The 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship was the 14th edition of the premier age-grade (World Rugby Under-20 Championship) rugby union competition. The tournament was hosted in South Africa for the third time, previously being held in 2012 and 2023.[1] Played over twenty-one days in the Western Cape locations of Stellenbosch and Cape Town, the U20 Championship features the twelve best U20 nations in the world competing for the world title.[2]
The defending champions were France whom had won the previous three tournaments back-to-back.[3]
England won the competition defeating France in the final, 21–13.[4][5][6] Going into the tournament, the two finallists had met each other earlier in the year (March 2024) at the 2024 U20 Six Nations Championship.[4] England had also won that fixture, 31–45.[7][8]
Teams
The teams participating in the tournament are listed in the table below, with a summary of their previous best results at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship included.
The host locations were announced in February 2024. Similar to the previous tournament (2023), also hosted by South Africa, the Danie Craven Stadium and Athlone Stadium are hosting tournament matches with the final to be played at Cape Town Stadium.[9][10]
Updated to match(es) played on 10 July 2024. Source: World Rugby Notes:
^ abThe pool match between Ireland and Australia was cancelled due to weather conditions, rendering the pitch unplayable and unsafe. Each team was awarded two points.
Updated to match(es) played on 9 July 2024. Source: World Rugby Notes:
^ abThe pool match between Ireland and Australia was cancelled due to weather conditions, rendering the pitch unplayable and unsafe. Each team was awarded two points.
^The pool match between New Zealand and Spain was abandoned after half-time due to poor weather conditions which rendered the pitch unplayable and unsafe.[11][12]New Zealand were declared winners of the match.[11][12]
^ abcdeThe pool match between Ireland and Australia was cancelled due to weather conditions, rendering the pitch unplayable and unsafe.[13][14] Each team was awarded two points.[14]
^Morgan, Charlie (20 July 2024). "Bruising England physically dominate France to be crowned Under-20 world champions". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. France had won the past three completed tournaments in a sequence stretching back to 2018, the year that they overcame a side featuring Marcus Smith and Ben Curry in Béziers. This was England's first appearance in a decider since that game six years ago. Champions of the Under-20 Six Nations earlier this season, they had reached the decider by ousting Argentina, Fiji, South Africa and Ireland.