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London - Hosts Italy take on South Africa and current champions England play Japan on the first day of next year's World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
The match schedule and kick-off times for
next year’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship (formerly IRB Junior World
Championship) have been announced.
South Africa will feature in Pool B alongside the hosts, Australia and Samoa.
The tournament, which runs from 2-20 June, 2015 in northern Italy, sees England returning to defend their crown which they retained in June in New Zealand after winning the tournament for the first time in 2013, beating South Africa in the final.
Four venues will host the Under20 Championship next year - Parma, Calvisano, Viadana with the final held in Cremona on 20 June.
The opening day sees hosts Italy take on South Africa, England play Japan, who return to the Under-20 competition for the first time since 2009 and four-time winners New Zealand v Scotland in Parma. As in previous years, six matches will be played on each match day, and this year kick-off times are set for 16:30, 18:30 and 20:30 (local time).
“It’s great to be bringing the World Rugby U20 Championship back to Italy after they hosted such a successful tournament in 2011. The fixture list has some great matches that will showcase the future stars of world rugby during a very important year for the game,” said World Rugby Chairperson Bernard Lapasset.
“More than 300 players have made the step up from the Under-20 Championship to the international Test arena since 2008 and I have no doubt there will be further players graduating up the ranks after this tournament.”
FIR tournament director Tullio Rosolen said: "We are confident this is an exciting schedule.”
"New Zealand will play a match in each of the venues, England will be divided between Calvisano and Viadana, South Africa will be in Calvisano and Parma as well as the Italian Under-20 team, so the main contenders for the title as well as the national team will ensure fans in the region get to see the future stars of world rugby in action.
International stars such as Aaron Cruden and Julia Savea from New Zealand, Australian Quade Cooper, France centre Mathieu Bastareaud, Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray, England backs George Ford and Owen Farrell and Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard are just some of the players to graduate from the Under-20 Championship to international Test level. Italy centre Luca Morisi, who also represented his country at Under-20 level, is ambassador for the tournament in Italy next year.
Pool A:
England, France, Japan, Wales
Pool B:
South Africa, Italy, Australia,
Samoa
Pool C:
New Zealand, Ireland, Argentina,
Scotland
