Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament Explained

Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament
Sport:Rugby union
Inaugural:2000
Teams:16 (boys)
8 (girls' sevens)
Country:Japan
Venue:Global Arena, Munakata
Champion: Paul Roos Gymnasium (2nd title)
Most Champs: Hamilton Boys' High School (3 titles)
Related Comps:National High School Rugby Tournament
National 1st XV Championship
NatWest Schools Cup
Scottish Rugby Schools' Cup
Website:sanix-sports.com

The Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament is an international rugby union tournament for 15-a-side youth teams which is held every year during the Golden Week holidays (29 April – 5/6 May) in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Participation is by invitation only, and the overseas schools selected by their respective unions to represent their country are generally expected to be of a high standard and among the top five in each country. The event is hosted by the Japan Rugby Football Union and supported by various local bodies including the Kyushu RFU, the Sanix Sports Foundation and Munakata City. The Global Arena in Munakata, Fukuoka on the island of Kyūshū is the venue for this tournament.

History

In 2000 the first tournament was contested by 11 Japanese and five foreign high school teams from various countries. (The tournament expanded from 16 to 20 schools in 2009, thus increasing in both size and importance.) It is a unique competition in world rugby for high schools, and is almost a "mini World Cup". The idea was devised and initially funded by the Sanix company president Mr. Munemasa. Sanix still provides about half the substantial costs for overseas teams to participate.

Three or four of the Japanese teams are from the local area Kyūshū, where high school rugby is particularly strong. The rest are from elsewhere in Japan. A Scottish pipe band is a regular fixture, though there was no band in 2007. However Dollar Academy has participated twice as Scotland's sole representative so far in the tournament in 2000 and 2004, and George Watson's College Pipe Band, Edinburgh have played both the opening and closing ceremonies from 2008 to date. One Italian team (Istituto Casteller) took part in 2002, and Carmarthenshire College from Wales has also participated.

In 2014 the tournament debuted a girls' rugby sevens tournament to run parallel to the boys' competition. The debut girls' tournament was won by a Kanto regional selection team, and the most recent champions are St Mary's College, Wellington who won the 2017 tournament.

Competing nations

As of 2018 a total of 20 countries have participated in at least one edition of the Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament, with many countries being represented annually. Nations who have competed in the tournament are as follows:

Champions

Boys' competition

Year
  1. of Teams
FinalLosing semi-finalists
width=15%Winnerwidth=8%Scorewidth=15%Runner-upwidth=15%Third placewidth=15%Fourth place
200016 The King's School28–5 Paul Roos Gymnasium Aranui High School Dollar Academy
200124 Grey Collegealign=center- St Peter's College Higashi Fukuoka High School St Mary's College
200216 32–10 Sendai Ikuei Gakuen H.S. Ratu Kadavulevu School Wesley College
200316 Rotorua Boys' High Schoolalign=center- Tonga College St Alban's College Royal Belfast Academical
200416 Rotorua Boys' High School36–18 Higashi Fukuoka High School Ermelo High School St Stanislaus' College
200516 Christchurch Boys' H.S.32–8 The Southport School Hoërskool Waterkloof Osaka Institute Technology
200616 Christchurch Boys' H.S.34–20 Monument High School Tokai Uni. Gyosei H.S. Higashi Fukuoka High School
200716 Westfields Sports H.S.align=center- Higashi Fukuoka High School Christchurch Boys' H.S. Avele College
200816 Glenwood High School 39–0 Tarbes High School Gisborne Boys' H.S. St Edmund's College
200920 Dax Landes High School38–30 Higashi Fukuoka High School Glenwood High School De La Salle College
201016 Hamilton Boys' H.S.40–8 Truro College The Hills Sports H.S. Marais Viljoen High School
201116 Hamilton Boys' H.S.35–17 Ivybridge Community College Paarl Boys' High School Toin Gakuen H.S.
201216 Kelston Boys' High School37–24 Truro College Tonga College Tokai Uni. Gyosei H.S.
201316 St Kentigern College40–8 Hartpury College St Joseph's College Daniel Pienaar Technical H.S.
201416 Hamilton Boys' H.S.15–11 Paarl Boys' High School Lycée Louis de Foix Tokai Uni. Gyosei H.S.
2015align=center 16 Paul Roos Gymnasiumalign=center 35–3 Brisbane Boys' College Scots College Truro College
2016align=center 16 Glenwood High Schoolalign=center 45–6 Higashi Fukuoka High School Rotorua Boys' High School Truro College
2017align=center 16 Lycée de la Borde Bassealign=center 9–3 Mt Albert Grammar School Higashi Fukuoka High School Toin Gakuen H.S.
2018align=center 16 Ratu Kadavulevu Schoolalign=center 35–5 Hastings Boys' H.S. St Augustine's College Osaka Toin High School
2019align=center 16 Paul Roos Gymnasiumalign=center 52–5 St Peters College Toin Gakuen H.S. Waverley College

Schools with multiple appearances

In the table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Seasons" column, bold years indicate winning seasons.

Appearances School Seasons
82004, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
62013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
42010, 2012, 2015, 2016
42015, 2016, 2017, 2019
3 '2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
32000, 2015, 2019
32003, 2004, 2016
32008, 2009, 2016
32017, 2018, 2019
32017, 2018, 2019
22005, 2006
22015, 2018
22015, 2019
22015, 2019
22017, 2018
22017, 2018
22017, 2018
22018, 2019

Girls' sevens competition

Year
  1. of Teams
FinalLosing semi-finalists
width=15%Winnerwidth=8%Scorewidth=15%Runner-upwidth=15%Third placewidth=15%Fourth place
20148 Kanto Selection35–21 Sunshine Coast Stingrays Fukuoka Ladies' R.F.C. Feilding High School
20158 Hamilton Girls' H.S.31–12 Fukuoka Ladies' R.F.C. Iwami Chisuikan H.S. Hong Kong Sports School
20168 Otemon Gakuen H.S.38–5 Tochigi Strawberries Hamilton Girls' High School Fukuoka Ladies' R.F.C.
20178 St Mary's College26–22 Kokugakuen Uni. Tochigi H.S. Hartpury College Aranmore Catholic College
20188 Iwami Chisuikan H.S.17–10 Hamilton Girls' H.S. Otemon Gakuen H.S. Fukuoka Ladies R.F.C.

See also

External links