut season with the Reds. He can play anywhere across the back line and has been described as a ‘generational talent’ by Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh. 

Such is his ability, he quickly became a target for rugby league sides in his homeland, but he has committed to playing union on a new long-term deal – a significant boost for Les Kiss’s Wallabies. 

His dazzling run for Australia’s Under 20s against France this summer is worth checking out, if you want a glimpse of his talents. His brother Kadin, 21, is some player too.

Treyvon Pritchard lit up Super Rugby in his debut season with the Reds. He can play anywhere across the back line and has been described as a ‘generational talent’

Fergus Watson

Age: 21, Country: Scotland, Club: Glasgow Warriors Position: Wing

Scotland have been rightly criticised for not producing enough homegrown talent, but that looks like it might be changing. 

Livingston-born Glasgow wing Watson has all the attributes to be a force in the modern game. At 6ft 3in and nearly 16st, he blends significant size with pace, as the likes of George North have done before him. 

Watson marked his competitive Warriors debut in March with a try against Benetton. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has an ageing squad, so Watson might soon get a chance if he goes well in this season’s United Rugby Championship.

James Pater

Age: 19, Country: England, Club: Northampton Saints Position: Full-back

Pater made his senior Northampton debut at just 17 and is likely to have more opportunities with Saints this season after George Furbank’s move from the PREM Rugby champions to Harlequins. 

He can play fly-half as well as at No15, but it’s in the back field where he is likely to develop. Pater is still eligible to play for England Under 20s in the coming campaign, but looks ready for action at a higher level. 

A talented all-round sportsman, Pater was in Cambridge United’s academy as a boy. He is rated highly at Northampton.

James Pater (right) made his senior Northampton debut at just 17 and is likely to have more opportunities with Saints this season after George Furbank’s move to Harlequins

Josh Neill

Age: 19, Country: Ireland, Club: Leinster Position: Flanker

Neill went viral when doing interviews on Ireland Under 20s duty due to his strong African accent. He has been poached by the Irish system from South Africa and has committed his future to both Leinster and the national team. 

Given Leinster produce so much homegrown talent, the fact they have gone out of their way to move for Neill speaks volumes. He qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents.

At 6ft 4in, Neill is tall for a flanker. His grounding came at Rondebosch Boys’ High School, a traditional South African rugby nursery that has produced generations of elite players. Now, his future lies in Dublin.

Hugh Shields

Age: 18, Country: England, Club: Northampton Saints Position: Fly-half

Another promising Englishman at Northampton. Shields’ father, Paul, also represented Saints, as well as Ulster and Ireland. But his son has pursued a career with England, for whom he has played at all age-group levels. 

Shields was England Under 20s’ fly-half in Georgia earlier this summer and is still only 18. A promising game-manager and a strong kicker, Shields was arguably England’s standout performer in their Junior World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa, as he put in a display that suggested he has the talent and drive to progress to the senior side.  

The Northampton playmaker scored two tries against the Junior Springboks and also claimed 12 points with the boot in an impressive 22-point haul. He caught the eye again in the third-place play-off loss to New Zealand and will hope to maintain his upward trajectory.

Hugh Shields was England Under 20s’ fly-half in Georgia earlier this summer and is still only 18

Jake Dalziel

Age: 17, Country: Scotland, Club: Newcastle Red Bulls Position: Fly-half

Even at his tender age, Dalziel is already viewed in many quarters as the long-term successor to Scotland and Bath No10 Finn Russell. 

He is the son of Scotland forwards coach John, who was also a coach on the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour. Dalziel is regarded as one of the brightest talents Scotland has produced for many, many years. 

He made his Scotland Under 20s breakthrough last season and has already signed for Newcastle Red Bulls, for whom Scotland head coach Townsend is a consultant, having also had interest from Bath. He is still only 17 so has time on his side, but his talent may demand he progresses very quickly.

Even at his tender age, Jake Dalziel is already viewed in many quarters as the long-term successor to Scotland and Bath No 10 Finn Russell

Lucas Andjisseramatchi

Age: 20, Country: France, Club: La Rochelle Position: Back-row

France is the only country currently capable of rivalling South Africa in terms of the quality of their talent production line.

Their junior side were beaten in the final of this summer’s World Cup by the Springboks, with La Rochelle’s Andjisseramatchi as captain. He had previously helped France win the junior Six Nations. 

A charismatic character off the field, on it Andjisseramatchi sets the tone with his tireless work rate. He’s not afraid of scoring tries, either!

A charismatic character off the field, on it Lucas Andjisseramatchi sets the tone with his tireless work rate

Ollie Blyth-Lafferty

Age: 20, Country: Scotland, Club: Edinburgh Position: Prop

Blyth-Lafferty made an impressive first start for Edinburgh in a European Champions Cup victory over Toulon last year and then signed his first professional contract with the club. 

Described by age-group coach Kenny Murray as an ‘exceptional prospect’, Blyth-Lafferty props the scrum on the tighthead side, and captained his country at Under-20 level in a Junior World Cup warm-up with Ireland in the summer.

Cohen Norrie

Age: 19, Country: New Zealand, Club: Blues Position: Fly-half

Scotland-qualified Hurricanes fly-half Harry Godfrey is being marketed for a move to European rugby, clearing the way for Norrie to stake his claim as New Zealand’s next great prospect.

With Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie both into their 30s, Cohen Norrie will have his sights set on being the next great All Black No10

He certainly filled that role for the Baby Blacks this summer, also showing his versatility by filling in at full-back.

He won the Auckland Emerging Player of the Year award this year and has starred for New Zealand’s Under 20s. With Barrett and Damian McKenzie both into their 30s, Norrie will have his sights set on being the next great All Black No10.