Defending champions South Africa will aim for a third title and are joined by Wales, hosts Georgia and newly-promoted Uruguay in an intriguing Pool A at the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026.

SOUTH AFRICA

Best finish: Champions (2012, 2025)
2025 ranking: Champions
This year's U20 Rugby Championship: Champions 

Overview: South Africa had a history of falling just short in the World Rugby Junior World Championship – but not now. Having finished as runners-up in 2014 and in third place on no less than nine occasions between 2008 and 2023, the Junior Springboks went all the way last year. It marked only their second title since a maiden crown in 2012 and saw them shed the tag of nearly men. The Junior Springboks deservedly beat New Zealand 23-15 to win the title in Rovigo, with victorious captain Riley Norton calling it “the greatest day of my life”. Earlier this year, South Africa won the U20 Rugby Championship title before hosting the 2026 U20 International Series, where they beat Chile, Fiji and Georgia to win the four-team tournament. Thus they are certainly not short of self-belief as they head to Georgia and it could take a special team to stop Kevin Foote’s side retaining their World Rugby Junior World Championship title.

Coach: Kevin Foote
Captain: Siphosethu Mnebelele 

Squad: Oliver Reid, Rambo Kubheka, Jordan Jooste, Danie Kruger, Luan van der Berg, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Liam van Wyk, Heinrich Theron, Jaythen Orange, JD Hattingh, Kebotile Maake, Risima Khosa, Luke Cannon, Wasi Vyambwera, Vuyo Gwiji, Gert Kemp, Thomas Beling, Hendré Schoeman, Jayden Brits, Yaqeen Ahmed, Ethan Adams, Samuel Badenhorst, Markus Muller, Luan Giliomee, Khuthadzo Rasivhaga, Cheswill Jooste, Jack Benade, Jordan Steenkamp, Akahluwa Boqwana, Alzeadon Felix.

Player to watch: Markus Muller
The teenage centre made history on 26 April by becoming the youngest player ever to debut for the DHL Stormers, taking the field at 18 years, nine months, and 19 days against the Glasgow Warriors. Muller also represented Western Province at U19 level, played for SA Schools, and was selected for the Junior Springboks squad for this year’s U20 Rugby Championship. He is a player to watch, having scored a try for the South Africa A side against Zimbabwe on Saturday, and will will remain eligible for U20 selection next year.

Did you know...? Two-time Rugby World Cup winners Handré Pollard, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff were part of the South Africa team that won the Junior World Championship title on home soil in 2012. 

Pool fixtures:

Saturday, 27 June: South Africa v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: South Africa v Georgia (Tbilisi, 20:30 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: South Africa v Wales (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time)

WALES

Best finish: Runners-up (2013)
2025 ranking: Eighth
This year's U20 Six Nations: Fourth (W1, D0, L4)

Overview: Wales hosted the first Junior World Championship in 2008, where a team featuring Sam Warburton, Jonathan Davies and Leigh Halfpenny went unbeaten in the pool stage before eventually finishing fourth. Since then they have struggled somewhat, finishing between sixth and eighth in each tournament bar a two-year period between 2012 and 2013. In the former, Wales went all the way to the semi-finals where they were beaten by New Zealand, but were able to beat Argentina in their final game to secure third place. The following year they went one better and beat South Africa in the semi-final before suffering an agonising 23-15 loss to England in the final. Wales have been unable to make it to the semi-finals since then, but in this year's U20 Six Nations they ran several teams close despite registering just a solitary victory against Scotland. The Welsh remain a fiercely proud rugby nation and their young guns will be hopeful of making significant progress in Georgia. They showed their quality and desire in a close-fought 19-16 defeat to England in their U20 Six Nations opener. Write off Wales at your peril.

Coach: Richard Whiffin
Co-captains: Deian Gwynne and Steffan Emanuel

Squad: Lewis Edwards, Rhys Cummings, Tom Bowen, Dylan Scott, Brogan Leary, Steffan Emanuel, Bailey Cutts, Osian Darwin-Lewis, Jack Hoskins, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Lloyd Lucas, Cai Gealy, Sion Davies, George Tuckley, Dylan James, Oscar Thomas, James Talamai, Tom Howe, Jac Pritchard, Yestyn Cook, Isaac Godfrey, Will Evans, Tom Cottle, Luke Evans, Osian Williams, Deian Gwynne, Sam Morgan, Evan Minto, Caio James, Alex Ridgway.

Player to watch: Steffan Emanuel
The highly-rated Cardiff centre will be representing Wales at his third Junior World Championship, a reflection of his importance to the side and steady rise to prominence. Emanuel, who turns 20 on the eve of round two, has progressed through the ranks at Cardiff and also spent time on a full rugby scholarship at Millfield School.

Did you know...? Wales inflicted New Zealand’s first-ever Junior World Championship defeat in 2012, beating the reigning champions 9-6 in the pool stage at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch. It was a remarkable turnaround given that New Zealand had beaten Wales 92-0 a year earlier in Italy. 

Pool fixtures:

Saturday, 27 June: Wales v Georgia (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: Wales v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: South Africa v Wales (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time)

GEORGIA

Best finish: Eighth (2023)
2025 ranking: Ninth

Overview: Hosts Georgia have taken part in seven tournaments to date since winning promotion to the Junior World Championship from the World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2015. From 2016 onwards, they are yet to have their streak in the World Rugby Junior World Championship broken, and have finished either eighth, ninth or 10th in the last seven editions. They were unable to pick up a pool-stage win in their first two tournaments, but since then have beaten the likes of Ireland and Scotland in 2018, and in 2023 only missed out on the semi-finals by one competition point when they beat Argentina and Italy in the pool stage but were on the wrong side of a narrow loss to South Africa. Last year Georgia played South Africa in a two-match series and lost 38-29 and 27-12, showing they are a side consistently improving. They have finished ninth in the past two years at the World Rugby Junior World Championship and now find themselves in a tough pool with champions South Africa. Last month, Georgia took place in the 2026 U20 International Series in South Africa, where they beat Fiji and Chile before losing to the Junior Springboks, finishing runners-up in the four-team tournament. The Junior Lelos have the pedigree to challenge allcomers again – especially with a partisan home support behind them.

Coach: Viktor Kolelishvili
Captain: Luka Narsia

Squad: Giorgi Turashvili, Nikoloz Balanchivadze, Luka Iaseshvili, Davit Archvadze, Anri Shvelidze, Giorgi Agniashvili, Levani Ezieshvili, Saba Nozadze, Gabriel Razmadze, Nikoloz Chkhortolia, Andria Bilanishvili, Davit Baramia, Luka Narsia, Giorgi Zazadze, Giorgi Ardzenadze, Irakli Kolbaia, Mikheil Shioshvili, Giorgi Khonelidze, Davit Tsiklauri, Temur Dzodzuashvili, Mate Makharadze, Leonide Saldadze, David Barbakadze, Demetre Devdariani, Data Akhvlediani, Avtandil Zviadadze, Luka Tabatadze, Saba Natroshvili, Nikoloz Khalvashi, Davit Arobelidze. 

Player to watch: Mikheil Shioshvili (pictured)
The highly-rated RC Toulon number eight, who recently turned 20, ended the 2025 edition of the Junior World Championship as the leading try-scorer with seven. He has made his mark in France this season and will relish the prospect of enhancing his reputation on the international stage – this time on home soil.

Did you know...? Georgia came within touching distance of the semi-finals in 2023, ultimately missing out on the head-to-head rule to hosts South Africa after the Junior Springboks had scored two late tries to beat Argentina to finish level on points at the top of Pool C. The Junior Lelos regrouped to finish eighth, their best-ever finish. 

Pool fixtures:

Saturday, 27 June: Wales v Georgia (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: South Africa v Georgia (Tbilisi, 20:30 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Georgia v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 20:30 local time)

URUGUAY

Best finish: 16th (2009)

Overview: For the first time since 2009, the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 will comprise 16 teams, added to the 12 sides from the 2025 edition in Italy. Uruguay’s only previous taste of the Junior World Championship came in 2009, as winners of the inaugural U20 Trophy a year earlier, when they finished 16th in Japan. Nevertheless, Los Teritos have proven game competitors in the U20 Trophy since then, earning their long-awaited return to the Junior World Championship. They were U20 Trophy runners-up in 2023 and clinched fourth place in 2024. Now they are out to cause some shocks on the biggest stage.

Coach: Guillermo Storace
Captain: Ignacio Merli

Squad: Alex Sonneveld, Dario Rodriguez, Felipe Costa, German Gonzalez, Guillermo Curuchet, Ignacio Merli, Jose Candia, Juan Bessio, Juan Sagario, Manuel Ponte, Mateo Guarch, Nicolas Mattson, Oryx Kirk, Pedro Suarez, Piero Veglio, Sebastian Dalmao, Sebastian Perez, Alfonso Fernandez, Bautista Menchaca, Bruno Baccino, Bruno Primavesi, Francisco Lawlor, Joaquin Fresnedo, Juan Francisco Pereira, Justo Ferrario, Mateo Acosta, Mateo Ibarburu, Nicolas Pittaluga, Pierra Cotarmanach, Vicente Alvarez.

Player to watch: Justo Ferrario 
Justo Ferrario will turn 20 a day after the tournament, but he has already played test rugby for Uruguay after making his debut in the win over Portugal last November. That came at centre, but he played as a fly-half for Peñarol Rugby throughout Super Rugby Americas and was one of their best players in the tournament. Ferrario is a fast, intelligent player with great footwork and, when he finds space, is an excellent ball carrier.

Did you know? Uruguay were captained by Juan Diego Ormaechea in their only previous Junior World Championship in 2009, a famous name in the country's rugby history with his father Diego have both captained and coached Los Teros to victories on the Rugby World Cup stage. 

Pool fixtures:

Saturday, 27 June: South Africa v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: Wales v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Georgia v Uruguay (Tbilisi, 20:30 local time)

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