All eyes will be on Avchala Stadium in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Monday when two mouthwatering World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 semi-finals take place with fans able to follow the action on RugbyPass TV where there is no local broadcaster.
New Zealand take on France first up before defending champions South Africa do battle with England, with the winners of both games progressing to the final at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi on 18 July.
Intriguingly, all four semi-finalists are the only nations to have been crowned champions, sharing the 15 titles between them since the tournament’s inception in 2008.
While New Zealand have been champions a record six times, England have four titles to their name, France have three and the Junior Springboks have two as they bid to retain the trophy for the first time.
The other 12 teams will also compete for fifth to 16th place in the tournament with the action getting underway on Sunday when Argentina and Scotland open proceedings at Avchala Stadium at 18:00 local time (GMT+4) and Japan meet USA in the first game at AIA Arena in Kutaisi.
Semi-finals: France v New Zealand – Monday, 18:00 local time (GMT+4)
New Zealand have been crowned winners of the World Rugby Junior World Championship a record six times – but their last title came back in 2017 when the tournament was last hosted in Georgia.
They lost to South Africa in last year’s final in Italy and will be determined to go all the way this time around. Kane Jury’s men must first overcome France in Monday’s semi-final at Avchala Stadium and will go into the match buoyed by victories over Japan, Scotland and Italy which saw them top Pool B.
Jury has named an unchanged pack and just two changes to his backline with Mika Muliaina and Haki Wiseman replacing Logan Williams and Lautasi Etuale.
“We've been pleased with the way the group has grown throughout the pool stages, but we know everything lifts another level in a semi-final,” said Jury. “France are an outstanding side and have shown throughout the tournament why they're one of the favourites. They'll challenge us right across the park.
“We've built good momentum over the last three matches, but we'll need to be accurate, disciplined and take our opportunities. The players are excited for the challenge and the chance to earn a place in the final.”
New Zealand have several players in fine form, not least full-back Cohen Norrie who is their top scorer with three tries. Bradley Tocker have also impressed greatly at blindside flanker while France also have a number of players who caught the eye during the pool matches.
Captain Lucas Andjisseramatchi enjoyed an outstanding match during Tuesday’s 34-29 win over Australia which clinched top spot in Pool D. The openside flanker scored a first-half brace to take his tally to three tries in as many games, but he is not France’s top scorer.
That mantle currently belongs to hooker Gabin Garault, who has four tries to his name and, along with Andjisseramatchi, is proving one of Les Bleuets’ most influential players.
France have racked up wins over Fiji, Spain and Australia to top Pool D and these sides are certainly no strangers on the Junior World Championship stage, with each of New Zealand’s last five semi-finals having been against Les Bleuets. New Zealand have won three and lost two of those fixtures, with both sides scoring and conceding more than four tries in each of the last two.
France have reached the semi-finals in each of the last seven editions of the tournament, the longest ongoing run of any nation. Overall, only South Africa (nine between 2012-23) and New Zealand (eight from 2008-15) have recorded more consecutive top-four finishes.
Indeed, France have won four of their last five semi-final ties at the Junior World Championship, losing just once. Two of those victories came against New Zealand but so did their only defeat, which came during last year’s semi-final as Les Bleuets were beaten 34-26 in Viadana.
Semi-finals: South Africa v England – Monday, 20:30 local time (GMT+4)
Defending champions South Africa topped Pool A after scoring 189 points in victories over against Uruguay, Georgia and Wales – more than any side in the pool stage of this tournament. Kevin Foote’s men also conceded just 45 points, giving them a formidable points difference of +144 and a ringing endorsement of their title pedigree.
They can boast strength in depth in every position and one man who has showcased his potential so far in Georgia is captain Siphosethu Mnebelele. When the Junior Springboks’ captain Riley Norton was named in Springbok squad for the Nations Championship, thus ruling him out of the title defence, Foote handed Mnebelele the armband.
The hooker has revelled in the responsibility, scoring five times in three pool games to top the try-scoring charts for South Africa while full-back James Pater leads England's list of try-scorers with three so far, while back-rows Aiden Ainsworth-Cave and captain Connor Treacey have also caught the eye.
A key area for improvement going into the knockout stage for Andy Titterrell’s side - who are unchanged from Tuesday's 40-38 win against Argentina - will be their defence, having shipped 105 points so far against Ireland, USA and Los Pumitas, an average of 35 points per game.
That is the highest number of points conceded by any of the four semi-finalists, although on the flip side only South Africa and Australia scored points more than England’s 142 in the pool stage.
And history is on England’s side in this fixture with them having won all six of their previous semi-final meetings with South Africa. The Junior Springboks, who won only their second title after beating New Zealand in an epic final in Italy last year, are now aiming to reach back-to-back finals for the first time.
Only England, France and New Zealand have accomplished that feat but Foote’s side are clearly the team to beat in this year’s tournament.
South Africa have won each of their last nine JWC matches – their longest-ever run in the tournament – and could become the first team to record 10 straight victories since New Zealand won 11 in a row from 2016-18. England are aiming to win their fifth title this year, having also finished runners-up a record six times.
Fifth place semi-final: Argentina v Scotland – Sunday, 18:00 local time (GMT+4)
Argentina finished third in last year’s Junior World Championship, emulating their highest-ever placing in the tournament from 2016, but will now aim to finish fifth.
They can achieve that by beating Scotland at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi to progress to a fifth place play-off against Australia or Wales – and in full-back Simon Pfister they boast the tournament’s leading scorer with seven tries so far.
Fabrizio Cebron, Nicolas Cambiasso, Felipe Hygonenq and Basilio Canas come into Los Pumitas’ pack with Benjamin Ledesma Arocena, Manuel Giannantonio, Joaquin Daireaux and Ramon Fernandez earning backline starts.
Argentina centre Benjamin Yujnovsky begins a three-match suspension following his red card in Tuesday’s defeat to England, although the suspension will be reduced to two games on successful completion of the Coaching Intervention.
Scotland coach Fergus Pringle has made four changes with Alex Bryden, Hamish McArthur, Will Pearce and Oliver Finlayson-Russell replacing Campbell Waugh, Matthew Fick, Ollie McKenna and Jack Utterson.
Fifth place semi-final: Australia v Wales – Sunday, 20:30 local time (GMT+4)
Australia’s hopes of a first-ever Junior World Championship title may have ended, but they will now aim to beat Wales and then defeat Argentina or Scotland to secure fifth place.
The Junior Wallabies have contested 11 previous fifth place semi-finals at the Junior World Championship, winning nine of those matches including their last eight in a row and a victory against Wales at this stage two years ago (36-29).
Australia make eight changes with Jacob Job, Isaac Fonua, TJ Talaileva and Marshall Le Maitre coming into the pack and Sam Blank, Riley Whitfield, Charlie Bird and Taione Taka handed starts in the backline.
Having lost to France on Tuesday, coach Chris Whitaker said: “We are determined to bounce back from the tough defeat last time out and are hopeful that some of the changes will give us a lift. Wales have been strong throughout the group stages, and we know we'll have to be at our best to come out winners.”
Wales’ loose-head prop George Tuckley and second-row Tom Cottle are unavailable due to injury and have been replaced by Ospreys’ Dylan James and Bristol Bears’ Osian Williams respectively.
Ninth place semi-final: Georgia v Italy – Monday, 18:00 local time (GMT+4)
Georgia have lost just one of their previous six Junior World Championship games against Italy and Tuesday’s 56-3 win over Uruguay in the final pool game marked the Junior Lelos’ biggest-ever victory in the competition.
Georgia number eight Mikheili Shioshvili has scored nine tries in eight appearances across the last two editions (seven in 2025, two in 2026), which is at least two more than any other player in that time.
Italy’s highly-rated captain and centre Riccardo Casarin has hit 30 defensive rucks in this year’s tournament, more than any other player, while team-mate Jaheim Noel Wilson has hit the second most with 29.
The Azzurrini finished seventh in last year’s tournament on home soil, which marked their highest-ever position at a Junior World Championship.
Ninth place semi-final: Ireland v Fiji – Monday, 20:30 local time (GMT+4)
Ireland’s best-ever finishes at the Junior World Championship came when they finished runners-up in 2016 and 2023 but they now have the opportunity to improve on last year’s 11th–placed finish.
Andrew Browne’s men finished third in Pool C after picking up a solitary win against USA on matchday three in a game which saw winger Charlie Molony red card, but that has now been overturned by a disciplinary committee, leaving him free to play against Fiji.
Ireland have won each of their previous three games against Fiji, scoring at least 38 points on each occasion and preventing their opponents from scoring more than three points in two of those fixtures.
Fiji, meanwhile, will take great heart from ending their pool-stage campaign with a thrilling 29-26 win over Spain at AIA Arena in Kutaisi on Tuesday and they are now aiming to record back-to-back victories in the tournament for just the second time.
13th place semi-final: Japan v USA – Sunday, 18:00 local time (GMT+4)
This will be just the second Junior World Championship meeting between these sides, with Japan recording their first-ever win in the inaugural tournament in 2008, the 44-8 victory seeing the USA relegated to the sister Junior World Rugby Trophy for the following year.
Both teams have caught the eye at times with their attack and will be eager to secure a first victory in the 2026, or ever in USA's case having lost all 13 matches to date in the Junior World Championship. The closest they have come to victory came at this stage in 2008 when beaten 27-22 by Fiji.
Japan have made eight changes to their side with Song Ha Ri, Haruto Sasaki, Masato Hyakutake and Yuta Otabe coming into the pack and Soshi Kataoka, Takeru Niwa, Tsunehidemichi Fukuda and Shinnosuke Uchida earning starts in the backline.
USA have brought in Pierce Kelly and Papaseea Matelau into their starting pack with captain Spencer Huntley, Dane Mitchell and Gavin Holder handed places in the back division – although flanker Jayden Williams begins a three-match suspension following his citing during Tuesday’s defeat to Ireland.
13th place semi-final: Spain v Uruguay – Sunday, 18:00 local time (GMT+4)
This will be the first-ever Junior World Championship meeting between Spain and Uruguay and will see both sides go in search of their first win of the campaign.
Los Leones U20 finished bottom of Pool D after defeats to Australia, France and Fiji while Uruguay propped up Pool A following losses at the hands of South Africa, Wales and Georgia.
Spain have named Unax Carballo and Bosco Vilallonga Martinez Cattaneo at second-row and number eight respectively while Malakai Hafoka Toca is handed the fly-half role.
Oriol Marsinyac is Spain’s leading scorer at this year’s tournament with four tries and has already bettered his tally of three from the 2025 edition, when he topped Los Leones’ scoring charts.
Los Teritos make six changes with Nicolas Mattsson, Guillermo Curuchet, Mateo Guarch and Ignacio Merli coming into their pack and Mateo Ibarburu and Vicente Alvarez earning starts in the backs.
