Bellingham, Wash. – We're coming into the time for World Rugby's U20 competitions, when future stars get their first look at the international stage at the World Rugby U20 competitions.
These annual tournaments are a breeding ground for talent, providing a platform for U20 players to showcase their skills and take their first steps towards the senior international game.
Two Tiers, One Dream
The competition structure consists of two tiers: the World Rugby U20 Championship and the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
U20 Championship: This is the premier event, featuring 12 top rugby nations. It's a ruthless competition, with the winner crowned the best young rugby team globally. In 2024, the tournament will be hosted by South Africa. Last year's championship was won by France in fairly dominant fashion, as they scored 50 or more in both the semifinal against England and the final against Ireland.
But perhaps the news last year was how well Georgia fared, and how New Zealand finished off the podium.
U20 Trophy: This is the second-tier competition, offering a pathway for developing nations to climb the rugby ladder. Eight teams compete for the coveted trophy, with the winner earning promotion to the U20 Championship the following year. Scotland will be the host nation for the 2024 U20 Trophy. This is the competition the USA looks to be in, although they have to qualify by winning their qualification series with Canada. They did exactly that in 2023 and hoped to win the competition and thus garner a promotion to the Championship.
However, a little bad luck didn't help as the USA lost to Scotland and lost their other two pool games by a total of three points. That left them playing for 7th out of eight, and they won that game. Spain won the World Trophy in 2023 and so will be in the Championship in 2024, while Japan moves down.
The Road to Glory
Both competitions follow a pool stage format, where teams are divided into groups and play each other in a round-robin format. The top teams from each pool then progress to the knockout stages, culminating in a thrilling final to determine the champion.
Who's Competing in 2024?
The lineups for the 2024 tournaments are yet to be confirmed, but here's a glimpse of what to expect:
U20 Championship: Twelve teams will compete in three pools. Pool A features France, New Zealand, Spain, and Wales. Pool B features Australia, Georgia, Ireland, and Italy. Pool C features Argentina, England, Fiji, and South Africa.
U20 Trophy: Eight teams will compete in two pools. Pool A features Hong Kong, Japan, Samoa, and Scotland. Pool B features Kenya, Netherlands, Uruguay, and the winner between USA and Canada.
