World Rugby has today confirmed that Georgia will host an expanded World Rugby U20 Championship in 2026 with 16 teams to contest the prestigious age-grade tournament.
Fiji, Japan, Uruguay and USA to complete the line-up
The expansion to 16 teams comes on the back of consultation with national unions as part of a wide-ranging review of men’s age-grade competition structures aimed at increasing the competitiveness of international rugby as part of the pathway to Men’s Rugby World Cup.
This will be the first time since 2009 that 16 teams will take part in the U20 Championship and means that there will be no relegation from the 2025 edition for the team losing the 11th place play-off between Ireland and Spain on Saturday.
The World Rugby U20 Championship will return to Georgia in 2026 with the prestigious age-grade tournament to expand to 16 teams.
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