The World Rugby Under 20 Championship will return in 2023 for its thirteenth iteration as the best tournament for players aged 20 and under. South Africa will host the tournament for the second time after the first appearance in 2012.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued instability in the world after the pandemic, the 2020 edition, which was scheduled to be held in Italy, was canceled, making this year’s Under 20 competition (along with the Trophy) the first global U20’s competitions held since 2019. The Six Nations Under 20s Championship and the Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship are two examples of ongoing regional U20 championships.
Detailed information about the competition is provided below.
- Date
24 June – 14 July 2023
- Host nation: South Africa
- Venues
Athlone Stadium
Danie Craven Stadium
Paarl Gimnasium
- Participating nations
France
Japan
New Zealand
Wales
Australia
England
Fiji
Ireland
Argentina
Georgia
Italy
South Africa
- TV network: iTV, Stan, ESPN, NBC and more
- Stream anywhere: Watch U20 Live Online
In 2023, after a brief hiatus due to the epidemic, the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy will resume. After Kenya hosts the U20 Trophy with eight teams from the 15th to the 30th of July, South Africa will host the U20 Championship with twelve teams from the 24th to the 14th of July.
How to watch World Under 20 Rugby Championship games on TV & Live Stream
We are pleased to inform you that a live stream will be made available in each match centre. In the event that the aforementioned broadcasters do not air the program, we may need to explore alternative options. Best way to watch Under 20 world rugby championship games online from anywhere only at $9.99, Watch Rugby U20 Championship >>Watch online
- ESPN
- Fancode
- Georgia Public Broadcaster
- ITV
- L’equipe
- NBC
- S4C
- Sky NZ
- Stan/Nine
- Supersport
- Virgin
2023 World Rugby U20 Championship Venues
The U20 Championship is scheduled to take place in a total of three distinct locations in 2023.
- Athlone Stadium, Athlone (Capacity: 34,000)
- Danie Craven Stadium, Stellenbosch (Capacity: 16,000)
- Paarl Gimnasium, Paarl (Capacity: 2,000)
2023 World Rugby U20 Championship Pools
Pool A
- France
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Wales
Pool B
- Australia
- England
- Fiji
- Ireland
Pool C
- Argentina
- Georgia
- Italy
- South Africa
2023 World Rugby U20 Championship Schedule
Pool A
| Match | Start time | Teams | Venue |
| Match 1 | 14:00 SAST, June 24 | France vs Japan | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 6 | 16:00 SAST, June 24 | Wales vs New Zealand | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 8 | 13:30 SAST, June 29 | France vs New Zealand | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 10 | 14.00 SAST, June 29 | Wales vs Japan | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 18 | 16.00 SAST, July 4 | New Zealand vs Japan | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 14 | 16.30 SAST, July 4 | France vs Wales | Athlone Stadium |
Pool B
| Match | Start time | Teams | Venue |
| Match 5 | 13.30 SAST, June 24 | England vs Ireland | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 2 | 16.30 SAST, June 24 | Australia vs Fiji | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 7 | 11.00 SAST, June 29 | Australia vs Ireland | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 12 | 19.00 SAST, June 29 | England vs Fiji | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 17 | 13.30 SAST, July 4 | Ireland vs Fiji | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 13 | 14.00 SAST, July 4 | Australia vs England | Athlone Stadium |
Pool C
| Match | Start time | Teams | Venue |
| Match 4 | 11.00 SAST, Jun 24 | Argentina vs Italy | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 3 | 19.00 SAST, Jun 24 | South Africa vs Georgia | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 9 | 16.00 SAST, Jun 29 | South Africa vs Italy | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 11 | 16.30 SAST, Jun 29 | Argentina vs Georgia | Danie Craven Stadium |
| Match 16 | 11.00 SAST, Jul 4 | Italy vs Georgia | Paarl Gimnasium |
| Match 15 | 19.00 SAST, Jul 4 | South Africa vs Argentina | Athlone Stadium |
2023 Junior All Blacks Championship Schedule
| Saturday, June 24, 16:00 SAST | Wales U20 vs New Zealand U20 |
| Thursday, June 29, 13:30 SAST | France U20 vs New Zealand U20 |
| Tuesday, July 4, 16.00 SAST | New Zealand U20 vs Japan U20 |
2023 World Rugby U20 Championship Format
Each team will play every other team in the event once (round robin style). The top four teams will then move on to the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches will face each other in the championship game.
U20 Teams that stand apart
New Zealand: The All Blacks
The All Blacks have a long and successful history in the U20 Championship, and they will be competing again in 2023 with the goal of adding another trophy to their collection. They bring with them an additional group of players who are tremendously talented to the South African coastline.
Ben Ake at loosehead prop, Siale Lauaki at tighthead prop, and Jack Taylor at hooker comprise the starting front row for the New Zealand Under-20 squad. Tahlor Cahill and Will Stodart are the locking tandem, while Che Clark, Sam Hainsworth-Faaofo, and Peter Lakai (Vice Captain) make up the trio of loose forwards.
South Africa: The Junior Springboks
The Junior Springboks are the ones in charge of hosting the competition, and they will be going into it with the intention of bringing home the trophy for the first time in more than a decade. They are led by a skilled combo in Paul de Villiers and Katlego Letebele, who together make up a formidable squad.
England: The Young Lions
The Young Lions are yet another squad to keep an eye on in the year 2023. They have a young team that is loaded with promise, led by the plethora of skills possessed by Rekeiti Ma’asi-White.
We are looking forward to seeing who comes out on top at the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship. There are a number of teams that could challenge one another: the All Blacks, the Junior Springboks, and the Young Lions for the championship. The competition should be intense, making for a fun and exciting tournament.