The 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championship was the eighth annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams. The event was organised for the second time in Italy by rugby's governing body, World Rugby. Twelve nations played in the tournament, with matches hosted by Parma, Viadana, Calvisano and Cremona, host city of the final match. England went into the tournament as the two-time defending champions after they successfully defended their title in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship (as the tournament was known through 2014). This was the first U20 Championship held after the sport's governing body changed its name from the International Rugby Board to the current World Rugby.

New Zealand won the title after a 21–16 win against England in the final.

Venues

The championship was held across four locations. Parma, Viadana and Calvisano hosted pool matches, with the latter two hosting semi-finals for each bracket (teams 1–4, 5–8 and 9–12). Cremona hosted the final and two of the remaining positional play-offs, with Calvisano hosting the others.

LocationVenueCapacity
CremonaStadio Giovanni Zini20,641
ViadanaStadio Luigi Zaffanella6,000
CalvisanoStadio San Michele5,000
ParmaStadio Sergio Lanfranchi5,000

Teams

The following teams participated in the 2015 World Rugby U20 Championship:

PoolTeamNo. of TournamentsPosition 2014Position 2015Notes
AEngland81st2ndRunners-up
AFrance86th4th
AJapan3DNP10thPromoted from 2014 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy
AWales87th6th
BAustralia85th5th
BItaly611th11th
BSouth Africa82nd3rdBronze Medal Winner
BSamoa68th12thRelegated to 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
CArgentina89th9th
CIreland84th7th
CNew Zealand83rd1stChampions
CScotland810th8th

Match officials

The following officials oversaw the thirty matches:

  • TMO Shaun Veldsman travelled to Italy for the semi-finals and the final.
Referees England Matthew Carley (England) Ireland Gary Conway (Ireland) Australia Will Houston (Australia) Japan Shuhei Kubo (Japan) Scotland Lloyd Linton (Scotland) New Zealand Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand) Italy Elia Rizzo (Italy) Argentina Juan Sylvestre (Argentina) Wales Ben Whitehouse (Wales)Reserve or Assistant Referees Italy Carlo Damasco (Italy) Italy Gianluigi Rossi (Italy) Italy Stefano Pennè (Italy) Italy Filippo Bertelli (Italy) Italy Luca Trentin (Italy) Italy Stefano Roscini (Italy) Italy Francesco Russo (Italy) Television match officials South Africa Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Pool stage

The playing schedule and pools were announced on 25 November 2014.

Key to colours in group tables
Teams advances to finals
Teams in the 5–8th place play-offs
Teams in the 9–12th place play-offs

All times are in Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

Points were awarded in the Pool Stage via the standard points system:

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus scoring point for scoring 4 or more tries
  • 1 bonus losing point for losing by 7 or less points
  • 0 points for a loss above 7 points

If at completion of the Pool Stage two or more teams were level on points, the following tiebreakers were applied:

  1. The winner of the Match in which the two tied Teams have played each other;
  2. The Team which has the best difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its Pool Matches;
  3. The Team which has the best difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its Pool Matches;
  4. The Team which has scored most points in all its Pool Matches;
  5. The Team which has scored most tries in all its Pool Matches; and
  6. If none of the above produce a result, then it will be resolved with a toss of a coin.

Pld = matches played, W = matches won, D = draws, L = losses, PF = match points for, PA = match points against, PD = Points difference between match points for and match points against, TF = tries for, TA = tries against, BP = bonus points, Pts = pool points

Pool A

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA BP Pts France 3 3 0 0 96 35 +61 13 4 1 13 England 3 2 0 1 107 53 +54 15 5 2 10 Wales 3 1 0 2 92 52 +40 12 7 1 5 Japan 3 0 0 3 17 172 –155 2 26 0 0

2 June 2015France19–10WalesStadio San Michele, Calvisano
16:30Try: Bonneval 7' m Ramos 13' c Blanc 57' c Con: Ramos (2/3) 14', 58'StatsTry: Smith 62' c Con: Evans (1/1) 63' Pen: Jones (1/2) 30'Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
2 June 2015England59–7JapanStadio San Michele, Calvisano
18:30Try: Perkins 1' c Walker 5' c Townsend (2) 8' m, 31' m Morris (2) 13' c, 18' c Howe 38' c Skinner 42' c Witty 80' c Con: Jennings (7/9) 2', 6', 14', 19', 39', 43', 80'StatsTry: Penalty try 61' c Con: Noguchi (1/1) 62'Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)
6 June 2015France47–7JapanStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
16:30Try: Bethune 3' c Delannoy 9' c Doubrere 46' m Cancoriet 61' c Chat 63' c Fouyssac (2) 67' c, 79 'c Con: Belleau (2/2) 4', 10' Meret (4/5) 62', 64', 68', 80'StatsTry: Penalty try 17' c Con: Noguchi (1/1) 18'Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
6 June 2015England30–16WalesStadio San Michele, Calvisano
20:30Try: Clark 9' c Packman 17' m Townsend 27' c Skinner 64' m Con: Jennings (2/3) 10', 28' Pen: Jennings (2/2) 1', 34'StatsTry: Watkin 38' c Con: Evans (1/1) 39' Pen: Evans (3/3) 31', 41', 60'Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
10 June 2015England18–30FranceStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
16:30Try: Chisholm 34' m Penalty try 60' c Con: Evans (1/1) 61' Pen: Jennings (1/1) 23' Evans (1/1) 66'StatsTry: Penaud (2) 18' c, 25' c Estorge 44' c Con: Ramos (3/3) 19', 26', 45' Pen: Ramos (2/2) 5', 70' Drop: Meret (1/1) 77'Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland)
10 June 2015Wales66–3JapanStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
18:30Try: Evans 6' c Wyn Benham (2) 10' c, 31' c Phillips 19' c Adams (2) 40' m, 77' c Beard 45' c Howells 47' m Belcher 65' c Davies 72' c Con: Evans (5/7) 6', 10', 20', 32', 46' D. Jones (3/3) 66', 73', 79'StatsPen: Noguchi (1/1) 3'Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)

Pool B

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA BP Pts South Africa 3 3 0 0 119 26 +93 16 4 3 15 Australia 3 2 0 1 78 83 –5 11 11 2 10 Samoa 3 1 0 2 60 98 –38 7 14 0 4 Italy 3 0 0 3 44 94 –50 7 12 2 2

2 June 2015Australia34–22SamoaStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
18:30Try: Gunn 10' m Placid (2) 27' c, 68' c Deegan 49' m Kellaway 74' c Con: Deegan (3/5) 28', 69', 75' Pen: Deegan (1/2) 2'StatsTry: Winterstein 40' m Dowsing 64' c Adams 71' c Con: Falaniko (2/2) 65', 72' Pen: Ioane (1/2) 18'Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
2 June 2015South Africa33–5ItalyStadio San Michele, Calvisano
20:30Try: Van der Merwe 15' c Penalty try 34' c Liebenberg 37' c Bothma 65' m Van Wyk 78' c Con: Thomson (3/3) 16', 35', 38' De Beer (1/2) 79'StatsTry: Agbasse 11' mReferee: Gary Conway (Ireland)
6 June 2015South Africa40–8SamoaStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
18:30Try: Du Toit 7' c Jenkins 35' m Liebenberg 46' m Zas 49' c Penalty try 80' c Con: Thomson (2/4) 8', 50' De Beer (1/1) 80' Pen: Thomson (3/3) 4', 22', 40'StatsTry: Leilua 66' m Pen: Falaniko (1/1) 29'Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)
6 June 2015Australia31–15ItalyStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
20:30Try: Wilkin 31' c Tuttle 34' c Orr 37' c Korczyk 63' c Con: Deegan (4/4) 32', 35', 38', 64' Pen: Deegan (1/1) 26'StatsTry: Masato 22' m Luus 66' c Con: Minozzi (1/2) 67' Pen: Minozzi (1/3) 4'Referee: Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)
10 June 2015Samoa30–24ItalyStadio San Michele, Calvisano
18:30Try: Leger 4'c Falaniko 20' c Tuiomanufili 69' c Con: Falaniko (3/3) 5', 21', 71' Pen: Falaniko (3/3) 15', 35', 59'StatsTry: Giammarioli 2' c Polledri 31' m Ferraro 44' c Zanetti 51' m Con: Minozzi (2/4) 3', 45'Referee: Will Houston (Australia)
10 June 2015South Africa46–13AustraliaStadio San Michele, Calvisano
20:30Try: Vermeulen 2' c Nché 17' c Ngcukana 43' c Thomson 54' c Jenkins 59' m Zas 68' c Con: Thomson (4/4) 4', 18', 44', 56' De Beer (1/1) 69' Pen: Thomson (2/2) 12', 36'StatsTry: Paia'aua 62' m Kellaway 78' m Pen: Deegan (1/1) 8'Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

Pool C

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA BP Pts New Zealand 3 3 0 0 125 42 +83 16 3 2 14 Ireland 3 2 0 1 45 61 –16 2 6 0 8 Scotland 3 1 0 2 59 98 –39 6 11 1 5 Argentina 3 0 0 3 51 79 –28 3 7 2 2

2 June 2015Ireland18–16ArgentinaStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
16:30Pen: Carbery (5/6) 3', 35', 40', 46', 55' Quinlan (1/1) 80'StatsTry: Portillo 42' c Con: Miotti (1/1) 43' Pen: Miotti (1/3) 5' Boffelli (1/1) 77' Drop: Miotti (1/1) 29'Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
2 June 2015New Zealand68–10ScotlandStadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
20:30Try: Bridge 18' c Li 23' c Ioane 36' c Gibson 40' c Karpik 47' c Jo. Goodhue 54' m Cridge 60' c Hunt 70' m Faiane 76' c Con: Hunt (7/9) 19', 24', 37', 42', 48', 61', 77' Pen: Hunt (3/4) 6', 29', 68'StatsTry: Carmichael 15' c Con: Hutchinson (1/1) 16' Pen: Hutchinson (1/1) 10'Referee: Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)
6 June 2015Ireland24–20ScotlandStadio San Michele, Calvisano
16:30Try: Dardis 11' m Oliver 30' c Con: Carbery (1/2) 31' Pen: Carbery (3/3) 20', 42', 64' Quinlan (1/1) 77'StatsTry: Carmichael 61' c Knott 80' Con: Kinghorn (2/2) 62', 80' Pen: Horne (2/2) 36', 45'Referee: Will Houston (Australia)
6 June 2015New Zealand32–29ArgentinaStadio San Michele, Calvisano
18:30Try: Laulala 27' c Wainui 36' m Tahuriorangi 63' c Ioane 65' c Con: Hunt (1/2) 28' Black (2/2) 64', 66' Pen: Hunt (1/1) 14' Black (1/1) 77'StatsTry: Paolucci (2) 69', 74' Con: Miotti (2/2) 70', 75' Pen: Boffelli (3/5) 10', 17', 20' Miotti (1/1) 61' Drop: Ferro (1/2) 34'Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
10 June 2015Argentina6–29ScotlandStadio San Michele, Calvisano
16:30Pen: Miotti (2/4) 21', 35'StatsTry: Nairn 44' c Galloway 52' m Wynne 68' m Con: Kinghorn (1/3) 45' Pen: Kinghorn (4/4) 5', 8', 19', 41'Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
10 June 2015New Zealand25–3IrelandStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
20:30Try: Li (2) 17' m, 43' c Gibson 47' c Con: Black (2/3) 44', 49' Pen: Black (2/2) 29', 40'StatsPen: Carbery (1/3) 15'Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Standings after pool stage

Pool PosPosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDTFTABPPts
Overall Standings
B11South Africa330011926+93164315
C12New Zealand330012542+83163214
A13France33009635+61134113
A24England320110753+54155210
B25Australia32017883−51111210
C26Ireland32014561−162608
A37Wales31029252+4012715
C38Scotland31025998−3961115
B39Samoa31026098−3871404
C410Argentina30035179−283722
B411Italy30034494−5071222
A412Japan300317172−15522600

Knockout stage

9–12th place play-offs

Semi-finals9th place
Samoa12
Japan29
Japan21
Argentina38
Argentina46
Italy5
11th place
Samoa19
Italy20

Semi-finals

15 June 2015Argentina46–5ItalyStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
16:30Try: Miotti 9' c Velez (2) 13' c, 18' m Bartoloni 31' c Granella 40' m Widmer 55' m Gauna 72' c Con: Miotti (3/5) 9', 14', 32' Boffelli (1/2) 73' Pen: Boffelli (1/3) 50'StatsTry: Luus 44' mReferee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)
15 June 2015Samoa12–29JapanStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
18:30Try: Kueffner-Mulitalo 51' c Con: Falaniko (1/1) 52' c Winterstein 60' m Pen: Falaniko (1/2) 52'StatsTry: Makisi 25' m Noguchi 38' c Horikosh 47' c Penalty try 55' c Con: Noguchi (3/4) 39', 48', 56' Pen: Noguchi (1/1) 74'Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland)

11th place game

20 June 2015Samoa19–20ItalyStadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
16:30Try: Tiatia 15' c Con: Falaniko (1/1) 16' Pen: Falaniko (4/8) 12', 19', 45', 60'StatsTry: Penalty try (2) 57' c, 73' c Con: Azzolini (2/2) 58', 74' Pen: Azzolini (1/1) 3' Minozzi (1/1) 24'Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland)

9th place game

20 June 2015Japan21–38ArgentinaStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
18:30Try: Tatafu (2) 5' c, 51' c Yatomi 33' c Con: Noguchi (3/3) 6', 34', 52'StatsTry: Deheza (2) 20' m, 39' c Achilli 26' m Larrague 58' c Gauna 69' c Boffelli 76' c Con: Boffelli (4/6) 40', 59', 70', 77'Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)

5–8th place play-offs

Semi-finals5th place
Australia31
Scotland21
Australia28
Wales23
Ireland12
Wales22
7th place
Scotland9
Ireland17

Semi-finals

15 June 2015Australia31–21ScotlandStadio San Michele, Calvisano
16:30Try: Placid (2) 22' m, 54' c Lealaiauloto-Tui 43' m McInerney 47' c Sandell 62' c Con: Deegan (3/5) 48', 55', 63'StatsTry: Coombes 5' c Galloway 73' c Penalty try 79' c Con: Kinghorn (1/1) 6' Horne (2/2) 74', 80'Referee: Elia Rizzo (Italy)
15 June 2015Ireland12–22WalesStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
20:30Try: Gaffney 44' Rock 72' m Con: Carbery (1/2) 45'StatsTry: Howells 8' m Davies 14' c Adams 19' c Con: Evans (2/3) 15', 19' Pen: Evans (1/1) 38'Referee: Will Houston (Australia)

7th place game

20 June 2015Scotland9–17IrelandStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
20:30Pen: Kinghorn (2/4) 6', 24' Horne (1/1) 69'StatsTry: Fitzgerald (2) 9' c, 72' c Con: Carbery (1/1) 10' Ringrose (1/1) 73' Pen: Ringrose (1/1) 50'Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)

5th place game

20 June 2015Australia28–23WalesStadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana
16:30Try: Korczyk 5' c Lealaiaulolo-Tui 19' c Fainga'a 62' c Placid 66' c Con: Deegan (4/4) 6', 20', 63', 67'StatsTry: Adams 14' m Wyn Benham 68' m Lewis 79' c Con: Jones (1/3) 80' Pen: Jones (2/3) 48', 56'Referee: Lloyd Linton (Scotland)

Finals

Semi-finalsFinal
South Africa20
England28
England16
New Zealand21
New Zealand45
France7
3rd place
South Africa31
France18

Semi-finals

15 June 2015New Zealand45–7FranceStadio San Michele, Calvisano
18:30Try: Li (3) 11' c, 30' c, 53' c Ioane (2) 27' c, 34' c Goodhue 78' c Con: Black (6/6) 12', 28', 31', 35', 54', 79' Pen: Black (1/1) 4'StatsTry: Castets 8' c Con: Ramos (1/1) 9'Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
15 June 2015South Africa20–28EnglandStadio San Michele, Calvisano
20:30Try: Jaer 77' c Du Plessis 79' c Con: Thomson (2/2) 77', 79' Pen: Thomson (2/3) 7', 20'StatsTry: Chisholm 25' m Penalty try 39' c Tompkins 70' c Con: Jennings (2/3) 40', 71' Pen: Jennings (3/5) 4', 10', 54'Referee: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)

3rd place game

20 June 2015France18–31South AfricaStadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
18:30Try: Bonneval 11' m Delannoy 42' m Blanc 48' m Pen: Meret (1/1) 8'StatsTry: Du Toit 21' c Jenkins 28' c Du Preez (2) 33' c, 38' c Con: Thomson (4/4) 22', 29', 35', 39' Pen: Thomson (1/3) 66'Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Final

20 June 2015New Zealand21–16EnglandStadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
20:30Try: Aso 25' m Ioane 45' c Con: Black (1/2) 46' Pen: Black (3/4) 8', 36', 58'StatsTry: Clark 3' c Con: Jennings (1/1) 5' Pen: Jennings (3/4) 12', 49', 56'Referee: Will Houston (Australia)

External links