World Rugby Junior World Championship

Upcoming season 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championship
Sport	Rugby union
Inaugural season	2008
Number of teams	16
Holders	South Africa (2025)
Most titles	New Zealand(6 titles)
Website	world.rugbyu20
Related competition	World Rugby U20 Trophy

TheWorld Rugby Junior World Championship^[1] (known as theIRB Junior World Championship until 2014 andWorld Rugby Under 20 Championship until 2025) is an annual under-20 internationalrugby 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, theUnder 19 andUnder 21 World Championships.

The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008, hosted byWales and with 16 teams participating. Wales was announced as host for the inaugural tournament in November 2007.^[2]The number of participating nations was reduced to 12 before the 2010 tournament due to financial reasons.^[3]

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, theU20 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.

#	Year	Host		Final		Third place match			Teams
			Winner	Score	Runner-up	3rd place	Score	4th place
1	2008	Wales	New Zealand	38–3	England	South Africa	43–18	Wales	16
2	2009	Japan	New Zealand	44–28	England	South Africa	32–5	Australia	16
3	2010	Argentina	New Zealand	62–17	Australia	South Africa	27–22	England	12
4	2011	Italy	New Zealand	33–22	England	Australia	30–17	France	12
5	2012	South Africa	South Africa	22–16	New Zealand	Wales	25–17	Argentina	12
6	2013	France	England	23–15	Wales	South Africa	41–34	New Zealand	12
7	2014	New Zealand	England	21–20	South Africa	New Zealand	45–23	Ireland	12
8	2015	Italy	New Zealand	21–16	England	South Africa	31–18	France	12
9	2016	England	England	45–21	Ireland	Argentina	49–19	South Africa	12
10	2017	Georgia	New Zealand	64–17	England	South Africa	37–15	France	12
11	2018	France	France	33–25	England	South Africa	40–30	New Zealand	12
12	2019	Argentina	France	24–23	Australia	South Africa	41–16	Argentina	12
Tournament canceled 2020–2022.[4][5][6]
13	2023	South Africa	France	50–14	Ireland	South Africa	22–15	England	12
14	2024	South Africa	England	21–13	France	New Zealand	38–24	Ireland	12
15	2025	Italy	South Africa	23–15	New Zealand	Argentina	38–35	France	12
16	2026	Georgia							16

Team	Champions	Runners-up	Third	Fourth	Top 4
New Zealand	6 (2008,2009,2010,2011,2015,2017)	2 (2012,2025)	2 (2014,2024)	2 (2013,2018)	12
England	4 (2013,2014,2016,2024)	6 (2008,2009,2011,2015,2017,2018)	—N/a	2 (2010,2023)	12
France	3 (2018,2019,2023)	1 (2024)	—N/a	4 (2011,2015,2017,2025)	8
South Africa	2 (2012,2025)	1 (2014)	9 (2008,2009,2010,2013,2015,2017,2018,2019,2023)	1 (2016)	13
Australia	—N/a	2 (2010,2019)	1 (2011)	1 (2009)	4
Ireland	—N/a	2 (2016,2023)	—N/a	2 (2014,2024)	4
Wales	—N/a	1 (2013)	1 (2012)	1 (2008)	3
Argentina	—N/a	—N/a	2 (2016,2025)	2 (2012,2019)	4

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 toWorld Rugby Under 20 Trophy WT = Competed in theWorld Rugby Under 20 Trophy q = Qualified

Year	Name	Nation
2008	Luke Braid	New Zealand
2009	Aaron Cruden	New Zealand
2010	Julian Savea	New Zealand
2011	George Ford	England
2012	Jan Serfontein	South Africa
2013	Sam Davies	Wales
2014	Handré Pollard	South Africa
2015	James Chisholm	England
2016	Max Deegan	Ireland
2017	Juarno Augustus	South Africa
2018	Jordan Joseph	France
2019	Juan Pablo Castro	Argentina
Cancelled 2020–2022
2023	Marko Gazzotti	France

• The Rugby Championship U20 Since 2024
• World Rugby U20 Trophy

• Official website

• World Rugby U20 Championship
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• Under-20 rugby union competitions
• World championships in rugby union

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• Use dmy dates from December 2022