The City of Cape Town says it is excited to welcome back the 12 participating nations in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship.
The 14th edition of the World Rugby U20 Championship takes place between 29 June and 19 July 2024, with South Africa being back-to-back hosts.
“What better time to have the World Rugby U20 Championship than during the school holidays. The event’s return to Cape Town for the second successive year is a testament to the Mother City’s reputation as a leading events destination.
“We are excited to support this event, bringing together some of the world’s top talent and heart of rugby’s next generation. I encourage all Capetonians to go out and show their support for our Junior Boks as well as welcome the visiting teams with electrifying gees,” City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said on Thursday.
The tournament sees the world’s 12 best nations competing over five match days across three world-class venues.
Athlone Stadium will stage pool matches while the iconic DHL Stadium will play host to key fixtures, including the opener, semi-finals and the final.
Selected matches will also be hosted at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
Fixtures
The Junior Boks go into the tournament having finished with a bronze medal at the 2023 championships held in the Mother City.
“This year’s championship sees the host nation in Pool C with England, Argentina and Fiji. France, Wales, New Zealand and Spain are in Pool A and 2023 runners-up Australia, Georgia and Italy are in Pool B.
“During the pool stages, six games will be played on match days, with kick-off times scheduled at 14:00, 16:30, and 19:00. The defending champions, France, open the tournament against debutantes Spain, while the host nation will kick off with a clash against Fiji at the DHL Stadium on 29 June 2024,” the city said.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer believes the tournament will match the excitement levels from last year’s competition.
“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,” Oberholzer said.
Tournament tickets are available through Ticketmaster, starting at R35 for children 18 years old and younger, and R75 for adults.
A ticket gives fans admission to three games a day per venue.
Traffic Restrictions
Meanwhile, residents and motorists are reminded to plan their travel as the following road restrictions will be in effect on match days:
Athlone Stadium – Road closures are effective from 12:00 to 20:00. Hickory Road will be made a temporary one-way from Klipfontein Road towards Springbok Road with no access from Springbok Road.
DHL Stadium – Road closures are effective from 13:00 to 20:00. Full closure in both directions of Fritz Sonnenberg Road & Vlei Road.
For more information and other events hosted in Cape Town, the public can visit eventsincapetown.com. –SAnews.gov.za
