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T. NashipaeNairobi ready to host World Rugby U20 Trophy tourney
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Reading Time: 4min | Sat. 17.06.23. | 11:10
The tournament is also back after a four-year hiatus since the previous competition took place in Brazil. It will kick off with an exciting clash between Zimbabwe and Scotland U20.
Kenya last hosted the set piece in 2009 when it was known as the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
Final preparations are underway as the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi readies to welcome the World Rugby U20 Trophy set for 15 to 30 July.
It will be the second time for Kenya to be hosting the U20 Trophy, having hosted it last in 2009 when it was known as the Junior World Rugby Trophy.
Kenya finished that tournament in fourth place after a 19-17 third-place play-off defeat to Chile, which remains their best U20 Trophy finish to date.
The tournament is also back after a four-year hiatus since the previous competition took place in Brazil. It will kick off with an exciting clash between Zimbabwe and Scotland U20.
Besides the silverware, the eight competing teams will also be playing for a spot in the World Rugby U20 Championship next year in South Africa. The winners will be promoted to the U20 Championship replacing the team that finishes bottom in that competition (24 June - 14 July, South Africa) who will drop down to the U20 Trophy in 2024.
JWRT POOLS
Pool A: Scotland, Uruguay, USA, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe qualified for this tournament after an emphatic 60-6 win over Tunisia in the semi-finals of the Rugby Africa Barthes U20 Trophy. This followed an earlier 55-0 win against Ivory Coast.
The USA secured the final spot in the World Rugby U20 Trophy field on Saturday after winning their two-legged North American play-off against Canada 82-35 on aggregate. The USA won the first leg 43-21 in South Carolina on 6 June before running out 39-14 winners in the second four days later.
It is the first time that the Junior All-Americans will return to the World Rugby U20 Trophy since 2016 when they finished fifth. They will hope to replicate their 2012 success when they lifted the trophy on home soil in Utah.
Scotland is the only team new to the U20 Trophy, having been relegated from the U20 Championship in 2019.
Pool B: Kenya, Spain, Samoa and Hong Kong China
Kenya was guaranteed qualification to the tournament as hosts. Spain was the first team to qualify for the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 through the regional qualifiers back in November, beating Samoa, Uruguay, and Hong Kong China in booking their place in the tournament line-up by a matter of weeks.
After two hugely competitive matches against host nation Tonga at the Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku'alofa, Samoa came through to win the Oceania Rugby U20 Trophy and secure their place in the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023.
In three previous appearances at the World Rugby U20 Trophy, Samoa has won it twice, in 2011 and 2016, and was runners-up on the other occasion in 2018.
Hong Kong joined the World Rugby U20 Trophy China as winners of the Asia Rugby U19 Championship 2022. They won their seventh U19 title following victories over host nation Malaysia (43-9) and Chinese Taipei (19-12). That left Africa and North America as the only regions to decide their representatives.
Each team will play three pool matches before a ranking match on the final day.
The teams finishing top of their pools will meet in the final with the other six teams facing their corresponding team in the other pool to determine the rankings from third to eighth.
Scotland,5th in this year's U20 Six Nations are part of the 8 teams in Nairobi for the World Rugby U20 Trophy from 15-30 July.
— Michael Kwambo ™ (@michaelkwambo) June 17, 2023
They were relegated from the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2019, and are out to return to the top tier with victory at Nyayo.#WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/QNJl9MoD46
JWRT match officials
Eight match officials from seven nations have been appointed for the tournament, including Kat Roche (USA) and Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe) who will make history as the first females to officiate at the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
World Rugby U20 Trophy match officials: Sylvain Mane (Senegal), Cauã Ricardo Santos Maria (Brazil), Robin Kaluzniak (Canada), Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji), Roche (USA), Pazani (Zimbabwe), Saba Abulashvili (Georgia), Craig Chan (Hong Kong China).
Sasha Mutai welcomes participating teams
Kenya Rugby Union Chairman Sasha Mutai has welcomed participating teams ahead of the Junior World U20 Trophy.
According to the Chairman, the Union is hopeful that the set piece will be a memorable one as Kenya seeks to showcase its top-class hospitality.
“Kenya is extremely honored to again host this tournament, having first hosted it in 2009. We extend a warm welcome to the next generation of global rugby talent, and we hope that all teams put up a great show and get to experience and enjoy the warm hospitality that our country is renowned for. Karibuni Kenya (Welcome to Kenya)!” he said.
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