Under 21 Rugby World Championship
Encyclopedia
The IRB Under 21 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union
players under the age of 21, organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board
(IRB) annually from 2002 through 2006. Both it and the Under 19 Rugby World Championship
were replaced by the IRB Junior World Championship
for under-20 players beginning in 2008.
After all pool matches teams are ranked by total match points. Top four teams qualify for the semifinals (1st against 4th and 2nd against 3rd). Likewise, other teams enter play-offs for positions 5-8 and 9-12.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players under the age of 21, organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) annually from 2002 through 2006. Both it and the Under 19 Rugby World Championship
Under 19 Rugby World Championship
The IRB under-19 Rugby World Cup was the premier tournament for male rugby union players under the age of 19 organised by the sports governing body the International Rugby Board annually from 2004 until 2007...
were replaced by the IRB Junior World Championship
IRB Junior World Championship
The IRB Junior World Championship is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by 12 men's junior national teams , with an under-20 age requirement. The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008,...
for under-20 players beginning in 2008.
Finals
| Year | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 24-21 | Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
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| 2003 | 21-10 | Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
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| 2004 | 47-19 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
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| 2005 2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship The 2005 Under 21 Rugby World Championship was played in Argentina throughout June 2005. The final was played between South Africa and Australia at Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza... |
20-15 | Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
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| 2006 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship The 2006 Under 21 Rugby World Championship was played in the Auvergne region of France throughout June 2006. The final was played between South Africa and France at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand, which saw France win 24 to 13.... |
24-13 | Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Format
Twelve teams take part in the tournament. They are split into four pools (labelled A-D) of three according to their past performance. Each team plays three matches against three teams of other pool (pool A plays against pool D and pool B plays against pool C). Four points are awarded for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. One bonus point is awarded for scoring 4 tries or more, and one bonus points is awarded for loss by 7 points or less.After all pool matches teams are ranked by total match points. Top four teams qualify for the semifinals (1st against 4th and 2nd against 3rd). Likewise, other teams enter play-offs for positions 5-8 and 9-12.