World Rugby has today confirmed that Italy will host the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025 from 29 June-19 July with matches held in four cities across the Lombardia and Veneto regions.
It will be the third time that Italy has hosted the prestigious tournament featuring the 12 best U20 teams in the world but the first for a decade with a New Zealand side featuring current All Black Anton Lienert-Brown having beaten England in the 2015 title decider in Cremona.
Four years earlier, the same two sides had also met in the final in Padova with a New Zealand outfit containing future Rugby World Cup winners Beauden Barrett, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, TJ Perenara and Codie Taylor emerging victorious.
The pools have been confirmed for the 15th edition of the prestigious age-grade tournament with the four host cities of Calvisano, Rovigo, Verona and Viadana hosting matches across the three rounds of pool matches on 29 June, 4 and 9 July.
The knockout stages begin on 14 July with finals day taking place on 19 July to determine the final placings of the 12 teams with the Stadio Maria Battaglini in Rovigo to host the 2025 title decider. Kick-off times are still to be finalised and the full match schedule will be confirmed in due course.
England are the defending champions, having beaten three-time winners France 21-13 in the 2024 final in Cape Town, South Africa, while Scotland will return to the U20 Championship for the first time since 2019 after winning last year’s World Rugby U20 Trophy on home soil.
More than 1,000 players have graduated from an U20 Championship to play test rugby since the tournament was first held in 2008, including 32 Rugby World Cup winners and the last five World Rugby Men’s 15s Players of the Year.
Current Italy captain Michele Lamaro is one of more than 70 U20 Championship graduates capped by the Azzurri with Federico Ruzza, Paolo Garbisi, Tommaso Allan and Ange Capuozzo other high-profile players to have followed this pathway to the test stage.
Lamaro, who captained the Azzurrini to eighth place in 2018, said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship is one of the first, most defining moments a young player can face at international level. It is a lifetime experience. You’re away from home for a long time and you can develop yourself both as a player and as a human being, playing alongside your best peers in the world and creating life-lasting bonds.
“I lived the World Rugby U20 Championship with many team-mates with whom I’m currently playing on the test arena, and we all have such pleasant memories of the competition. I encourage all the players that will showcase their talents in the Championship to fully embrace the moment, as it will be a crucial milestone both in their career and their lives.”
World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship represents the pinnacle of age-grade rugby, showcasing the next generation of international stars before they reach the highest level. We are delighted to bring back this thrilling competition to Italy, a nation with a deep passion for the sport and a proven track record of hosting world-class events. This 15th edition will not only provide an incredible platform for young talent to shine but will also capture the imagination of fans and we look forward to working with our friends at Federazione Italiana Rugby to leave a lasting legacy for the sport in Italy.”
Antonella Gualandri, Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) Vice-President and Organising Committee Chairman, said: “The World Rugby U20 Championship comes back to Italy 10 years after a very successful edition, which culminated in a thrilling final in a packed Cremona stadium between England and New Zealand, and we cannot be more excited.
“The U20 Championship is the ultimate platform for the future stars of international rugby and hosting the very best prospects of the game will not only bring some spectacular action to our passionate fans in northern Italy, but will also grant a solid legacy to our grassroots clubs, who can’t wait to host the teams at their training facilities, establish relations and make memories that will last forever.
“Calvisano, Viadana and Rovigo have already successfully hosted the World Rugby U20 Championship back in 2011 and 2015 and they will be formidable venues for the teams, as will be Verona, a newcomer set for its debut as an international venue with its brand-new Payanini Center. The stage is set for an event the players, the teams, volunteers and our youngsters will never forget.”
Gianni Fava, World Rugby Council member for FIR, said: “The return of the World Rugby U20 Championship to our country is a wonderful news for our game, as well as a great opportunity for our local clubs to reinforce and amplify the bond with their territories through a global event. Together with them and with the support of the Ministry of Sport, the Ministry of the Environment, the Lombardia region and the Veneto region we will guarantee, through the Championship, a fascinating platform for promoting both our sport and the local Italian excellence.”
WORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
29 June-19 July | Stadio San Michele (Calvisano), Stadio Mario Battaglini (Rovigo), Payanini Center (Verona), Stadio Luigi Zaffanella (Viadana)
Pool A: England (1), Australia (6), South Africa (7), Scotland (12)
Pool B: France (2), Argentina (5), Wales (8), Spain (11)
Pool C: New Zealand (3), Ireland (4), Georgia (9), Italy (10)
Pool matches
Match day 1: Sunday, 29 June (Calvisano and Verona)
Match day 2: Friday, 4 July (Rovigo and Viadana)
Match day 3: Wednesday, 9 July (Calvisano and Verona)
Knockout matches
Match day 4: Monday, 14 July (Verona and Viadana)
Match day 5 (final and ranking matches): Saturday, 19 July (Calvisano and Rovigo)
Kabuki
Jonah Lomu, a former New Zealand rugby player, is considered one of the greatest wingers in rugby history. Despite being diagnosed with a kidney disorder, he scored 37 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks between 1994 and 2002.
Sunnysnap
Sport Trivia: At which race course is the Durban July run every year? Answer: Greyville – The Durban July, which was first run in 1897, is South Africa\’s equivalent of Britain\’s Royal Ascot. The race takes place over 2.2 kms and is run on the first Saturday of July each year at the Greyville Race course.