Junior Boks handed competitive draw for World Rugby U20 Championship

The Junior Springboks were handed a tough group assignment for this year’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship, which will take place from 29 June to 19 July in Italy.

The Junior Boks are ranked seventh for the global event and were drawn in a strong Pool A along with last year’s champions, England, as well as Australia and Scotland.

“It is very exciting news and will be a great opportunity for us to play in Italy during the (European) summer months,” said Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote.

Foote described their pool as “very competitive” and added the Junior Boks know they will have to be very good if they want to top the pool and progress to the knockout stages.

“England and Scotland would have had great preparations through the U20 Six Nations, while Australia will no doubt be using the U20 Rugby Championship to gear up for Italy.

“It is a very competitive pool; we are excited for the challenge and will be well-prepared.”

Italy is set to host the prestigious tournament – in four cities across the Lombardia and Veneto regions – featuring the 12 best Under-20 teams in the world, for a third time. It will be the first time in 10 years that the event returns to Italian soil since New Zealand beat England in the 2015 title decider in Cremona. The first time the tournament was staged in Italy was in 2011, when Padova was host city.

The Junior Boks will return to the same region where they won the 2022 U20 Summer Series, when South Africa – featuring among other the likes of Sacha Mngomezulu-Feinberg, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Cameron Hanekom and Ruan Venter – won the competition as an invited side along with the Six Nations teams and Georgia.

The 15th edition of the World Rugby U20 Championship will be staged in Calvisano, Rovigo, Verona and Viadana. They are set to host matches across the three rounds of pool matches on 29 June, 4 and 9 July.

The knockout stages kick off on 14 July with finals day taking place on 19 July to determine the final placings of the 12 teams, with the Stadio Maria Battaglini in Rovigo to host the final. Kick-off times are still to be finalised, and the full match schedule will be confirmed in due course.

England are the defending champions, having beaten three-time winners France 21-13 in the 2024 final in Cape Town, while Scotland will return to the U20 Championship for the first time since 2019 after winning last year’s U20 Trophy on home soil.

World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship represents the pinnacle of age-grade rugby, showcasing the next generation of international stars before they reach the highest level.

“We are delighted to bring back this thrilling competition to Italy, a nation with a deep passion for the sport and a proven track record of hosting world-class events.

“This 15th edition will not only provide an incredible platform for young talent to shine but will also capture the imagination of fans and we look forward to working with our friends at Federazione Italiana Rugby to leave a lasting legacy for the sport in Italy.”

The Junior Boks will resume their training from 20 March in Stellenbosch, the first time they will re-assemble after their recent successful tour of Georgia, where they managed to beat Georgia U20 twice in a series that was played in extremely cold conditions.

DATE

29 June-19 July

STADIUMS

Stadio San Michele (Calvisano)

Stadio Mario Battaglini (Rovigo)

Payanini Centre (Verona)

Stadio Luigi Zaffanella (Viadana)

POOLS

Pool A: England (1), Australia (6), SOUTH AFRICA (7), Scotland (12)

Pool B: France (2), Argentina (5), Wales (8), Spain (11)

Pool C: New Zealand (3), Ireland (4), Georgia (9), Italy (10)

POOL MATCHES