World Rugby U20 Championship
SportRugby union
Inaugural season2008
Number of teams12
Holders France (2023)
Most titles New Zealand (6 titles)
Websiteworld.rugbyu20
Related competitionWorld Rugby U20 Trophy

The World Rugby Under 20 Championship (known as the IRB Junior World Championship until 2014) is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, World Rugby, and is contested by 12 men's junior national teams with an under-20 age requirement. This event replaced the IRB's former age-grade world championships, the Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships.

The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008, hosted by Wales and with 16 teams participating. Wales was announced as host for the inaugural tournament in November 2007.[1] The number of participating nations was reduced to 12 before the 2010 tournament due to financial reasons.[2]

The U20 Championship is the upper level of the World Rugby tournament structure for under-20 national sides. At the same time that the U20 Championship was launched, World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) also launched a second-level competition, the U20 Trophy, featuring eight teams.

Promotion and relegation between the Trophy and the Championship is in place. The winner of the Trophy will play in next year's Championship, while the last placed team at the Championship will be relegated to the Trophy for the next year.

Tournament results

Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up 3rd place Score 4th place
2008  Wales
New Zealand		 38–3
England
South Africa		 43–18
Wales
2009  Japan
New Zealand		 44–28
England
South Africa		 32–5
Australia
2010  Argentina
New Zealand		 62–17
Australia
South Africa		 27–22
England
2011  Italy
New Zealand		 33–22
England
Australia		 30–17
France
2012  South Africa
South Africa		 22–16
New Zealand
Wales		 25–17
Argentina
2013  France
England		 23–15
Wales
South Africa		 41–34
New Zealand
2014  New Zealand
England		 21–20
South Africa
New Zealand		 45–23
Ireland
2015  Italy
New Zealand		 21–16
England
South Africa		 31–18
France
2016  England
England		 45–21
Ireland
Argentina		 49–19
South Africa
2017  Georgia
New Zealand		 64–17
England
South Africa		 37–15
France
2018  France
France		 33–25
England
South Africa		 40–30
New Zealand
2019  Argentina
France		 24–23
Australia
South Africa		 41–16
Argentina
Tournament canceled 2020–2022.[3][4][5]
2023  South Africa
France		 50–14
Ireland
South Africa		 22–15
England
2024  South Africa TBC TBC

Team records

Team Champions Runners-up Third Fourth
 New Zealand 6 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) 1 (2012) 1 (2014) 2 (2013, 2018)
 England 3 (2013, 2014, 2016) 6 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018) — 2 (2010, 2023)
 France 3 (2018, 2019, 2023) — — 3 (2011, 2015, 2017)
 South Africa 1 (2012) 1 (2014) 9 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023) 1 (2016)
 Australia — 2 (2010, 2019) 1 (2011) 1 (2009)
 Ireland — 2 (2016, 2023) — 1 (2014)
 Wales — 1 (2013) 1 (2012) 1 (2008)
 Argentina — — 1 (2016) 2 (2012, 2019)

Participating nations

Team Wales
2008		 Japan
2009		 Argentina
2010		 Italy
2011		 South Africa
2012		 France
2013		 New Zealand
2014		 Italy
2015		 England
2016		 Georgia (country)
2017		 France
2018		 Argentina
2019		 South Africa
2023		 South Africa
2024		 Years
 Argentina 8th 11th 6th 9th 4th 6th 9th 9th 3rd 11th 6th 4th 9th 13
 Australia 5th 4th 2nd 3rd 8th 7th 5th 5th 6th 6th 5th 2nd 5th 13
 Canada 12th 14th WT WT WT WT WT WT - WT WT WT - 2
 England 2nd 2nd 4th 2nd 7th 1st 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 5th 4th 13
 Fiji 14th 12th 8th 6th 11th 11th 12th WT WT WT WT 11th 10th 9
 France 6th 5th 5th 4th 6th 5th 6th 4th 9th 4th 1st 1st 1st 13
 Georgia WT - - WT WT - WT WT 10th 10th 9th 10th 8th 5
 Ireland 9th 8th 9th 8th 5th 8th 4th 7th 2nd 9th 11th 8th 2nd 13
 Italy 11th 13th WT 11th 12th WT 11th 11th 11th 8th 8th 9th 11th 11
 Japan 15th 15th WT WT WT WT WT 10th 12th WT 12th WT 12th WT 6
 New Zealand 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 4th 3rd 1st 5th 1st 4th 7th 7th 13
 Samoa 7th 7th 12th WT 10th 9th 8th 12th WT 12th WT - WT 8
 Scotland 10th 9th 10th 10th 9th 10th 10th 8th 8th 5th 10th 12th WT 12
 South Africa 3rd 3rd 3rd 5th 1st 3rd 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 13
 Spain - - - - - - - - WT - - - WT 1
 Tonga 13th 10th 11th 12th WT WT WT WT - - - WT - 4
 United States 16th WT - WT WT 12th WT - WT - - - WT 2
 Uruguay WT 16th WT WT - WT WT WT WT WT WT WT WT 1
 Wales 4th 6th 7th 7th 3rd 2nd 7th 6th 7th 7th 7th 6th 6th 13
Total1616121212121212121212121212
Legend

World Rugby Junior Player of the Year

Year Name Nation
2008 Luke Braid  New Zealand
2009 Aaron Cruden  New Zealand
2010 Julian Savea  New Zealand
2011 George Ford  England
2012 Jan Serfontein  South Africa
2013 Sam Davies  Wales
2014 Handré Pollard  South Africa
2015 James Chisholm  England
2016 Max Deegan  Ireland
2017 Juarno Augustus  South Africa
2018 Jordan Joseph  France
2019 Juan Pablo Castro  Argentina
Cancelled 2020–2022
2023 Marko Gazzotti  France

References

  1. ↑ UK Sport
  2. ↑ "International Rugby Board". Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "World Rugby update on COVID-19 response measures and statement from Sir Bill Beaumont". World Rugby. 21 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Statement on the World Rugby U20 Championship 2021". World Rugby. 3 February 2021. The World Rugby U20 Championship 2021 will not take place this year due to the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
  5. ↑ "World Rugby U20 Championship and Trophy to return in 2023 – Welsh Rugby Union". 22 February 2022.
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