Sport | Rugby Championship U20 heading to Nelson Mandela Bay

Joel Leotlela scores for South Africa in their 13-13 draw against New Zealand in the Under-20 Rugby Championship opener in 2024. (Albert Perez/Getty Images)

• The Eastern Cape will play host to the second edition of the Rugby Championship Under-20.
• The event, which serves as preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, will take place at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in May.
• New Zealand won last year’s inaugural event on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.
• For more rugby news, visit our dedicated section.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha will host the second edition of the Rugby Championship Under-20.

Southern hemisphere governing body, Sanzaar, on Wednesday confirmed that the Junior Springboks, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia will contest the event from 1-11 May. It will serve as preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which takes place in Italy in July.

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In last year’s inaugural Rugby Championship U20, New Zealand emerged as champions on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

The Junior All Blacks and Junior Springboks drew their opening game 13-13, before New Zealand beat Argentina 43-20 and Australia 36-25 to claim the title.

South Africa lost 24-19 to Australia, before edging Argentina 30-28 in their final game.

New Zealand topped the standings on 11 points, followed by South Africa (7), Argentina (6) and Australia (4). Los Pumas had beaten the young Wallabies 25-6.

This year’s format remains the same with all the teams playing each other once in a three-match round robin across three match-days.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said they were “thrilled” to bring this tournament to Gqeberha.

“[It’s] 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.

“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 combination of top-notch facilities and accommodation, coupled with the enthusiastic support of the Eastern Cape government and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, will undoubtedly create a memorable experience for everyone involved. Together with the Friendly City, we are looking forward to welcoming and hosting the best U20s from the southern hemisphere in the Eastern Cape,” Oberholzer said.

Sanzaar CEO Brendan Morris added: “This important championship will not only provide a vital pathway for up-and-coming rugby talent through exposure to essential international competition but will also provide development opportunities for the next generation of coaches, team management and match officials.

“Sanzaar sincerely thanks SA Rugby, that has an excellent reputation for hosting such events, for its support of the championship, and especially to the Eastern Cape Government who are providing invaluable assistance with the staging of the tournament.”

Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote said they were chuffed to have home ground advantage.

“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.

“We look forward to testing ourselves against the best young rugby players in the southern hemisphere and we hope the Eastern Cape fans will come out in numbers to support us,” Foote said.