The World Rugby u20 Championship 2025 will take place in Italy from 29 June to 19 July 2025.
Played over five match days in four cities across the Lombardia and Veneto regions, the u20 Rugby World Cup features the 12 best u20 nations competing for the world title.
World Rugby u20 Championship 2025 Final Standings
Winner
South Africa u20
Runner-up
New Zealand u20
Bronze
Argentina u20
4th Place
France u20
5th Place
Australia u20
6th Place
England u20
7th Place
Italy U20
8th Place
Wales U20
9th Place
Georgia u20
10th Place
Scotland u20
11th Place
Ireland U20
12th Place
Spain U20
PLAY-OFF STAGE FIXTURES
Monday 14 July 2025
9th Place Semi-Final
Georgia u20
43-12
Spain u20
15:30
5th Place Semi-Final
England u20
51-13
Wales u20
15:30
9th Place Semi-Final
Ireland u20
21-22
Scotland u20
18:00
Semi Final 1
France u20
26-34
New Zealand u20
18:00
5th Place Semi-Final
Italy u20
21-44
Australia u20
20:30
Semi Final 2
South Africa u20
48-24
Argentina u20
20:30
Saturday 19 July 2025
11th Place Play-Off
Spain u20
37-38
Ireland u20
15:30
7th Place Play-Off
Italy u20
31-23
Wales u20
15:30
3rd Place Play-Off
France u20
35-38
Argentina u20
18:00
5th Place Play-Off
Australia u20
68-40
England u20
18:00
9th Place Play-Off
Georgia u20
22-7
Scotland u20
20:30
Final
South Africa u20
23-15
New Zealand u20
20:30
GROUP STAGE FIXTURES
Sunday 29 June 2025
15:30
England u20
56-19
Scotland u20
15:30
Australia u20
17-73
South Africa u20
18:00
France u20
49-11
Spain u20
18:00
Ireland u20
35-28
Georgia u20
20:30
Argentina u20
34-27
Wales u20
20:30
New Zealand u20
14-5
Italy u20
Friday 4 July 2025
15:30
France u20
35-21
Wales u20
15:30
Australia u20
34-20
Scotland u20
18:00
England u20
22-32
South Africa u20
18:00
New Zealand u20
38-19
Georgia u20
20:30
Argentina u20
33-30
Spain u20
20:30
Ireland u20
16-18
Italy u20
Wednesday 9 July 2025
15:30
Wales u20
35-25
Spain u20
15:30
South Africa u20
73-14
Scotland u20
18:00
England u20
36-33
Australia u20
18:00
New Zealand u20
69-22
Ireland u20
20:30
France u20
52-26
Argentina u20
20:30
Georgia u20
19-19
Italy u20
GROUP STAGE POINTS TABLE
Pool A
P
W
D
L
PD
Pts
1
South Africa u20
3
3
0
0
+125
15
2
England u20
3
2
0
1
+30
10
3
Australia u20
3
1
0
2
-49
7
4
Scotland u20
3
0
0
3
-106
0
Pool B
P
W
D
L
PD
Pts
1
France u20
3
3
0
0
+78
15
2
Argentina u20
3
2
0
1
-16
11
3
Wales u20
3
1
0
2
-11
6
4
Spain u20
3
0
0
3
-51
2
Pool C
P
W
D
L
PD
Pts
1
New Zealand u20
3
3
0
0
+75
14
2
Italy u20
3
1
1
1
-7
6
3
Ireland u20
3
1
0
2
-42
6
4
Georgia u20
3
0
1
2
-26
4
The winners of each pool and the best-placed second-ranked team (fourth seed) will advance to the semi-finals.
Various Rugby Youth Weeks are scheduled to take place again this year, starting on the 30th of June 2025. The SA Rugby’s Youth Weeks include the u/18 Craven Week, the u/16 Grant Khomo Week, as well as the u/16 and u/18 Girls Weeks.
Other SA Schools weeks, like the u/18 Academy Week, u/18 LSEN Week, and the u/13 Craven Week, will also take place.
09:30 – Obaro Golden Lions vs Boland 10:50 – Border vs Griffons 12:10 – Western Province XV vs Free State 13:30 – Sharks vs Blue Bulls 14:50 – Western Province vs South Western Districts
Baloyi Field:
09:00 – Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Border Country Districts 10:20 – Namibia vs Iqhawe XV 11:40 – Leopards vs Valke 13:00 – Zimbabwe vs Griquas 14:20 – Pumas vs Eastern Province
09h00: Eastern Province v Leopards, A Field 10h30: Sharks v Griffons, A Field 12h00: Zimbabwe v Griquas, A Field 13h30: Opening Ceremony 14h00: Golden Lions v Free State, A Field
B-Field
09h00: Western Province v Valke, B Field 10h30: South Western Districts v Pumas, B Field 12h00: Border v Blue Bulls, B Field 14h00: Limpopo Blue Bulls v Boland, B Field
U16 fixtures (Monday, 30 June):
C-Field
08h45: Border v Golden Lions Invitational XV, C Field 10h00: Sharks v Limpopo Blue Bulls, C Field 11h15: Boland v Griquas, C Field 12h30: Border Country Districts v Free State, C Field 14h00: South Western Districts v Griffons, C Field
D-Field
10h00: Western Province v Leopards, D Field 11h15: Eastern Province v Zimbabwe, D Field 12h30: Golden Lions v Valke, D Field 14h00: Pumas v Blue Bulls, D Field
POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 02: Kwena Maphaka of the Proteas celebrates the wicket of Dinura Kalupahana of Sri Lanka during the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup 2024, Super Six match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at JB Marks Oval on February 02, 2024 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
Kwena Maphaka made his T20i debut for South Africa against the West Indies on 23 August 2024, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago.
The St Stithians College fast bowler was included in the squad to tour the West Indies but was suddenly called up to play in the first game after an injury ruled Lungi Ngidi out of the series.
At only 18 years and 137 days old, Maphaka has become the youngest South African to make his international men’s debut.
Despite the Proteas being thoroughly outplayed by the West Indies in what turned out to be a slightly one-sided affair, Maphaka performed admirably with figures of 1/25 in 3.5 overs. His economy rate of 6.52 was the best of the Protea bowlers.
Maphaka’s first international wicket was that of the West Indies captain Rovman Powell, who sliced a drive straight to Patrick Kruger in the covers.
Fellow St Stithian Kagiso Rabada was 19 years and 163 days old when he set the previous T20i record in 2014, while Victor Mpitsang (Grey College) had the overall record of 18 years and 314 days when he made his debut in an ODI in 1999. The record in test cricket is 18 years and 340 days by Paul Adams (Plumstead High School) in 1995.
FORMAT
PLAYER
AGE
YEAR
T20i
Kwena Maphaka
18y 137d
2024
ODI
Victor Mpitsang
18y 314d
1999
Tests
Paul Adams
18y 340d
1995
Maphaka was a sensation at the 2024 u/19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, where his 21 wickets at an average of just 9.71 came within 1 of equalling the record of 22 wickets in a single tournament by Bangladesh’s Enamul Haque Jnr. That feat earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
He did however break the record for most five-wicket hauls at the event by picking up 5/38 against the West Indies, 5/34 against Zimbabwe and then 6/21 during South Africa’s against Sri Lanka.
This was Maphaka’s second u/19 World Cup, having played in the 2022 edition in the West Indies when he was only 15 years old. His 7 wickets in that tournament gives him an overall tally of 28, which ties him with Zimbabwe’s Wesly Madhevere for the most wickets in the history of the Under 19 World Cup.
PLAYER
COUNTRY
YEAR
WICKETS
Kwena Maphaka
South Africa
2022 – 2024
28
Wesly Madhevere
Zimbabwe
2016 – 2020
28
Moises Henriques
Australia
2004 – 2006
27
Greg Thompson
Ireland
2004 – 2008
27
Abhishek Sharma
India
2002 – 2004
26
Maphaka was a surprise inclusion in the Mumbai Indians’ squad for the 2024 Indian Premier League, at the time still only 17 years old. He played two games and became the youngest South African and third youngest overseas player to play in the IPL. He spent his off-time studying for the mid-year exams.
POTCHEFSTROOM, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 23: Kwena Maphaka of the Proteas during the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup 2024 between South Africa and England at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on January 23, 2024 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)
The Johannesburg-born young man is currently in his final year of high school at St Stithians College, also the alma mater of Ryan Rickleton, Wiaan Mulder, Ireland’s Curtis Campher, the aforementioned Rabada and many other cricketers. Earlier this year, when the hockey season ended, he played his last game as captain of the school’s hockey 1st team. An all-round sportsman, he also has provincial colours in tennis.
His brother Tetelo – his elder by six years – is a cricketing all-rounder who plies his trade for the Lions, who recently also signed Kwena onto their roster. Kwena has been drafted into the Paarl Royals squad for the SA20 but missed the 2024 edition to play in the u/19 World Cup. He is expected to make his SA20 debut in January.
The next T20i’s in the series against the West Indies will be on 25 and 27 August, also in Tarouba in the island nation of Trinidad & Tobago.
BAYANDA WALAZA (Curro Hazeldean) blitzes the 100m off in only 10.34 seconds for gold during the inaugural Curro Hazeldean Top 14 at Pilditch in Pretoria. PHOTO: Frans Lombard/Actionpix
Bayanda Walaza, a Grade 12 learner at Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria, has won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics as part of the South African team in the 4 x 100 metres relay.
The South African team of Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana and Akani Simbine finished second in a time of 37.57 – a new African Record. Canada won gold with a time of 37.50, while Great Britain claimed bronze in 37.61.
It is South Africa’s first ever medal in a relay event at the Olympics.
Walaza, who turned 18 in February this year, ran the first leg of the relay in a time of 10.41, the 4th fastest time for that section.
He then handed the baton over to Shaun Maswanganyi, a 23-year-old St Alban’s College alumni, who ran his leg in 9.06 – the 7th fastest section time.
South Africa slipped to 5th at this point.
The third leg was run by Bradley Nkoana a 19-year-old former student at Potchefstroom Boys High, in the 6th fastest time of 9.32.
South Africa remained in 5th place.
After missing out on a medal by a millisecond in the 100-metre final, Akani Simbine (Edenglen High School) was determined not to be denied again. The 30-year-old 3-time Olympian ran the final leg in a blistering 8.78, the fastest for that section, to push South Africa up to second place.
Walaza, who was born in Kathlehong on the East Rand but attends Curro Hazeldean on a scholarship, is the first South African to appear at the Olympics while still enrolled at school and is now the first pupil to win an Olympic medal.
Earlier this year he became one of the fastest teenagers in the world for 2024 when he ran the 100 metres in 10.13 and the 200 metres in 20.34 at the South African Junior Championships in Pretoria.
The World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 will take place in South Africa from 29 June to 19 July 2024. Played over five match days in the Western Cape regions of Stellenbosch and Cape Town, the U20 Championship features the 12 best U20 nations in the world competing for the world title.
SA Rugby’s Youth Weeks will again take place during the winter school holiday, starting on the 14th of June 2024. The Youth Weeks include the u/18 Craven, Academy and LSEN Weeks, the u/16 Grant Khomo Week, the u/13 Craven Week, as well as u/16 & u/18 Girls Weeks. Here are all the dates and venues for the various weeks.
The SA Schools match will take place on Saturday, 6 July.
Young wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso was called up to the South African Senior Women’s cricket team for the upcoming three-match home T20i series against Sri Lanka starting on 27 March.
Meso was one of the stars in the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, held in South Africa in 2023. She performed well with the gloves and notched up eight dismissals in 5 matches – the most in the tournament. This earned her a place in the Team of the Tournament.
The Grade 11 pupil, who hails from Rockville, Soweto but attends school at Steyn City School in Johannesburg, is already an experienced member of the Lions Women’s senior team.
The 16-year-old will join several teammates who made their senior debuts in some form of international cricket as teenagers. They are captain Laura Wolfaardt (17), all-rounders Marizanne Kapp (19), Chloé Tryon (16), Nadine de Klerk (17), and Suné Luus (16), and bowlers Masabata Klaas (19), Nonkululeko Mlaba (19) and Tumi Sekhukhune (19).
Proteas Women’s Head Coach Hilton Moreeng is looking forward to seeing how Meso performs on the international stage as the team looks to build the next crop of core players in their structure.
“We still have the core of the squad to make sure we can continue with what we’ve been working on regarding the T20Is. The build-up has been coming along nicely and now it’s just for us to deservingly give opportunities for those one or two spots we want to have a look at,” Moreeng said.
He also added: “There are a few youngsters coming in and one debutant in Karabo Meso who has been part of the High-Performance group and in the U19 World Cup.
“It’s a youngster who’s got a lot of potential and one we’re looking to see how she goes when given the opportunity.”
The T20I series will be held between 27 March – 03 April in Benoni, Potchefstroom and East London.
u18 Craven Week
u16 Grant Khomo Week
u16 and u18 SA Rugby Girls Week
Young wicketkeeper-batter Karabo Meso was called up to the South African Senior Women’s cricket team for the upcoming three-match home T20i series against Sri Lanka starting on 27 March.