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The 2026 World Rugby U20 Championship—officially renamed the World Rugby Junior World Championship—was played in Georgia from June 27 to July 18, 2026. The tournament is over: South Africa beat France 16–5 in the final, while New Zealand defeated England 41–26 for bronze. Use the guide below for the complete schedule, official broadcasters by country, time-zone conversions and legitimate replay options.
Where to watch the 2026 tournament
World Rugby’s official rights list is the best starting point. Local broadcasters take priority; RugbyPass TV is the fallback only where no local rights-holder is listed.
| Country or region | Official broadcaster or streamer | Access guidance |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Sky NZ | Paid television and streaming provider; see Sky. |
| United States | Paramount+ | Official U.S. streaming destination; see the World Rugby episode page. |
| Canada | TSN | Check the TSN television and TSN+ schedule at TSN. |
| United Kingdom and Ireland | RugbyPass TV, Premier Sports and S4C | Fixture and language availability can differ by platform. Official services include Premier Sports and S4C. |
| South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport | Check local SuperSport or DStv Stream listings at SuperSport. |
| France | L’Équipe and RugbyPass TV | Coverage can vary by match and platform. |
| Australia | Stan Sport | Check the current Stan Sport rugby schedule. |
| Argentina | Disney+ | Availability is subject to the local Disney+ sports offering. |
| Georgia | 1TV and Rugby TV | Host-country coverage. |
| Other territories | RugbyPass TV | World Rugby lists it where no local rights-holder exists. Register at RugbyPass TV. |
For the authoritative, territory-by-territory list, see World Rugby’s Where to Watch page. Rights can be different for live matches, delayed broadcasts, highlights and archived replays.
Why some pages call it the U20 Championship
“World Rugby U20 Championship” remains the common search term and the former name. From 2026, World Rugby’s official branding became World Rugby Junior World Championship. Both names refer to this same under-20 international competition.
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Dates, host venues and format
Georgia hosted the 16-team tournament from June 27 through July 18, 2026, in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. Pool matches were staged at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi (Pools A and C) and AIA Arena in Kutaisi (Pools B and D). The final and bronze-medal match were at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.
The 16 teams were split into four pools of four. Every team played three pool matches, then all 16 advanced to placement games:
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- Pool winners contested the title semifinals.
- Second-place teams played for fifth through eighth.
- Third-place teams played for ninth through 12th.
- Fourth-place teams played for 13th through 16th.
Pool A
South Africa, Wales, Georgia and Uruguay.
Pool B
New Zealand, Italy, Scotland and Japan.
Pool C
Argentina, England, Ireland and the United States.
Pool D
France, Australia, Spain and Fiji.
Complete pool-stage schedule
Every kickoff below is Georgia local time (GMT+4). The date is the Georgian calendar date.
Round 1 — Saturday, June 27
| Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 | Argentina v United States | Tbilisi |
| 13:00 | Italy v Scotland | Kutaisi |
| 15:30 | England v Ireland | Tbilisi |
| 15:30 | New Zealand v Japan | Kutaisi |
| 18:00 | Wales v Georgia | Tbilisi |
| 18:00 | France v Fiji | Kutaisi |
| 20:30 | South Africa v Uruguay | Tbilisi |
| 20:30 | Australia v Spain | Kutaisi |
Round 2 — Thursday, July 2
| Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 | Wales v Uruguay | Tbilisi |
| 13:00 | France v Spain | Kutaisi |
| 15:30 | Argentina v Ireland | Tbilisi |
| 15:30 | Australia v Fiji | Kutaisi |
| 18:00 | England v United States | Tbilisi |
| 18:00 | New Zealand v Scotland | Kutaisi |
| 20:30 | South Africa v Georgia | Tbilisi |
| 20:30 | Italy v Japan | Kutaisi |
Round 3 — Tuesday, July 7
| Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 | Ireland v United States | Tbilisi |
| 13:00 | New Zealand v Italy | Kutaisi |
| 15:30 | Argentina v England | Tbilisi |
| 15:30 | Scotland v Japan | Kutaisi |
| 18:00 | South Africa v Wales | Tbilisi |
| 18:00 | France v Australia | Kutaisi |
| 20:30 | Georgia v Uruguay | Tbilisi |
| 20:30 | Spain v Fiji | Kutaisi |
The official tournament guide contains the schedule and venue information: World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026: all you need to know.
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Semifinals, placement matches and final
The semifinals were played July 12 and 13. The title semifinals on Monday, July 13, were:
- France v New Zealand — 18:00 Georgia time.
- South Africa v England — 20:30 Georgia time.
Placement matches for every finishing band took place July 17 and 18. The championship and bronze-medal matches were at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on Saturday, July 18:
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- AS TOUGH AS YOU: Thanks to its proprietary hydratec technical fabrics and waterproof laminations, the Gilbert rugby ball handles even the roughest conditions, enhancing the life and performance of the ball. Gilbert knows what it takes to produce top quality youth rugby, and adult rugby balls, that will last multiple seasons of heavy use.
- PREMIUM CONSTRUCTION: Preparing for a rugby game is serious business. Our size 5 rugby ball, as well as our size 3 and 4 size rugby ball for kids, feature a 3-ply poly-cotton and cotton laminate panels. This means that our balls will weigh slightly more, perform better on longer kicks and passes, and generally hold its shape better than a ball of 2-ply construction.
- HAND-STITCHED: In addition to our superior triangular grip pattern, and 3 ply poly cotton panels, all Gilbert rugby balls are hand stitched for durability. Pull it out of your rugby bag and trust that It's tough as nails. With over 20 years of experience, Gilbert is a trusted brand, making top-quality training equipment that stands up to the toughest challenges, making it the ultimate rugby game ball.
- EASY CARE: Prior to training or a match, use a soft cloth, light detergent, and warm water to remove dirt and residue from your rugby ball. All training/practice rugby balls and rugby game balls come deflated. Inflate them to 9.5 psi using a rugby pump, or any ball pump. Gilbert training balls are a great choice for any rugby team or player looking for an uncompromising, high-quality rugby ball.
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Bronze-medal match: New Zealand v England | New Zealand won 41–26 |
| Final: South Africa v France | South Africa won 16–5 |
Lightning near the stadium delayed the final by 45 minutes. The semifinal qualification report is available from World Rugby.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Time-zone conversions
Use the date-specific conversion on each official match page whenever possible. World Rugby match pages provide a viewer-specific “Your Time” field; for example, see the final match page.
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| Viewer location | Typical relationship to Georgia (GMT+4) during June–July |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | Georgia plus 8 hours in NZST; plus 9 hours if NZDT applies. |
| U.S. Eastern | Georgia minus 8 hours during daylight time. |
| U.S. Central | Georgia minus 9 hours. |
| U.S. Mountain | Georgia minus 10 hours. |
| U.S. Pacific | Georgia minus 11 hours. |
| United Kingdom | Georgia minus 3 hours during British Summer Time. |
| Canada Eastern | Generally the same offset as U.S. Eastern. |
| South Africa | Georgia minus 2 hours. |
Daylight-saving rules and the calendar date can change an offset. Do not permanently apply a single conversion to every fixture.
How to watch from a country without a listed broadcaster
- Open World Rugby’s Where to Watch page and select your territory.
- If a local rights-holder is listed, use that broadcaster’s own television or streaming schedule.
- If no local deal is listed, create or use a RugbyPass TV account.
- Check the individual listing to see whether a match is live, delayed, a full replay or highlights.
World Rugby instructed viewers to sign up for RugbyPass TV free of charge. That confirms free account registration, not universal free access to every match worldwide. A local exclusive broadcaster may still control live or replay rights. Do not rely on illegal mirror streams or assume a VPN bypass is permitted under a service’s terms.
Results, replays and highlights now
All 2026 fixtures are completed, so there is no live schedule to follow. South Africa retained the title by beating France 16–5; New Zealand finished third after a 41–26 win over England. Those four teams occupied the top four places. World Rugby’s tournament review includes the decisive results and links to RugbyPass TV highlights.
For remaining teams and placement positions, use the official pools and standings page and the match pages linked from the tournament hub. Depending on territory and rights window, platforms may offer a full on-demand match, a condensed replay or highlights rather than the original live feed. Label archived video as “replay” or “on demand,” not live coverage.
What a subscription means after the tournament
Sky NZ, Paramount+, TSN, SuperSport and Premier Sports are subscription services whose price and sports tiers vary by country, plan and billing date. Since the tournament ended July 18, 2026, check that a subscription includes the specific archive or other rugby you want before signing up. RugbyPass TV’s free registration can be useful for eligible territory access and highlights, but it does not replace an exclusive local rights-holder in New Zealand, the United States, Canada or South Africa.
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