| attendance = | top scorer = | most tries = | preceded by = 2024 | succeeded by = 2026 }} The 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship (), also known as Italia 2025, was the 15th edition of the premier age-grade (World Rugby Under-20 Championship) rugby union competition. It was held from 29 June to 19 July in Italy, being hosted in the cities of Viadana, Calvisano, Verona and Rovigo. The country has previously hosted the age-grade Championship twice before: 2011 and 2015. Italy were also confirmed to host the 2020 edition, but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualification The championship featured twelve teams, eleven of which are ranked based on their performance in the previous edition of the tournament (2024), with the twelfth being 2024 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy winners Scotland, who returned to the Championship having been relegated in 2019. Scotland replaced Fiji who were relegated after finishing twelfth in 2024. Due to 2026 edition being re-expanded to 16 teams (16 teams participated in 2008 and 2009), this was first-ever edition where no team got relegated.
England entered as defending champions, whom defeated France 21–13 in the 2024 final.
Teams The teams participating in the tournament are listed in the table below, with a summary of their previous best results at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship included.
TeamResult (2024)Best Result145thThird place (2016)146thRunners-up (2010, 2019)141stChampions (2013, 2014, 2016, 2024)142ndChampions (2018, 2019, 2023)69thEighth place (2023)144thRunners-up (2016, 2023)1210thEighth place (2017, 2018)143rdChampions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017) 147thChampions (2012)12align=center Fifth place (2017)111thEleventh place (2024)148thRunners-up (2013)
Match officials The following officials were named for the tournament, with an official panel of ten referees designated to oversee the game, and five television match officials / foul play review officers. Along side the World Rugby appointed officials, local home union referees were used as assistant referees.
Referees Tomas Bertazza (Argentina) Ben Breakspear (Wales) Griffin Colby (South Africa) Katsuki Furuse (Japan) Peter Martin (Ireland) Marcus Playle (New Zealand) Jérémy Rozier (France) Filippo Russo (Italy) Lex Weiner (United States) Morgan White (Hong Kong China)
Assistant Referees Luca Bisetto (Italy) Riccardo Bonato (Italy) Alberto Favaro (Italy) Alex Frasson (Italy) Franco Rosella (Italy) Lorenzo Pedezzi (Italy)
Television match officials / Foul play review officer Leo Colgan (Ireland) Graham Cooper (Australia) Aled Griffiths (Wales) Quinton Immelman (South Africa) Dan Jones (England)
Venues Four venues were announced on 14 March in line with the announcement of the hosts. It included Stadio San Michele, Calvisano and Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, Viadana who previously hosted the tournament in 2015, whilst Stadio Mario Battaglini, Rovigo hosted the tournament in 2011. It will be the first time Payanini Center, Verona has hosted the event when in Italy, though was due to host matches in the cancelled 2020 edition.
Viadana (Lombardy) Rovigo (Veneto) Calvisano (Lombardy) Verona (Veneto) Stadio Luigi Zaffanella Capacity: 6,000 Capacity: 5,500 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 2,500
Pool stage Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Seeding
Knockout stage Ninth-place bracket
Ninth-place Semi-finals
Eleventh-place Final
Ninth-place Final
Fifth-place bracket
Fifth-place Semi-finals
Seventh-place Final
Fifth-place Final
Finals bracket
Semi-finals
Third-place Final
Final
FB 15Stanley Solomon RW 14Frank Vaenuku OC 13Cooper Roberts IC 12Jack WisemanLW 11Maloni KunawaveFH 10Rico Simpson SH 9 Dylan Pledger N8 8 Mosese Bason OF 7 Caleb Woodley BF 6 Finn McLeod RL 5 Jayden Sa LL 4 Xavier Treacy TP 3 Robson Faleafa HK 2 Manumaua Letiu (c) LP 1 Sika Uamaki Pole Replacements:HK 16Eli Oudenryn PR 17Israel Time PR 18Dane Johnston LK 19Aisake Vakasiuola N8 20Micah Fale SH 21Jai Tamati FH 22Will Cole OC 23Tayne Harvey Coach: Milton Haig FB 15Gilermo MentoeRW 14Cheswill JoosteeOC 13Demitre Erasmus IC 12Albertus Bester LW 11Jaco Williams FH 10Vusi Simphiwe MoyoSH 9 Hassiem Pead N8 8 Wandile Mlaba BF 7 Bathobele HlekaniOF 6 Xola Nyali RL 5 JJ Theron LL 4 Riley Norton (c)TP 3 Herman Lubbe HK 2 Siphosethu Mnebelele LP 1 Simphiwe Ngobese Replacements:HK 16Juandre Schoeman PR 17Oliver Reid PR 18JD Erasmus LK 19Jaco Grobbelaar N8 20Matt Romao OF 21Fano Linde SH 22Ceano Everson IC 23Dominic Malgas Coach: Kevin Foote Player of the Tournament: Hassiem Pead (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jérémy Rozier (France) Katsuki Furuse (Japan) Television match official: Aled Griffiths (Wales) Foul play Review Officer (FPRO): Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Statistics
Point scorers PlayerPoints1 Vusi Moyo632 Ben Coen503 Joey Fowler464 Mikheili Shioshvili355 Luka Keletaona30 Hassiem Pead7 Tom Wood298 Nicolas Infer289 Rico Simpson27 Pascal Senillosa11 Sidney Harvey25 Jack Bracken Harri Ford
Try scorers PlayerTries1 Mikheili Shioshvili72 Hassiem Pead63 Jack Bracken54 Jerónimo Otano4 James Martens Kepueli Tuipulotu Mathis Baret Shota Kheladze Henry Walker Nelson Casartelli Maloni Kunawave Gilermo Mentoe Jaco Williams
Final rankings Team 1 A 5 5 0 0 249 92 +157 34 13 2 C 5 4 0 1 170 95 +75 25 13 3 B 5 3 0 2 155 192 –37 23 26 4 B 5 3 0 2 197 130 +67 29 18 5th–8th playoffs 5 A 5 3 0 2 196 194 +2 30 29 6 A 5 3 0 2 205 165 +40 29 23 7 C 5 2 1 2 94 116 –22 12 15 8 B 5 1 0 4 119 176 –57 14 23 9th–12th playoffs 9 C 5 2 1 2 131 111 +20 21 17 10 A 5 1 0 4 86 206 –120 14 32 11 C 5 2 0 3 132 174 –42 19 26 12 B 5 0 0 5 115 198 –83 15 30
Notes
References
External links World Rugby U20 Championship 2025 – Official Website