World Rugby U20 Trophy

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.

World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
Current season or competition:
2024 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy
The trophy awarded, pictured in 2018
SportRugby union
Inaugural season2008
Number of teams8
Holders Scotland (2024)
Most titles Japan (3 titles)
Related competitionWorld Rugby Under 20 Championship

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

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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

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Ed. Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up 3rd place Score 4th place
1 2008   Chile  
Uruguay
20–8  
Chile
 
Georgia
34–10  
Romania
2 2009   Kenya  
Romania
25–13  
United States
 
Chile
19–17  
Kenya
3 2010   Russia  
Italy
36–7  
Japan
 
Russia
23–20 (a.e.t.)  
Romania
4 2011   Georgia  
Samoa
31–24  
Japan
 
Georgia
20–15  
Uruguay
5 2012   United States  
United States
37–33  
Japan
 
Tonga
31–29  
Georgia
6 2013   Chile  
Italy
45–23  
Canada
 
Chile
38–35  
Japan
7 2014   Hong Kong  
Japan
35–10  
Tonga
 
United States
26–25  
Uruguay
8 2015   Portugal  
Georgia
49–24  
Canada
 
Uruguay
44–43  
Tonga
9 2016   Zimbabwe  
Samoa
38–32 (a.e.t.)  
Spain
 
Fiji
44–30  
Namibia
10 2017   Uruguay  
Japan
14–3  
Portugal
 
Uruguay
34–12  
Namibia
11 2018   Romania  
Fiji
58–8  
Samoa
 
Portugal
67–36  
Namibia
12 2019   Brazil  
Japan
35–34  
Portugal
 
Tonga
29–27  
Uruguay
Tournament canceled 2020–2022 due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
13 2023   Kenya  
Spain
39–32  
Uruguay
 
Scotland
83–10  
Samoa
14 2024   Scotland  
Scotland
48–10  
United States
 
Japan
75–22  
Uruguay

Team records

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Team Titles Runners-up Third-place Fourth-place Top 4
  Japan 3 (2014, 2017, 2019) 3 (2010, 2011, 2012) 1 (2024) 1 (2013) 8
  Samoa 2 (2011, 2016) 1 (2018) 1 (2023) 4
  Italy 2 (2010, 2013) 2
  United States 1 (2012) 2 (2009, 2024) 1 (2014) 4
  Uruguay 1 (2008) 1 (2023) 2 (2015, 2017) 4 (2011, 2014, 2019, 2024) 8
  Spain 1 (2023) 1 (2016) 2
  Georgia 1 (2015) 2 (2008, 2011) 1 (2012) 4
  Fiji 1 (2018) 1 (2016) 2
  Scotland 1 (2024) 1 (2023) 2
  Romania 1 (2009) 2 (2008, 2010) 3
  Portugal 2 (2017, 2019) 1 (2018) 3
  Canada 2 (2013, 2015) 2
  Tonga 1 (2014) 2 (2012, 2019) 1 (2016) 4
  Chile 1 (2008) 2 (2009, 2013) 3
  Russia 1 (2010) 1
  Namibia 3 (2016, 2017, 2018) 3
  Kenya 1 (2009) 1
Team  
2008
 
2009
 
2010
 
2011
 
2012
 
2013
 
2014
 
2015
 
2016
 
2017
 
2018
 
2019
 
2023
 
2024

2025
Years
  Brazil - - - - - - - - - - - 7th - - - 1
  Canada WC WC 6th 5th 6th 2nd 7th 2nd - 7th 7th 5th - - - 9
  Cayman Islands - 8th - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
  Chile 2nd 3rd - - 5th 3rd - - - 5th - - - - - 5
  Cook Islands 7th - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
  Fiji WC WC WC WC WC WC WC 5th 3rd 6th 1st WC WC WC q 5
  Georgia 3rd - - 3rd 4th - 5th 1st WC WC WC WC WC WC WC 5
  Hong Kong - - - - - - 8th 8th 7th 8th 6th 8th 8th 7th - 8
  Italy WC WC 1st WC WC 1st WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC 2
  Jamaica 8th - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
  Japan WC WC 2nd 2nd 2nd 4th 1st WC WC 1st WC 1st WC 3rd - 8
  Kenya - 4th - - - - - - - - - 6th 6th 8th - 4
  Namibia 5th 5th - - - 8th 6th 6th 4th 4th 4th - - - - 8
  Netherlands - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5th - 1
  Papua New Guinea - 6th 8th - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
  Portugal - - - - - 6th - 7th - 2nd 3rd 2nd - - - 5
  Romania 4th 1st 4th - - - - - - - 8th - - - - 4
  Russia - - 3rd 6th 8th - - - - - - - - - - 3
  Samoa WC WC WC 1st WC WC WC WC 1st WC 2nd - 4th 6th - 5
  Scotland WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC WC 3rd 1st WC 2
  South Korea 6th 7th - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2
  Spain - - - - - - - - 2nd - - - 1st WC WC 2
  Tonga WC WC WC WC 3rd 5th 2nd 4th - - - 3rd - - - 5
  United States WC 2nd - 7th 1st WC 3rd - 5th - - - 7th 2nd - 7
  Uruguay 1st WC 5th 4th - 7th 4th 3rd 6th 3rd 5th 4th 2nd 4th - 12
  Zimbabwe - - 7th 8th 7th - - - 8th - - - 5th - - 5
Total 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Legend

References

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