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Today
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15:05
World Rugby U20 Championship

World Rugby U20s fixtures confirmed; Cape Town Stadium to host final

An aerial view of the Cape Town Stadium (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The iconic DHL Cape Town Stadium is set to host the final of the 2024 World Rugby U20s Championship on July 19. Having staged last year’s tournament at Athlone, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, an event won by France for the third time in a row, the home of the URC Stormers has now been added to the list of venues, with Paarl missing out.

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The 58,000-capacity stadium, which was built for the 2010 FIFA football World Cup, will open its lower bowl for the three matches on the June 29 U20s opening day – including hosts South Africa taking on Fiji – as well as the July 14 semi-finals and the final five days later.

South Africa have been drawn in Pool C with current Six Nations champions England, Argentina, and Fiji. Defending World Rugby U20 champions France are in Pool A with Wales, recent Rugby Championship winners New Zealand and Spain, while Pool B will consist of Ireland, Australia, Georgia, and Italy.

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A statement read: “Fixtures and venues have been announced for the 14th edition of the World Rugby U20 Championship which will take place between June 29-July 19 in South Africa’s Western Cape for a second successive year.

“The tournament will be played over five match days where the world’s 12 best teams will compete across three world-class venues. Danie Craven Stadium and Athlone Stadium will stage pool matches while the iconic Cape Town Stadium will host key fixtures, including the opener, semi-finals, and final.

“Three-time champions France will begin their title defence against Pool A opponents and World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 winners Spain at Cape Town Stadium on June 29.

“The Junior Springboks finished third at the last edition on home soil and will look to draw inspiration from their Rugby World Cup-winning senior team to go all the way and be crowned U20 champions for the first time since 2012.

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“The tournament will be available to watch everywhere on the planet, either through local broadcast partners in South Africa (Supersport), France (L’Equipe TV), New Zealand (Sky NZ), Fiji (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation) or via RugbyPass TV which will broadcast all matches of the competition for free in markets without exclusive deals.

“The World Rugby U20 Championship will be the first international competition to feature the three new law amendments implemented to promote ball in flow and diversity of attacking options while supporting player welfare. A package of six law trials will also operate, including the simplified red card sanction process, approved by the World Rugby executive board.”

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship is the pinnacle of age-grade rugby, and it continues to be a key part of World Rugby’s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players.

“The South African Rugby Union were incredible hosts in 2023 and we are confident they will deliver an outstanding experience for players and fans alike. We are also very excited to see the new law amendments which will improve the on-field spectacle for anyone watching, promoting an exciting attacking brand of rugby.”

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SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer added: “Last year’s tournament was an unforgettable experience, and we expect more of the same this year. With the recent U20 Rugby Championship, we saw how closely matched the four SANZAAR teams were, and it was the same in the U20 Six Nations, where England emerged victorious.

“To host the next generation of superstars next month is a great privilege and we can’t wait to welcome their families, friends, and fans to South Africa.

“The World Rugby U20 Championship plays an important role in the global rugby picture and is key in promoting and growing the game, while we are also excited to unearth the next generation of Springboks.”

World Rugby U20 Championship fixtures:
Saturday, June 29
DHL Stadium:
14h00: France vs Spain
16h30: Ireland vs Italy
19h00: South Africa vs Fiji

Athlone Stadium:
14h00: England vs Argentina
16h30: Australia vs Georgia
19h00: Wales vs New Zealand

Thursday, July 4
Danie Craven Stadium:
14h00: Ireland vs Georgia
16h30: France vs New Zealand
19h00: South Africa vs Argentina

Athlone Stadium:
14h00: Wales vs Spain
16h30: England vs Fiji
19h00: Australia vs Italy

Tuesday, July 9:
Athlone Stadium:
14h00: Ireland vs Australia
16h30: France vs Wales
19h00: South Africa vs England

Danie Craven Stadium:
14h00: Argentina vs Fiji
16h30: Georgia vs Italy
19h00: New Zealand vs Spain

Sunday, July 14:
Danie Craven Stadium:
14h00: 10th seed vs 11th seed (match 19)
16h30: 9th seed vs 12th seed (match 20)
19h00: 6th seed vs 7th seed (match 21)

DHL Stadium:
14h00: 5th seed vs 8th seed (match 22)
16h30: 2nd seed vs 3rd seed (semi-final – match 23)
19h00: 1st seed vs 4th seed (semi-final – match 24)

Friday, July 19:
Athlone Stadium:
12h00: Loser Match 19 vs Loser Match 20
14h30: Winner Match 19 vs Winner Match 20
17h00: Loser Match 21 vs Loser Match 22

DHL Stadium:
14h00: Winner Match 21 vs Winner Match 22
16h30: Loser Match 23 vs Loser Match 24 (bronze medal match)
19h00: Winner Match 23 vs Winner Match 24 (final)

  • Match day tickets can be purchased from ticketmaster.co.za and will go on sale on May 31. The tickets are priced at R35 for children (18 years and younger) and R75 for adults

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Comments on RugbyPass

m
mused 1 hour ago
Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Hopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.

To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.

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Cantab 1 hour ago
Leinster player ratings vs Connacht | 2024/25 URC

Not surprised to see Barretts rating. He has always been a solid defender for the ABs but not particularly effective in attack situations.

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Cantab 2 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

Absolutely. Expect Crusaders to be a much tougher proposition this year as like the ABs last season was a transition one

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Cantab 2 hours ago
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’ under Razor

A transition stage still for the ABs even though I believe progress has been made in replacing players who have either retired or are now plying their abilities elsewhere. Challenge now is to develop greater depth across the board and fully correct remaining deficiencys in some positions

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G
GP 3 hours ago
The top 50 prospects under 23 in New Zealand rugby

Really interesting article.Canterbury and Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah, who debuted for the Crusaders before Canterbury , he is going places. Fellow Canterbury lock, who has debuted for the Crusaders in Europe, is big and athletic. His father Graham played in the NPC winning Canterbury side of 1997. His Uncle is former AB Chris Jack. Makos and Crusader no 8 Fletcher Anderson is developing fast with more experience. First-five James White did play well for Canterbury in the loss to Wellington. No harm in first-fives who can play fullback.

36 Go to comments
J
JW 3 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Yep NZ national u85 team is touring there atm I think (or just has).

144 Go to comments
J
JW 3 hours ago
Warren Gatland finds out his fate as Wales undergo huge changes

What are they gonna do with the 500k and what does that achieve? They could dump the whole side and pick amateurs and save 10million, but what is that going to achieve?


The problem it feels like to me is I didn't hear what Gatland is going to do in order to win the 6N next year. How is he helping the problem. It just sounds like they're expecting miracles and for Gatland to turn around the national teams results, but what good is that when you're not fixing any of the problems and you'll just be back where you were when Gatland and the old players leave?


I think you are totally wrong in your stance. Wales abosolutely need to spend that 500k by investing in their future, it just doesn't sound like theyre giving Gatland any more resources to do it with. They're not using that 500k very well.

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J
JW 4 hours ago
James O'Connor on Crusaders preseason: 'I haven't experienced anything like it'

They would improve a lot of such a scheme were allowed though JD, win win :p

18 Go to comments
J
JW 4 hours ago
James O'Connor on Crusaders preseason: 'I haven't experienced anything like it'

Yeah I actually think it was Havili that took it off him. Not bad himself, but on the advice of Razor, who didn't even pursue it and use Havili on a split bench as 10 cover?


One huge cluster#$@% but I think you could be right, I liked O'Connor when he won at the Reds and I've just got a funny feeling he's going to dominate Super Rugby, kinda like how Cooper came back to the Wallabies as an experienced head and spat out South Africa. I think James could do the same with the Blues and other Aus sides. I'd really love Rivez to get a lot of minutes though.

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J
JW 4 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I rated Lowe well enough to be an AB. Remember we were picking the likes of George Bridge above such players so theres no disputing a lot of bad decisions have been made by those last two coaches. Does a team like the ABs need a finicky winger who you have to adapt and change a lot of your style with to get benefit from? No, not really. But he still would have been a basic improvement on players like even Savea at the tail of his career, Bridge, and could even have converted into the answer of replacing Beauden at the back. Instead we persisted with NMS, Naholo, Havili, Reece, all players we would have cared even less about losing and all because Rieko had Lowe's number 11 jersey nailed down.


He was of course only 23 when he decided to leave, it was back in the beggining of the period they had started retaining players (from 2018 onwards I think, they came out saying theyre going to be more aggressive at some point). So he might, all of them, only just missed out.


The main point that Ed made is that situations like Lowe's, Aki's, JGP's, aren't going to happen in future. That's a bit of a "NZ" only problem, because those players need to reach such a high standard to be chosen by the All Blacks, were as a country like Ireland wants them a lot earlier like that. This is basically the 'ready in 3 years' concept Ireland relied on, versus the '5 years and they've left' concept' were that player is now ready to be chosen by the All Blacks (given a contract to play Super, ala SBW, and hopefully Manu).


The 'mercenary' thing that will take longer to expire, and which I was referring to, is the grandparents rule. The new kids coming through now aren't going to have as many gp born overseas, so the amount of players that can leave with a prospect of International rugby offer are going to drop dramatically at some point. All these kiwi fellas playing for a PI, is going to stop sadly.


The new era problem that will replace those old concerns is now French and Japanese clubs (doing the same as NRL teams have done for decades by) picking kids out of school. The problem here is not so much a national identity one, than it is a farm system where 9 in 10 players are left with nothing. A stunted education and no support in a foreign country (well they'll get kicked out of those countries were they don't in Australia).


It's the same sort of situation were NZ would be the big guy, but there weren't many downsides with it. The only one I can think was brought up but a poster on this site, I can't recall who it was, but he seemed to know a lot of kids coming from the Islands weren't really given the capability to fly back home during school xms holidays etc. That is probably something that should be fixed by the union. Otherwise getting someone like Fakatava over here for his last year of school definitely results in NZ being able to pick the cherries off the top but it also allows that player to develop and be able to represent Tonga and under age and possibly even later in his career. Where as a kid being taken from NZ is arguably going to be worse off in every respect other than perhaps money. Not going to develop as a person, not going to develop as a player as much, so I have a lotof sympathy for NZs case that I don't include them in that group but I certainly see where you're coming from and it encourages other countries to think they can do the same while not realising they're making a much worse experience/situation.

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B
Barry 4 hours ago
Loose Leinster scrape by Connacht to extend winning run

Could well be their year. Still winning games while playing utterly puke rugby.

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J
JWH 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

NZ regularly plays games against Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa, and almost all of the players who play for NZ are born here. Its a bit like an English born Scot, or an Italian born Frenchman.


WR does NOT schedule matches for the big unions. It is a big union problem, not a problem for WR to fix for once.

144 Go to comments
J
JWH 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Yes, I don't really rate Lowe and don't see him as a big loss. But PI players are more often leaving their home nation to play for a richer union like France or England or NZ, which is frankly just wrong.

144 Go to comments
J
JWH 6 hours ago
'Springbok Galacticos can't go it alone for trophy-hunting Sharks'

Why don't you tell me?


NZ regularly plays games against PI nations, Japan, and USA, expanding their unions and markets. What has SA done for the game, aside from winning RWCs and playing some really good rugby?


Nothing.

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J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Theyre just reference links to were they got the numbers from. Just couldn't be arsed removing them, theyre irrelevant.


Remember they'll be for all forms of rugby, and 'competition's as well as proper club leagues, for some of the more unique countries in the list. But yes, its fairly interesting what countries are getting upto with the game, Sri Lanka are just off that list. Have you watched Rugged Rugby on Netflix?


I really should check those references on Wales numbers. I had heard it was super popular down through the community, a bit like France in the south, but I'm still surprised by them. NZs mens numbers rose by 5% this year. Google list of rugby union playing countries.

144 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

That 500 number is abroad. These idea's would be far more interesting imo.

144 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Fully agree. I'm happy to boost rugby's popularity in these countries for the mean time though. Well I'm happy for it to go on until it naturally stops tbh.


But yes, you wouldn't want it to come to the detriment of other countries, thankfully that's not happening imo.

144 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Why wouldn't they? Just throw the towel in?


They certainly aren't going to go to Scotland if theres no jobs.

144 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Bit of a rosy outlook that. Lets hope so at least!

144 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

Still not as much as someone like Mitchell, so there's certainly room for more. But credit to him for his desire, he'd not played in consecutive CCs for the most part, but it doesn't look like he'd willingly missed a league game. What you appear to be giving credit to Toulouse for, as actually Lucu's willingness to play the full 80 mins in a third of his games. That's just very different of UBB, not Toulouse, surely?


They other thing I noted is that he appeared to have a bench backup on those equations. UBB never tried to create a player who can act as his cover and go with a bigger forward split on the bench? Would seem like the perfect opportunity.

144 Go to comments
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