World Rugby today unveiled the details for its two flagship Men’s U20 competitions with South Africa hosting the World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 and Scotland the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
The USA Men’s U20s qualified for the Trophy edition in 2023 and will look to repeat with another exciting two-match qualifier against Canada, this year looking to be hosted in Canada.
The World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 switches to the northern hemisphere after a successful event in Kenya in 2023. Played in Scotland over four match days at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, the 2024 edition will feature eight teams fighting for promotion to the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025.
The two men’s age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation’s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players. The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen more than 1,550 players go on to make their test debut after playing on this stage, including 32 Rugby World Cup winners.
While five teams are already confirmed, three nations must still qualify via regional competitions in Africa, North America and Oceania. Samoa and Tonga will meet in the Oceania play-off on 8 March in Auckland, New Zealand with the winner joining the U20 Trophy line-up, while Africa will be represented by the U20 Barthés Trophy champion and North America by the winner of a two-match play-off between Canada and USA.
World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The U20 pathway is at the heart of our ambition to develop competitiveness globally. Since their inception in 2008, the World Rugby U20 Championship and Trophy have provided exciting opportunities for the future stars of the game to express their talents and develop before reaching test level as well as a compelling spectacle for anyone interested in our game.
“South Africa and Scotland will be fantastic hosts and provide ideal conditions for the 20 best U20 teams in the world to perform and I would like to thank our two member unions for taking up the hosting challenge. I am convinced many of the talented young players featuring in these competitions will leave their mark, not only on these two tournaments but also on international rugby later down the line.”
July 2-17 | Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
| Pool A | Pool B |
|---|---|
| Japan | Uruguay |
| Scotland | Netherlands |
| Oceania (Samoa or Tonga) | Africa (U20 Barthés Trophy winner) |
| Hong Kong China | North America (USA or Canada) |
