World Rugby U20 Trophy Explained

World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
Current Season:2024 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
Pixels:125px
Inaugural:2008
Sport:Rugby union
Teams:8
Gov Body:World Rugby
Season:2024
Count:3
Related Comps:World Rugby Under 20 Championship

The World Rugby Under 20 Trophy (known as the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy until 2014) is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, World Rugby, and is contested by 8 men's junior national teams with an under-20 age requirement. This event replaced the World Rugby's former age-grade world championships, the Under-19 and Under-21 World Championships.

The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008, hosted by Chile and with 8 teams participating.

The World Rugby Under 20 Trophy is the second level of the World Rugby tournament structure for under-20 national sides. At the same time that the Trophy was launched, World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) also launched an upper-level championship, featuring 16 teams in 2008 and 2009 and a reduced format for 12 teams from 2010 and onwards.

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.

History

The inaugural tournament was held in 2008, hosted by Chile, and won by Uruguay. World Rugby's decision that the United States would host the tournament in 2012 was viewed as the United States taking a step closer towards hosting the Rugby World Cup.[1]

Tournament results

Ed.YearHostFinalThird place match
width=15%Winner width=8%Score width=15%Runner-up width=15%3rd place width=8%Score width=15%4th place
1 2008 Chile20–834–10
2 2009 Kenya25–1319–17
3 201036–723–20
4 2011 Georgia31–2420–15
5 2012 United States37–3331–29
6 2013 Chile45–2338–35
7 2014 Hong Kong35–1026–25
8 2015 Portugal49–2444–43
9 2016 Zimbabwe38–32 (a.e.t.)44–30
10 2017 Uruguay14–334–12
11 2018 Romania58–867–36
12 2019 Brazil35–3429–27
Tournament canceled 2020–2022 due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
13 2023 Kenya39–3283–10
14 202448–1075–22

Team records

TeamTitlesRunners-upThird-placeFourth-placeTop 4
3 (2014, 2017, 2019)3 (2010, 2011, 2012)1 (2024)1 (2013)8
2 (2011, 2016)1 (2018)1 (2023)4
2 (2010, 2013)2
1 (2012)2 (2009, 2024)1 (2014)4
1 (2008)1 (2023)2 (2015, 2017)4 (2011, 2014, 2019, 2024)8
1 (2023)1 (2016)2
1 (2015)2 (2008, 2011)1 (2012)4
1 (2018)1 (2016)2
1 (2024)1 (2023)2
1 (2009)2 (2008, 2010)3
2 (2017, 2019)1 (2018)3
2 (2013, 2015)2
1 (2014)2 (2012, 2019)1 (2016)4
1 (2008)2 (2009, 2013)3
1 (2010)1
3 (2016, 2017, 2018)3
1 (2009)1
width=90Team
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2023

2024

2025
Years
-----------7th---1
WCWC6th5th6thbgcolor=silver2nd7thbgcolor=silver2nd-7th7th5th---9
-8th-------------1
bgcolor=silver style="border: 3px solid red"2nd3rd--5thbgcolor=#cc9966 style="border: 3px solid red"3rd---5th-----5
7th--------------1
WCWCWCWCWCWCWC5th3rd6thbgcolor=gold1stWCWCWCq5
3rd--bgcolor=#cc9966 style="border: 3px solid red"3rd4th-5thbgcolor=gold1stWCWCWCWCWCWCWC5
------8th8th7th8th6th8th8th7th-8
WCWCbgcolor=gold1stWCWCbgcolor=gold1stWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWC2
8th--------------1
WCWCbgcolor=silver2ndbgcolor=silver2ndbgcolor=silver2nd4thbgcolor=gold1stWCWCbgcolor=gold1stWCbgcolor=gold1stWC3rd-8
-bgcolor=#9acdff style="border: 3px solid red"4th---------6th6th8th-4
5th5th---8th6th6th4th4th4th----8
-------------5th-1
-6th8th------------2
-----6th-7th-bgcolor=silver2nd3rdbgcolor=silver2nd---5
4th1st4th-------8th----4
--bgcolor=#cc9966 style="border: 3px solid red"3rd6th8th----------3
WCWCWCbgcolor=gold1stWCWCWCWCbgcolor=gold1stWCbgcolor=silver2nd-4th6th-5
WCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWCWC3rdbgcolor=gold style="border: 3px solid red"1stWC2
6th7th-------------2
--------bgcolor=silver2nd---bgcolor=gold1stWCWC2
WCWCWCWC3rd5thbgcolor=silver2nd4th---3rd---5
WCbgcolor=silver2nd-7thbgcolor=gold style="border: 3px solid red"1stWC3rd-5th---7thbgcolor=silver2nd-7
bgcolor=gold1stWC5th4th-7th4th3rd6th3rd5th4thbgcolor=silver2nd4th-12
--7th8th7th---8th---5th--5
Total 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Legend

External links

Notes and References

  1. ESPN Scrum, USA to host IRB Junior World Trophy, Jan. 29, 2012, http://www.espnscrum.com/irb-juniorworld-2011/rugby/story/158475.html