Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions | Wales promises a tournament to remember

IRB Video: IRB Junior World Championships Promo

The top sixteen nations in the world will compete for the world title in a new-look tournament which is to replace both the IRB Under 21 and Under 19 World Championships.

Wales are seeded fourth for the tournament, following their semi-final position at last season’s IRB Under 19 World Championships. This gives them the top spot in Pool D and will be based in Swansea while the other three top seeds are New Zealand (Pool A, Cardiff), South Africa (Pool B, Wrexham) and Australia (Pool C, Newport).

The IRB announced its decision to award the staging of the event to Wales at a press conference today (Wednesday) at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea, one of the match venues for the tournament and the venue of the finals day on June 22nd, 2008. The other match venues will be Cardiff Arms Park, Rodney Parade, Newport and the Racecourse, Wrexham.

The Union promised an all-Wales event for the inaugural World Championship at Under 20 level and announced that there will be a comprehensive programme of activity around the tournament which will ensure a lasting legacy to all elements of Welsh rugby, from elite players, coaches and referees to volunteers, players, coaches and administrators in the grassroots game.

The tournament will be used to expose elite, young players in Wales to the high standards practiced by the Under 20 teams visiting the Principality, with a range of coaching clinics and training sessions, while the club and school-based programme of activity around the tournament will benefit the grassroots game across all of Wales.

The WRU has gained total agreement from the IRB for its proposed plan for the 2008 tournament, a major element of which was to stage matches and base teams in and around the four regional centres of Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Wrexham, turning the all-Wales vision into a reality.

Part of the tournament’s legacy to grassroots rugby will see each of the sixteen participating teams being linked to a specific rugby club. The teams will use the club as their training base but it will also be used as a link between the tournament and the local community.

Schools and clubs around that training base will have the chance to get involved with the tournament via the ‘adopted nation’ based at their local club. Youngsters will have the opportunity to watch training sessions, learn about the visiting country and attend matches during the tournament.

The inaugural Junior World Championship has a clear-cut, coherent format which is easy to follow. There are four Pools of four teams, and each team plays the other three teams in its Pool. The winner of each Pool will progress to the semi-finals of the tournament while the other teams will continue to play for Championship positions.

WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis said, “The Junior World Championship will bring the world’s elite, young talent to Wales. Our aim is to create a top-class tournament that will not only be extremely memorable for all those future professional rugby players competing in the tournament, and their families and supporters, but one which will leave a lasting legacy for Welsh rugby and for the world of rugby.”

WRU Chairman David Pickering, who is an IRB Council member said, “It was a key element of our strategy that all of Welsh rugby should benefit from this tournament and the development plan in place will make sure of that. We are convinced that North Wales will not only play an integral part of the tournament, but will add something extra to the experience.”

IRB Chairman, Dr Syd Millar said, “The IRB is delighted that Wales will host the first IRB Junior World Championship for Under 20 teams next year. There are few countries to rival the rugby heritage of Wales and the prospect of a new international tournament coming to Wales next year will, I am sure, generate a great deal of excitement and interest within the principality and the wider rugby community.

“We are also delighted so see that the WRU are committed to delivering what promises to be a memorable tournament. In particular, the inception of a regional format will ensure that all rugby fans in Wales will have the opportunity to see the future stars of the game in action.”

“In addition, a full programme of school and club-based activities, coaching clinics and awareness-raising activities surrounding the tournament will ensure that the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship will leave behind a lasting legacy,” added Dr Millar.

The tournament will benefit from an award of up to £400,000 from UK Sport’s National Lottery backed World Class Events Programme, and is already one of six world championship events secured for the UK in 2008 using UK Sport’s investment and expertise.

Simon Morton, UK Sport Events Consultant, anticipates significant positive benefits for Wales as the event host: “Historically there have been limited opportunities to host major international events in this part of the UK, and with the spread of tournament venues across the Welsh regions we’re sure the rugby-loving public will engage with and support the IRB Junior World Championship.

“Significant capacity-building opportunities will now be available to the sport in the light of securing this event – we look forward to supporting the development of that knowledge and the delivery of a successful Championship,” he said.

The WRU has also received significant support in its bid to stage this global tournament from the Welsh Assembly Government. Rhodri Glyn Thomas, the Sports Minister said: “I’m delighted that the Welsh Assembly Government has been able to work with the Welsh Rugby Union to bring the inaugural Junior World Championship at Under 20 level to Wales next year.

“The Championship is the pinnacle of age-grade rugby and the International Rugby Board’s decision to hold it here means that the world’s best young rugby talent will be on show right here in Wales.

“The spread of games between Swansea, Wrexham, Newport and Cardiff means that people all over Wales with get a chance to see the games and give our visitors a wider taste of what Wales as country has to offer. I certainly hope the Welsh team will make the most of the home advantage, secure the trophy and give a boost to rugby in Wales.”

IRB Junior World Championship Wales 2008

Pool A – Cardiff	Pool B – Wrexham	Pool C – Newport	Pool D – Swansea
New Zealand	South Africa	Australia	Wales
Argentina	USA	England	France
Ireland	Samoa	Canada	Italy
Tonga	Scotland	Fiji	Japan