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There will be three regular round matchdays, before a final is played between the two top teams.
Junior Boks coach Kevin Foote speaks to his players during a training session in the Cape recently. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha will host this year’s edition of the U20 Rugby Championship, Sanzaar confirmed on Wednesday.
The second edition of the southern hemisphere tournament will bring together the best young rugby stars from South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia, with double-headers taking place on 1, 6 and 11 May at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The inaugural U20 Rugby Championship took place on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia last year.
On that occasion, the Junior All Blacks edged out the Junior Springboks for the title after finishing the tournament unbeaten.
The senior Rugby Championship which involves the Test teams of the same four nations, takes place later in the year. The Springboks are the defending champions.
‘Exceptional viewing experience’
The U20 tournament will be good preparation for the teams ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship which takes place in Italy in July.
“We are thrilled to bring this tournament to Gqeberha, a city with a rich rugby culture and a passionate fan base and we are very grateful for the assistance from the Eastern Cape government in this regard,” said SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer.
“The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium offers top-class team facilities and an exceptional viewing experience for fans, making it the perfect venue for this event.”
The Junior Boks will take on Argentina in their opening game on Thursday, 1 May, and clash with Australia on Tuesday, 6 May, before rounding out their schedule against New Zealand on Sunday, 11 May.
Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the U20 Rugby Championship will be hosted on home soil this year. It’s a rare and special opportunity for the Junior Boks to play in front of our passionate home fans here in South Africa and this tournament is crucial for our preparations ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.”
Fixtures
Thursday, 1 May
New Zealand v Australia 2pm
Junior Boks v Argentina 4.10pm
Tuesday, 6 May
New Zealand v Argentina 2pm
Junior Boks v Australia 4.10pm
Sunday, 11 May
Argentina v Australia 2pm
Junior Boks v New Zealand 4.10pm
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