 | ||
| Union | Rugby Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Coach(es) | Nathan Grey | |
| ||
| First international | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia 81–12 Canada .svg.png.webp){kind=small} (6 June 2008) | ||
| Largest win | ||
Australia 91–7 Tonga  (1 May 2019) | ||
| Largest defeat | ||
Australia 12–69 New Zealand  (10 July 2022) | ||
| World Cup | ||
| Appearances | 7 (First in 2008) | |
| Best result | Runners-up, 2010 and 2019 | |
The Junior Wallabies is the national under-20 team that represents Australia playing rugby union. The team has been competing at the annual World Rugby U20 Championship since it began in 2008, replacing the previously held under-19 and under-21 championships. The team also competes at the Oceania U20 Championship as of 2015.
Australia's highest finish at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship was as runner-up in 2010[1][2] and 2019. The team finished third in 2011 by beating France in the third place playoff,[3] and fourth in 2009 after losing to South Africa 32–5 in the third place playoff.[4]
Team name
The Junior Wallabies name was incorporated into the Australian under-20 crest prior to the 2018 season, but the name was also previously applied to several other teams in the history of Australian rugby.[5][6] In the era of amateur rugby from the 1950s onwards, the Junior Wallabies team was selected from uncapped players (with no age restriction) to play against touring Test sides [7][8] or to represent Australia on goodwill tours to Asia and the Pacific.[9][10] Media publications sometimes also used the name Junior Wallabies to refer to age-graded national teams such as the Australian under 19 side,[11] Australian Schoolboys,[12][13] and later the Australian under 20 team.[14][15]
Overall record
Summary for all under 20 matches at the World and Oceania championships up to and including the 2023 World Rugby Championship:
| Opposition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50% |
| Canada | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
 England | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13% |
 Fiji | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
 France | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 43% |
 Ireland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% |
 Italy | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
 Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| New Zealand | 15 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 27% |
 Samoa | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
 Scotland | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 67% |
 South Africa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33% |
| Tonga | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
 Wales | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Total | 84 | 51 | 1 | 32 | 61% |
World Rugby U20 Championship record
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 221 | 68 |
| 2009 | Semi-finals | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 186 | 74 |
| 2010 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 239 | 131 |
| 2011 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 166 | 117 |
| 2012 | 8th place | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 107 | 94 |
| 2013 | 7th place | 7th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 114 | 84 |
| 2014 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 101 |
| 2015 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 136 | 110 |
| 2016 | 6th place | 6th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 120 | 116 |
 2017 | 6th place | 6th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 135 | 106 |
| 2018 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 178 | 103 |
| 2019 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 171 | 122 |
| 2023 | 5th place | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 179 | 157 |
| Total | 13/13 | 0 titles | 65 | 39 | 1 | 25 | 2,128 | 1,383 |
Oceania Rugby U20 Championship record
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 109 | 87 |
| 2016 | Runners-up | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 54 |
| 2017 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 87 |
| 2018 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 170 | 55 |
| 2019 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 14 |
| 2022 | 3rd place | 3rd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 91 | 98 |
| Total | 6/6 | 1 title | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 590 | 395 |
Head coaches
- 2008: Brian Melrose[16]
- 2009–2012: David Nucifora[17][18]
- 2013–2016: Adrian Thompson[19]
- 2017: Simon Cron[20]
- 2018–2019: Jason Gilmore[21]
- 2020–present: Nathan Grey[22]
Honours
- Oceania Junior Championship
- Winners (1): 2019
- Runners-up (4): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
See also
References
- ↑ "New Zealand crowned JWC 2010 champions". IRB. 21 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ↑ "Young Wallabies finish runners up at Junior Worlds". 2010.
- ↑ "France 17–30 Australia". IRB. 26 June 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ↑ "Australia finishes fourth at IRB Junior World Championship". 2009.
- ↑ "John Weatherstone, 22, left, who will leave Australia on Saturday to tour Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan with the Junior Wallabies". The Canberra Times. 6 March 1972. p. 36, col. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "S. Africa names a strong side". The Canberra Times. 27 July 1971. p. 22, col. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ Australian Rugby Union (27 January 2009). "Biographies - Norman Peter Reilly". Brave and Game. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ↑ "Third visit in five years". The Canberra Times. 8 July 1990. p. 36. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "State Players Nominated". The West Australian. Perth. 25 June 1953. p.18, col. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Union teams selected for Ceylon, Fiji tours". Illawarra Daily Mercury. Wollongong. 9 July 1953. p.12, col. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Roff keen to tackle NZ side". The Canberra Times. 22 July 1994. p. 28. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Junior Wallabies maintain unbeaten record". The Canberra Times. 22 January 1982. p. 18. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Schoolboys still dominant". The Canberra Times. 28 January 1982. p. 26. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ Tucker, Jim (7 May 2016). "Goalkicker Mack Mason proves hero as junior Wallabies become history-makers in beating All Blacks". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Sport: Samoa expecting full-strength Australia in U20 opener". Radio New Zealand. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "Australia announce strong U20s squad". ESPN. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Annual Report 2009" (PDF). Australian Rugby Union. pp. 40–41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Trans-Tasman rivals set for final showdown". ESPN. 20 June 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Australian U20s coach announced". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Simon Cron, who led Northern Suburbs to Shute Shield win, named Australian U-20s coach". The Daily Telegraph. 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ "Jason Gilmore says Super Rugby experience with Reds will help him plot junior Wallabies revival". Fox Sports. 10 April 2018. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ↑ Williamson, Nathan (18 June 2021). "Junior Wallabies name squad for Oceania Tournament". rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021.
External links
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