Queensland Reds flanker Liam Gill has been appointed captain of the Australian Under-20 rugby union team for the junior world championship in South Africa in June.

Openside flanker Gill is one of four returning members of the squad which finished third in last year’s world championship, along with Apo Latunipulu, Matt Lucas and Hugh Roach.

He’s also one of just a handful of players in the 28-man 2012 squad drawn from Super Rugby backgrounds, joining Reds teammate Chris Sautia and extended player squad members Nick Frisby and Ulupano Seuteni plus Kyle Godwin from the Western Force’s extended player squad.

Coached by David Nucifora and Anthony Eddy, it also contains six members of the Australian Sevens squad – Lucas, Sean McMahon, Allan Faalavaau, Con Foley, Lewis Holland and Lindsay Crook.

Australia are top seeds in pool C at the world championships, taking on France, Argentina and Scotland.

Pool A features New Zealand, Fiji, Wales and Samoa and Pool B contains England, South Africa, Ireland and Italy.

Australian squad: Allan Alaalatoa, Curtis Browning, Lindsay Crook, Steven Cummins, Thomas Cusack, James Dargaville, Allan Faalavaau, Con Foley, Nicholas Frisby, Liam Gill (capt), Kyle Godwin, Malietoa Hingano, Lewis Holland, Jed Holloway, Oliver Hoskins, Sam Jeffries, Silatolu Latu, Apolosi Latunipulu, Matthew Lucas, Leslie Makin, Sean McMahon, Benn Melrose, Maile Ngauamo, Pettowa Paraka, Sam Reiser, Hugh Roach, Christopher Sautia, Ulupano Seuteni.

AAP nh/