Japan Will Join Expanded World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026

The World Rugby U20 Championship will return to Georgia in 2026 for the 16th edition of the tournament, and the new-look tournament will expand to 16 teams with the addition of Japan, USA, Fiji, and Uruguay.

There is no World Rugby U20 Trophy tournament in 2025, and the U20 Championship has been taking place in Italy, with South Africa and New Zealand due to compete for the Cup final.

Georgia will host the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026, having previously done so in 2017, and the edition in 2026 will be hosted in the cities of Tbilisi and Kutaisi.

World Rugby Chief of Rugby Competitions, Performance and Development, Nigel Cass said: “The return of the tournament to Tbilisi and Kutaisi, now expanded to 16 teams, is a significant step forward in our mission to enhance global competitiveness and provide more young players with the opportunity to shine on the international stage.

We look forward to working with the Georgian Rugby Union and local authorities to deliver another memorable edition of our pinnacle men’s age-grade tournament.”

It will be the first time since 2009 that 16 teams will take part in the U20 Championship. In addition, World Rugby said there will be no relegation from the 2025 edition and that all 12 participating teams in Italy were advised of this information ahead of the tournament.

Georgian Rugby Union President Davit Kacharava said, “The active support of our national government has been instrumental in this achievement. Their backing was essential to securing hosting rights, and without the guarantees provided by our authorities, this would not have been possible.

I firmly believe that hosting the U20 Championship will spark a new wave of interest in rugby across Georgia. More young people will be inspired to take up the sport. Aspiring players will have the unique opportunity to witness, firsthand, how the giants of world rugby and the stars of tomorrow perform on the international stage.”

Why The World Rugby U20 Championship Has Expanded In 2026

World Rugby said the expansion to 16 teams “comes on the back of consultation with national unions as part of a wide-ranging review of men’s age-grade competition structures aimed at increasing the competitiveness of international rugby as part of the pathway to the Men’s Rugby World Cup.”

In terms of why the four promoted teams were selected, World Rugby said that Fiji was relegated from the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2024, and USA, Japan and Uruguay were the sides that finished second, third and fourth in the U20 Trophy in 2024.

They did not clarify what happens beyond that, however, as Chile is due to host a 2026 World Rugby U20 Challenger Cup, which will see the interregional competition featuring at least six teams.

The details regarding promotion and relegation for 2027 will be confirmed by World Rugby in due course, as will be the dates for the 2026 tournament in Georgia.

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