AFTER the likes of Dan Carter, Schalk Burger and Luke McAlister cut their teeth playing international age group rugby, the World Cup stars of 2011 and beyond are sure to be heading to Gwent this summer.

Yesterday marked the 100-day countdown to the IRB Junior World Championship being held in Wales when the best 16 international sides at Under-20 level arrive.

Newport's Rodney Parade will host the group that includes England, Australia, Fiji and Canada. Wales will play their home pool matches against France, Italy and Japan at Swansea's Liberty Stadium.

South Africa and Scotland will be based in Wrexham while New Zealand, Ireland and Argentina will fight it out in Cardiff.

The competition will be held between June 6 and June 22.

Age group rugby at international level is seen as an essential part of the development of talented young players.

James Hook, Alun Wyn Jones and Gavin Henson are just a few examples of recent Welsh prospects who moved through the system to become top international players.

The inaugural tournament is costing the Welsh Rugby Union £3m to host and WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis said: "The future stars of the world game will be literally on the doorstep of the vast majority of Welsh people.

"There will be a real feast of international rugby for all to enjoy and savour.

"Warren Gatland will be looking very closely, I'm sure, at what is going on with the Under-20s team."

The Six Nations campaign is going reasonably well for the Wales Under-20 team after they were overpowered by England at Gloucester in the opening match. They bounced back to beat Scotland 27-10 and Italy 33-13, with both matches being played at Rodney Parade.

Ospreys stand-off Daniel Biggar and Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies have been two players to stand out in a team that tries to play attractive open rugby.

On the Junior World Championship, Wales Under-20 head coach Pat Horgan said: "This means a hell of a lot to us and this will be the biggest three weeks in a lot of these players' lives.

"About 60 to 70% of them will never represent Wales in a World Cup again."

Newport Gwent Dragons centre Ashley Smith, Wales Under-20s captain last season, is another player to come through the international age groups.

He played in two Under-19 Junior World Championships in Dubai and South Africa and said: "It was a fantastic experience to take part in those competitions and I faced Francois Steyn and JP Pietersen who you could tell were exceptional players."

For more information log onto www.irb.com/jwc