Junior Springboks to open U20 Rugby Championship campaign against New Zealand

• The Junior Springboks are hard at work for the inaugural Rugby Championship Under-20 tournament.
• The event will be held in Queensland on Australia's east coast.
• It will serve as preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will be hosted in the Western Cape from 29 June to 19 July.
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The Junior Springboks will kick off the inaugural Rugby Championship Under-20 tournament against old foes New Zealand on Thursday, 2 May at the Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Southern hemisphere governing body Sanzaar confirmed the draw for the inaugural tournament on Wednesday. Australia and Argentina's young guns will also take part.

The event will be played in the Sunshine Coast region, north of Brisbane in Queensland on Australia's eastern seaboard in May. It will comprise a round-robin format where all teams will play each other once. The top team after the three-round, six-match tournament will be declared the first Rugby Championship U20 champions.

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After the New Zealand match, the Junior Boks will face hosts Australia five days later. Head coach Bafana Nhleko's charges will conclude their fixtures on Sunday, 12 May when they face Los Pumas' U20s.

Sanzaar CEO Brendan Morris explained the new for this new competition: "The TRC U20 Championship is an exciting investment and development strategy that will allow for a more defined pathway for younger players into senior and international rugby and provide a springboard into the annual World Rugby U20 Championship that is currently missing.

"This exposure to international matches against top quality opposition can only benefit the players in terms of experience and adapting to the demands of top-level rugby. The tournament will also provide extra development opportunities for coaches, team management and match officials."

Meanwhile, Nhleko and his coaching staff have been hard at work for the U20 Rugby Championship and the World Rugby U20 Championship.

The Junior Boks have held a series of alignment camps and played a number of matches against senior provincial sides.

"We are demanding a lot from our group in terms of learning and application, and the players have responded well," said Nhleko.

"They are aligning to the coaching, how we want to play, and what is required for them to perform at this level.

"Crucially for us, the U20 Rugby Championship will give us time to play against quality opposition, test the group combinations and help us identify the right guys before the final squad selection.

"The Championship will also help bridge the previous gap between the preparation period and the World Rugby U20 Championship. We are excited for this opportunity to play in Australia, which will be a great experience for the players and a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow as a group."

The World Rugby U20 Championship will hosted in the Western Cape from 29 June to 19 July.