The World Rugby Junior World Championship (known as the IRB Junior World Championship until 2014 and World Rugby Under 20 Championship until 2025) is an annual under-20 international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, World Rugby, and is contested by junior national teams with an under-20 age requirement. This event replaced the IRB's former age-grade world championships, the Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships.

The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008, hosted by Wales and with 16 teams participating. Wales was announced as host for the inaugural tournament in November 2007. The number of participating nations was reduced to 12 before the 2010 tournament due to financial reasons.

The Junior World Championship is the upper level of the World Rugby tournament structure for under-20 national sides. At the same time that the U20 Championship was launched, World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) also launched a second-level competition, the U20 Trophy, featuring eight teams.

Promotion and relegation between the Trophy and the Championship is in place. The winner of the Trophy will play in next year's Championship, while the last placed team at the Championship will be relegated to the Trophy for the next year.

Results

#YearHostFinalThird place matchTeams
WinnerScoreRunner-up3rd placeScore4th place
12008WalesNew Zealand38–3EnglandSouth Africa43–18Wales16
22009JapanNew Zealand44–28EnglandSouth Africa32–5Australia16
32010ArgentinaNew Zealand62–17AustraliaSouth Africa27–22England12
42011ItalyNew Zealand33–22EnglandAustralia30–17France12
52012South AfricaSouth Africa22–16New ZealandWales25–17Argentina12
62013FranceEngland23–15WalesSouth Africa41–34New Zealand12
72014New ZealandEngland21–20South AfricaNew Zealand45–23Ireland12
82015ItalyNew Zealand21–16EnglandSouth Africa31–18France12
92016EnglandEngland45–21IrelandArgentina49–19South Africa12
102017GeorgiaNew Zealand64–17EnglandSouth Africa37–15France12
112018FranceFrance33–25EnglandSouth Africa40–30New Zealand12
122019ArgentinaFrance24–23AustraliaSouth Africa41–16Argentina12
Tournament canceled 2020–2022.
132023South AfricaFrance50–14IrelandSouth Africa22–15England12
142024South AfricaEngland21–13FranceNew Zealand38–24Ireland12
152025ItalySouth Africa23–15New ZealandArgentina38–35France12
162026Georgia16

Team records

TeamChampionsRunners-upThirdFourthTop 4
New Zealand6 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017)2 (2012, 2025)2 (2014, 2024)2 (2013, 2018)12
England4 (2013, 2014, 2016, 2024)6 (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018)—N/a2 (2010, 2023)12
France3 (2018, 2019, 2023)1 (2024)—N/a4 (2011, 2015, 2017, 2025)8
South Africa2 (2012, 2025)1 (2014)9 (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023)1 (2016)13
Australia—N/a2 (2010, 2019)1 (2011)1 (2009)4
Ireland—N/a2 (2016, 2023)—N/a2 (2014, 2024)4
Wales—N/a1 (2013)1 (2012)1 (2008)3
Argentina—N/a—N/a2 (2016, 2025)2 (2012, 2019)4

Participating nations

Team2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192023202420252026Years
Team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2023 2024 2025 2026 Years Argentina 8th 11th 6th 9th 4th 6th 9th 9th 3rd 11th 6th 4th 9th 5th 3rd q 16 Australia 5th 4th 2nd 3rd 8th 7th 5th 5th 6th 6th 5th 2nd 5th 6th 5th q 16 Canada 12th 14th WT WT WT WT WT WT —N/a WT WT WT —N/a —N/a —N/a 2 England 2nd 2nd 4th 2nd 7th 1st 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 5th 4th 1st 6th q 16 Fiji 14th 12th 8th 6th 11th 11th 12th WT WT WT WT 11th 10th 12th —N/a q 11 France 6th 5th 5th 4th 6th 5th 6th 4th 9th 4th 1st 1st 1st 2nd 4th q 16 Georgia WT —N/a —N/a WT WT —N/a WT WT 10th 10th 9th 10th 8th 9th 9th q 8 Ireland 9th 8th 9th 8th 5th 8th 4th 7th 2nd 9th 11th 8th 2nd 4th 11th q 16 Italy 11th 13th WT 11th 12th WT 11th 11th 11th 8th 8th 9th 11th 10th 7th q 14 Japan 15th 15th WT WT WT WT WT 10th 12th WT 12th WT 12th WT —N/a q 7 New Zealand 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 4th 3rd 1st 5th 1st 4th 7th 7th 3rd 2nd q 16 Samoa 7th 7th 12th WT 10th 9th 8th 12th WT 12th WT —N/a WT WT —N/a 8 Scotland 10th 9th 10th 10th 9th 10th 10th 8th 8th 5th 10th 12th WT WT 10th q 14 South Africa 3rd 3rd 3rd 5th 1st 3rd 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 7th 1st q 16 Spain —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a —N/a WT —N/a —N/a —N/a WT 11th 12th q 3 Tonga 13th 10th 11th 12th WT WT WT WT —N/a —N/a —N/a WT —N/a —N/a —N/a 4 United States 16th WT —N/a WT WT 12th WT —N/a WT —N/a —N/a —N/a WT WT —N/a q 3 Uruguay WT 16th WT WT —N/a WT WT WT WT WT WT WT WT WT —N/a q 2 Wales 4th 6th 7th 7th 3rd 2nd 7th 6th 7th 7th 7th 6th 6th 8th 8th q 16 Total 16 16 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 16 Legend = Hosts 1st = Champions 2nd = Runners-up 3rd = Third place 4th = Fourth place Place = Relegated to World Rugby Under 20 Trophy WT = Competed in the World Rugby Under 20 Trophy q = Qualified
Argentina8th11th6th9th4th6th9th9th3rd11th6th4th9th5th3rdq16
Australia5th4th2nd3rd8th7th5th5th6th6th5th2nd5th6th5thq16
Canada12th14thWTWTWTWTWTWT—N/aWTWTWT—N/a—N/a—N/a2
England2nd2nd4th2nd7th1st1st2nd1st2nd2nd5th4th1st6thq16
Fiji14th12th8th6th11th11th12thWTWTWTWT11th10th12th—N/aq11
France6th5th5th4th6th5th6th4th9th4th1st1st1st2nd4thq16
GeorgiaWT—N/a—N/aWTWT—N/aWTWT10th10th9th10th8th9th9thq8
Ireland9th8th9th8th5th8th4th7th2nd9th11th8th2nd4th11thq16
Italy11th13thWT11th12thWT11th11th11th8th8th9th11th10th7thq14
Japan15th15thWTWTWTWTWT10th12thWT12thWT12thWT—N/aq7
New Zealand1st1st1st1st2nd4th3rd1st5th1st4th7th7th3rd2ndq16
Samoa7th7th12thWT10th9th8th12thWT12thWT—N/aWTWT—N/a8
Scotland10th9th10th10th9th10th10th8th8th5th10th12thWTWT10thq14
South Africa3rd3rd3rd5th1st3rd2nd3rd4th3rd3rd3rd3rd7th1stq16
Spain—N/a—N/a—N/a—N/a—N/a—N/a—N/a—N/aWT—N/a—N/a—N/aWT11th12thq3
Tonga13th10th11th12thWTWTWTWT—N/a—N/a—N/aWT—N/a—N/a—N/a4
United States16thWT—N/aWTWT12thWT—N/aWT—N/a—N/a—N/aWTWT—N/aq3
UruguayWT16thWTWT—N/aWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWT—N/aq2
Wales4th6th7th7th3rd2nd7th6th7th7th7th6th6th8th8thq16
Total16161212121212121212121212121216

World Rugby Junior Player of the Year

YearNameNation
2008Luke BraidNew Zealand
2009Aaron CrudenNew Zealand
2010Julian SaveaNew Zealand
2011George FordEngland
2012Jan SerfonteinSouth Africa
2013Sam DaviesWales
2014Handré PollardSouth Africa
2015James ChisholmEngland
2016Max DeeganIreland
2017Juarno AugustusSouth Africa
2018Jordan JosephFrance
2019Juan Pablo CastroArgentina
Cancelled 2020–2022
2023Marko GazzottiFrance

See also

External links