Union | Rugby Australia | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Junior Wallabies | |
Coach(es) | Nathan Grey | |
| ||
First international | ||
Australia 81–12 Canada (6 June 2008; Rodney Parade, Newport) | ||
Largest win | ||
Australia 91–7 Tonga (1 May 2018; Bond Sports Park, Gold Coast) | ||
Largest defeat | ||
Australia 12–69 New Zealand (10 July 2022; SC Stadium, Bokarina) | ||
World Cup | ||
Appearances | 14 (First in 2008) | |
Best result | Runners-up (2010, 2019) |
The Australia national under-20 rugby union team, nicknamed the Junior Wallabies, is the national under-20 rugby union team that represents Australia. The team has been competing at the annual World Rugby U20 Championship since it began in 2008, replacing the previously held under-19 and under-21 championships. The team also competes at the Oceania U20 Championship as of 2015 and the U20 Rugby Championship since 2024.
Australia's highest finish at the World Rugby U20 Championship was second-place in 2010 [1] [2] and 2019. The team finished third in 2011 by beating France in the third place playoff, [3] and fourth in 2009 after losing to South Africa 32–5 in the third place playoff. [4] The Junior Wallabies also finished second in the first four editions of the Oceania U20 Championship before being crowned champions in 2019 after defeating New Zealand 24–0. [5] [6] [7]
The Junior Wallabies name was incorporated into the Australian under-20 crest prior to the 2018 season, but the name was also previously applied to several other teams in the history of Australian rugby. [8] [9] In the era of amateur rugby from the 1950s onwards, the Junior Wallabies team was selected from uncapped players (with no age restriction) to play against touring Test sides [10] [11] or to represent Australia on goodwill tours to Asia and the Pacific. [12] [13] Media publications sometimes also used the name Junior Wallabies to refer to age-graded national teams such as the Australian under-19 side, [14] Australian Schoolboys, [15] [16] and later the Australian under-20 team. [17] [18]
Summary for all competitive test matches up to and including the 2024 season:
Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | W% | PF | PA | Diff. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 37.5% | 162 | 145 | +17 |
Canada | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 167 | 12 | +155 |
England | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12.5% | 165 | 204 | –39 |
Fiji | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 352 | 125 | +228 |
France | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 42.86% | 178 | 170 | +8 |
Georgia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 35 | 11 | +24 |
Ireland | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% | 98 | 84 | +14 |
Italy | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 85.71% | 232 | 91 | +141 |
Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 165 | 64 | +101 |
New Zealand | 17 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 23.53% | 348 | 597 | –249 |
Samoa | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 228 | 94 | +134 |
Scotland | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.67% | 218 | 104 | +114 |
South Africa | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% | 84 | 132 | –48 |
Tonga | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 252 | 25 | +227 |
Wales | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.33% | 204 | 133 | +71 |
Total | 91 | 54 | 1 | 36 | 59.34% | 2,788 | 1,991 | +797 |
World Rugby U20 Championship record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||
2008 | Fifth place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 221 | 68 | ||
2009 | Fourth place | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 186 | 74 | ||
2010 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 239 | 131 | ||
2011 | Third place | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 166 | 117 | ||
2012 | Eighth place | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 107 | 94 | ||
2013 | Seventh place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 114 | 84 | ||
2014 | Fifth place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 101 | ||
2015 | Fifth place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 136 | 110 | ||
2016 | Sixth place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 120 | 116 | ||
2017 | Sixth place | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 135 | 106 | ||
2018 | Fifth place | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 178 | 103 | ||
2019 | Runners-up | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 171 | 122 | ||
2023 | Fifth place | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 179 | 157 | ||
2024 [a] | Sixth place | 4 [a] | 2 | 0 | 2 | 89 | 71 | ||
2025 | To be determined. | ||||||||
Total | Runners-up (2) | 69 | 41 | 1 | 27 | 2,217 | 1,454 |
U20 Rugby Championship record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||
2024 | Fourth place | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 80 | ||
2025 | To be determined. | ||||||||
Total | Fourth place (1) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 80 |
Oceania Rugby U20 Championship record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||
2015 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 109 | 87 | ||
2016 | Runners-up | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 54 | ||
2017 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 87 | ||
2018 | Runners-up | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 170 | 55 | ||
2019 | Champions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 14 | ||
2022 | Third place | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 91 | 98 | ||
Total | Champions (1) | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 590 | 395 |
The following Australia U20s players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2008: [28]
Year | Nominees | Winners |
---|---|---|
2009 | Richard Kingi | — |
2010 | Robbie Coleman | |
2015 | Jonah Placid | |
2019 | Fraser McReight | |
The Wales national under-20 rugby union team is for Welsh rugby union players aged 20 or under on 1 January of the year during which they are selected.
The New Zealand national under-20 rugby union team, nicknamed the Baby Blacks, is the representative rugby union team from New Zealand. It replaced the two former age grade teams, the under-19s and the under-21s. Their first tournament was the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship, which they won after defeating England (38–3) in the final. They have gone on to also win the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2017. The New Zealand under-20s have been nicknamed the "Baby Blacks" after the youthful All Blacks side which played in 1986.
The England Under 20 rugby team are the newest representative rugby union team from England. They replace the two former age grade teams Under 19s and Under 21s. They compete in the annual Six Nations Under 20s Championship and World Rugby Under 20 Championship.
The South Africa national under-20 rugby union team are South Africa's junior team at national level. They have been competing in the World Rugby Under 20 Championship since its inception in 2008. This Under-20 tournament replaced the previously-held Under-19 and Under-21 Rugby World Championships. Prior to 2018, it had been the country's "next senior" (second-level) 15-man national side, but World Rugby no longer allows member unions to designate age-grade sides as "next senior" teams.
Liam Bradley Gill is a professional rugby union player for Lyon. He was born in Melbourne and lived in the United States before playing junior Rugby in Adelaide for the Old Collegians. His regular playing position is Flanker.
The Japan national under-20 rugby union team is Japan's junior national team in rugby union.
The Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship is an international rugby union competition organised by Oceania Rugby, which is the regional governing body for rugby in Oceania. It is contested by men's junior national teams with an under-20 age requirement, and played as two tournaments: the Oceania Championship for teams that qualify for the World Championship; and the Oceania Trophy for teams aiming to compete in the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
The Under-19s Rugby Championship is an Australian rugby union competition for men's youth teams that forms part of the pathway for selection to the Junior Wallabies. The competition is hosted annually by Rugby Australia and players must meet an under-19 age requirement. Previously, this tournament was played closer in time to the World Junior Championship and used an under-20 age requirement.
The 2015 Oceania Rugby Under 20s, was the first edition of the Oceania Rugby Junior Championship. It was played as two tournaments; the Oceania Under 20 Championship hosted on the Gold Coast in Australia, and the Oceania Under 20 Trophy hosted in Suva, Fiji.
The 2016 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship, was the second edition of the Oceania Rugby Junior Championship. It was played as two tournaments; the Oceania Under 20 Championship hosted on the Gold Coast in Australia, and the Oceania Under 20 Trophy hosted in Suva.
The Australian Barbarians, nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team that has been a major part of Australian rugby since the team was founded in 1957. The club is based in Australia. The idea came from the concept of the Barbarian F.C. formed in Britain in 1890.
Howard Packman is a rugby union player who plays for Ealing Trailfinders.
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The 2018 Oceania Rugby Under 20s, was the fourth edition of the Oceania Rugby Junior Championship. Tonga played in the tournament for the first time, replacing Samoa from the previous year and joining Fiji, New Zealand and hosts Australia at Bond University on the Gold Coast.
Tom Ross is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby. His playing position is tighthead prop. He has signed for the Brumbies squad in 2019.
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Bond Sports Park is a multi-purpose sporting facility on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The precinct includes a rugby union stadium which has hosted professional and international matches, including National Rugby Championship playoffs and the annual Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship tournament. It is located on the Bond University campus.
The 2021 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship, was a planned competition for national junior men's rugby union teams that was cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first division Oceania Junior Championship was originally scheduled for July as a two-match series between Australia and New Zealand at Bond University on the Gold Coast, but was initially postponed due to Australian border restrictions associated with the pandemic, then subsequently cancelled. New Zealand played some domestic Under-20 fixtures during June and July, but Australia suspended its Junior Wallabies program for the year. The lower division Oceania Under 20 Trophy match between Samoa and Tonga planned for 22 May was also cancelled due to travel restrictions related to the pandemic.
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