The City of Gqeberha – previously Port Elizabeth – will play host to the second edition of Southern Hemisphere rugby governing body’s Rugby Championship U20 competition.
The South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) confirmed on Wednesday that the Eastern Cape City’s famous Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will host all six games between the Junior Springboks, Argentina, Australia and defending champions New Zealand from 1-11 May.
Exciting Double-Headers
Games will take place on a double-header basis with 1, 6 and 11 May penned down for exciting international junior rugby between the four best u20 sides in the Southern Hemisphere.
On the opening day of the tournament, New Zealand tackle Australia while the Junior Boks face Argentina.
Last year’s inaugural Rugby Champs U20 on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia was a huge success. New Zealand edged out the Junior Boks for the title after finishing the tournament unbeaten, following up a draw with South Africa in the first round with subsequent victories over Argentina and Australia.
With the World Rugby U20 Championship taking place in Italy in July, the Rugby Championship U20 will be the perfect springboard for the SANZAAR teams. The format remains the same, with all teams playing each other once in a three-match round robin across three match days.
Of the decision to award Gqeberha with the rights to host the Rugby Champs U20, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer says:
We are thrilled to bring this tournament to Gqeberha, a city with a rich rugby culture and a passionate fan base and we are very grateful for the assistance from the Eastern Cape government in this regard.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium offers top-class team facilities and an exceptional viewing experience for fans, making it the perfect venue for this event. The combination of top-notch facilities and accommodation, coupled with the enthusiastic support of the Eastern Cape government and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, will undoubtedly create a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Together with the Friendly City, we are looking forward to welcoming and hosting the best U20s from the southern hemisphere in the Eastern Cape.
International Rugby Back In Eastern Cape
Although it is only the junior format of the much loved Southern Hemisphere competition, this year’s Rugby Champs U20 also sees international rugby return to Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape, after last hosting two games between the Springboks and Argentina in 2021.
No fans were allowed inside the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for those games as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were still in effect.
And of seeing big time rugby return to Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape, MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Sibulele Ngongo, says:
This is a landmark moment for the Home of Legends as the Junior Springboks will be playing for the first time in history in the Eastern Cape Province.
Exciting Warm-up For Springbok Test
The Rugby Champs U20 in Gqeberha will also build excitement among local rugby fans, as it serves as a precursor to the return of the back-to-back World Champions, the Springboks, to Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for a Test match against Italy on 12 July.
Meanwhile Junior Springbok head coach, Kevin Foote, wants his team to take full advantage of playing the Rugby Championship on home soil and says:
We are absolutely thrilled that the U20 Rugby Championship will be hosted on home soil this year. It’s a rare and special opportunity for the Junior Boks to play in front of our passionate home fans here in South Africa and this tournament is crucial for our preparations ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.
We look forward to testing ourselves against the best young rugby players in the southern hemisphere and we hope the Eastern Cape fans will come out in numbers to support us.
Rugby Championship Fixtures
Thursday, 1 May
- 14:00: New Zealand v Australia
- 16:10: Junior Boks v Argentina
Tuesday, 6 May
- 14:00: New Zealand v Argentina
- 16:10: Junior Boks v Australia
Sunday, 11 May
- 14:00: Argentina v Australia
- 16:10: Junior Boks v New Zealand
