Wales To Host Inaugural Junior World Champs
Wales has been named by the International Rugby Board as the host of the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship to be held next June – a new international tournament for the Under 20’s level.
Swansea’s Liberty Stadium, Cardiff’s Arms Park, Newport’s Rodney Parade and Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground will be the host venues for each of the four pools with the tournament taking place between 6th-22nd June, 2008.
The tournament structure comprises four pools with the winner of each progressing to have a chance of winning the overall championship title, while the other teams will play for a positional ranking.
New Zealand, champions of the final IRB Under 19 World Championship in Belfast in April this year, are top seeds in Pool A and will face Argentina, Ireland and Tonga in Cardiff.
South Africa, runners-up in Belfast, top Pool B in Wrexham and play USA, Samoa and Scotland. Australia top the seedings in Pool C and take on England, Canada and Fiji in Newport.
Wales, who reached the semi-finals in Belfast, top Pool D and will be based in Swansea, playing their matches at the Liberty Stadium and will play France, Italy and Japan. The final will be played at the Liberty Stadium on 22nd June.
The tournament will benefit from an award of up to £400,000 from UK Sport’s National Lottery backed World Class Events Programme, and is already one of six world championship events secured for the UK in 2008 using UK Sport’s investment and expertise.
The IRB Junior World Championship is a key element of the IRB’s restructured Age Grade strategy and dovetails with the IRB Junior World Trophy, held next April in Chile, to provide a dedicated Age Grade international pathway for the IRB’s member unions.
