Four-time champions England will aim to bounce back from their sixth-placed finish in 2025 and reassert themselves as a leading force at the World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026 in Georgia. They are joined in Pool C by fast-improving Argentina, perennial challengers Ireland and newly-promoted USA.
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ARGENTINA
Best finish: Third (2016, 2025)
2025 ranking: Third
This year's U20 Rugby Championship: Third (W1, D0, L2)
Overview: Argentina have had a mixed bag of results in the World Rugby Junior World Championship so far, but signalled their progress by finishing third last year – their joint-best placing in the tournament. In the pool stage, they claimed narrow, high-scoring wins over Wales and Spain before a heavy 52-26 defeat at the hands of France. Although Argentina went on to lose to eventual winners South Africa in the semi-finals, they gained revenge on France by beating them 38-35 in the third place play-off. In this year's U20 Rugby Championship in South Africa, Los Pumitas beat defending champions New Zealand 25-17 to end the tournament in third place with one victory from their three games. Coach Nicolás Fernández Miranda will hope that his men can bring their best form to Georgia and make it into the final for the first time.
Coach: Nicolás Fernández Miranda
Captain: Tomás Dande
Squad: Jeremy Annand, Luciano Avaca, Bautista Benavides, Nicolás Cambiasso, Basilio Cañas, Fabrizio Cebron, Pedro Coll, Manuel Cuneo Camargo, Joaquín Daireaux, Tomás Dande, Benjamín Farias Cerioni, Ramón Fernández, Manuel Giannantonio, Felipe Hygonenq, Benjamín Ledesma Arocena, Bautista Lescano, Franco Marizza, Federico Narváez, Benjamín Ordiz, Joaquín Pascual Viale, Simón Pfister, Juan Preumayr, Bautista Quiroga Miguens, Valentino Reggiardo, Tiziano Rocha, Bautista Salinas Mallea, Federico Serpa, Jerónimo Sorondo, Federico Torre, Laureano Valle.
Player to watch: Tomás Dande
The flanker is Los Pumitas' captain and will hope to prove an instrumental figure once again from the back row. He showed his class when leading the team during the recent U20 Rugby Championship, scoring a try in the opening match against hosts South Africa.
Did you know...? Argentina won the only kicking competition in Junior World Championship history, beating Wales 8-9 after the sides had drawn their fifth place semi-final 19-19.
Pool fixtures:
Saturday, 27 June: Argentina v USA (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time. GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: Argentina v Ireland (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Argentina v England (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time)
ENGLAND
Best finish: Champions (2013, 2014, 2016, 2024)
2025 ranking: Sixth
This year's U20 Six Nations: Third (W3, D0, L2)
Overview: England are not the most successful team in World Rugby Junior World Championship history – that mantle belongs to New Zealand – but they are certainly the most consistent. In their 15 previous campaigns, they have only failed to make the semi-finals on three occasions, and they've turned those 12 semi-finals into an appearance in no fewer than 10 finals. Only New Zealand, who have made eight finals since the inaugural tournament in 2008, come close to England's impressive run in the knockouts. Admittedly, England would like to have more silverware for their 10 finals, but their four titles puts them second behind only New Zealand (6) for the most in history. Last year, however, saw England finish sixth in what marked their lowest placing since a seventh-placed finish in 2012. It was a disappointing defence to their 2024 title success in South Africa and Andy Titterell’s young guns will aim for a big improvement in Georgia.
Coach: Andy Titterell
Captain: Connor Treacey
Squad: Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Kealan Freeman-Price, Jerold Gorleku, Patrick Hogg, Seb Kelly, Jack Lewis, George Marsh, Freddie Ogden-Metherell, Alan Poku, Oliver Scola, Oliver Spencer, Jimmy Staples, Ollie Streeter, Sonny Tonga’uiha, Connor Treacey, Elliot Williams, Tate Williams, Finlay Cunnison, Zac Finch, Lucas Friday, Finn Keylock, Will Knight, Nick Lilley, George Newman, Tyler Offiah, James Pater, George Pearson, Hugh Shields, Jonny Weimann, Sam Winters.
Player to watch: Tyler Offiah (pictured)
The 19-year-old Bath winger, son of rugby league great Martin Offiah, scored on his PREM Rugby debut for Bath against Saracens in the final round of the 2024-25 season. He featured in last year’s Junior World Championship and combines his rugby commitments with a degree in politics and international relations at the University of Bath.
Did you know...? England are one of only three teams to lift the Junior World Championship trophy on home soil, beating Ireland in the 2016 final in Manchester. They followed South Africa's success in Cape Town in 2012 before France followed suit after beating England in the 2018 final.
Pool fixtures:
Saturday, 27 June: England v Ireland (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: England v USA (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Argentina v England (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time)
IRELAND
Best finish: Runners-up (2016, 2023)
2025 ranking: 11th
This year's U20 Six Nations: Runners-up (W4, D0, L1)
Overview: Ireland have been a constant presence in the World Rugby Junior World Championship, having featured in all 15 previous tournaments. In the first 12 they were only able to make it into the semi-finals twice, but in 2023 and 2024 they achieved back-to-back spots in the top four, and even made the final in 2023 where they were beaten by a rampant France. It was a second final in history for the Irish, who were beaten by England in 2016 after an impressive campaign which saw them go unbeaten in the pool stage beating New Zealand in the process. The recent success in the Junior World Championship has come off the back of performances in the U20 Six Nations, where Ireland won back-to-back Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023. However, things unravelled somewhat in last year's Junior World Championship in Italy when Ireland slumped to a disappointing 11th-place finish. Encouragingly, they returned to form in this year’s U20 Six Nations, claiming an impressive four wins from five to finish second behind champions France and suggest they could be ready to hit peak form on the global stage in Georgia.
Coach: Andrew Browne
Captain: Sami Bishti
Squad: Sami Bishti, Ben Blaney, Jamie Conway, Adam Cooper, Max Doyle, Joe Finn, Rian Handley, Charlie Keane, Alex Lautsou, Duinn Maguire, Blake McClean, Donnacha McGuire, Luke McLaughlin, Dylan McNeice, Josh Neill, Diarmaid O'Connell, Paddy Woods, Christopher Barrett, Noah Byrne, Rob Carney, Jack Deegan, Daniel Green, Charlie Molony, James O'Dwyer, James O'Leary, Charlie O'Shea, Johnny O'Sullivan, Daniel Ryan, Sean Walsh, Tom Wood.
Player to watch: Tom Wood
The talented fly-half made his Munster debut at the age of just 19 against Glasgow Warriors in January. In doing so he became a third generation Munster player, following in the footsteps of his father Keith and grandfather Gordon in representing the province. He has played with the Ireland U20s over the past two seasons and helped the team to the Triple Crown in 2026.
Did you know...? In June 2016, a first-ever win for an Irish men's side over New Zealand was secured with a 33-24 victory at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester.
Pool fixtures:
Saturday, 27 June: England v Ireland (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: Argentina v Ireland (Tbilisi, 15:30 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Ireland v USA (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time)
USA
Best finish: 12th (2013)
2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy: Runners-up
Overview: USA are preparing to compete in their first Junior World Championship since 2013, when they finished 12th and were relegated straight back to the World Rugby U20 Trophy. It has taken them a good few years, but now they are back on the grandest stage after finishing runners-up in the latest U20 Trophy in 2024. The expansion to 16 teams for the first time since 2009 gives USA their third appearance at this level, having been relegated from the inaugural tournament in 2008. USA head coach Johannes “Neets” Gericke has had his squad training in the humidity of Carolina in preparation for thistournament. Gericke said: “This is a massive opportunity to show the global rugby community how far we have come. We are in the Junior World Championship and the boys are excited.”
Coach: Johannes Gericke
Captain: Spencer Huntley
Squad: Lyndon Bailey, Alfie Booth, Harrison Cluff, Colin Donnelly, Yiannis Efthymiopoulos, Frank Finicle, Liam Hill, Salesi Moui-Helotu Kafovalu, Pierce Kelly, Oliver Kirk, Papaseea Matelau, Quan Nguyen, Aidan Stewart, Kitiona Talaepa, Sawyer Troupe, Tyler Trower, Jayden Williams, Jameson Beatty, Declan Cadden, William Darbishire, Jack Firebrace, Gavin Holder, Spencer Huntley, Leo Keesler-Venables, Marco Lapierre, Finnian Love, Blake Miller, Dane Mitchell, Sialefuhia Ofa, Joseph Sarkees.
Player to watch: Spencer Huntley
As a 17-year-old, the scrum-half required a waiver to play for the USA U20, an indication of how he was rated in the USA age-grade pathway. Huntley got that waiver and impressed for the U20s, and has since played for the USA U23s. He is currently studying and playing at Hartpury College in England.
Did you know...? Current USA Eagles coach Scott Lawrence led their U20 side to victory in the Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2012, earning them promotion to the Junior World Championship in 2013 – the last time they played in the premier age-grade tournament.
Pool fixtures:
Saturday, 27 June: Argentina v USA (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time, GMT+4)
Thursday, 2 July: England v USA (Tbilisi, 18:00 local time)
Tuesday, 7 July: Ireland v USA (Tbilisi, 13:00 local time)
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