# 2008 IRB Junior World Championship

The 2008 IRB Junior World Championship was the first annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams. All players who were twenty years of age or under on 1 January 2008 were eligible for selection.
This competition replaced the now defunct Under 19 Rugby World Championship and Under 21 Rugby World Championship. The event, organised by rugby's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), was contested by sixteen men's under-20 national teams.
The tournament was held in June and hosted by Wales, at four separate venues, and won by New Zealand.

## Venues

| City | Ground | Capacity |
| Cardiff | Arms Park | 13,500 |
| Newport | Rodney Parade | 11,700 |
| Swansea | Liberty Stadium | 20,532 |
| Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 15,500 |

## Calendar

| Stage | First Match | | Last Match |
| Matchday 1 | 17:00 2008-06-06 | to | 19:00 2008-06-06 |
| Matchday 2 | 17:00 2008-06-10 | to | 19:00 2008-06-10 |
| Matchday 3 | 15:00 2008-06-14 | to | 17:00 2008-06-14 |
| Matchday 4 | 17:00 2008-06-18 | to | 19:00 2008-06-18 |
| Final Day – North Wales | 18:00 2008-06-21 | to | 20:00 2008-06-21 |
| Final Day – South Wales | 13:00 2008-06-22 | to | 19:00 2008-06-22 |

## Pools

* Qualified for the Championship Semi-finals
* Qualified for the 5th to 8th Placed Playoffs
* Qualified for the 9th to 12th Placed Playoffs
* Qualified for the 13th to 16th Placed Playoffs

### Pool A

    Team Played Won Drawn Lost Tries For Against Difference BP Points  New Zealand 33002517319+154315  Argentina 320164769–3219  Ireland 3102664109–4515  Tonga 3003346123–7700
Match Results :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 6 June 2008 | New Zealand | 48–9 | Tonga | Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 6 June 2008 | Argentina | 17–9 | Ireland | Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 10 June 2008 | Argentina | 30–10 | Tonga | Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 10 June 2008 | New Zealand | 65–10 | Ireland | Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 14 June 2008 | Ireland | 45–27 | Tonga | Arms Park, Cardiff |
| 14 June 2008 | New Zealand | 60–0 | Argentina | Arms Park, Cardiff |

### Pool B

    Team Played Won Drawn Lost Tries For Against Difference BP Points  South Africa 33002719632+164214  Samoa 320176039+2119  Scotland 3102861115–5415  United States 3003338169–13100
Match Results :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 6 June 2008 | South Africa | 108–18 | United States | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 6 June 2008 | Samoa | 29–17 | Scotland | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 10 June 2008 | Samoa | 20–6 | United States | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 10 June 2008 | South Africa | 72–3 | Scotland | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 14 June 2008 | Scotland | 41–14 | United States | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 14 June 2008 | South Africa | 16–11 | Samoa | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |

### Pool C

    Team Played Won Drawn Lost Tries For Against Difference BP Points  England 33001711948+71214  Australia 32012714747+100311  Canada 3102547151–10404  Fiji 3003444111–6711
Match Results :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 6 June 2008 | Australia | 81–12 | Canada | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 6 June 2008 | England | 41–17 | Fiji | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 10 June 2008 | England | 60–18 | Canada | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 10 June 2008 | Australia | 53–17 | Fiji | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 14 June 2008 | Australia | 13–18 | England | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 14 June 2008 | Fiji | 10–17 | Canada | Rodney Parade, Newport |

### Pool D

    Team Played Won Drawn Lost Tries For Against Difference BP Points  Wales 3300118539+46214  France 32011310454+50311  Italy 310244881–3304  Japan 3003747110–6311
Match Results :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 6 June 2008 | France | 53–17 | Japan | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 6 June 2008 | Wales | 29–10 | Italy | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 10 June 2008 | France | 32–14 | Italy | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 10 June 2008 | Wales | 33–10 | Japan | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 14 June 2008 | Japan | 20–24 | Italy | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 14 June 2008 | Wales | 23–19 | France | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |

## Knockout stage

13th-16th Places Playoffs
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Tonga | 17 | | | |
| 4 | Japan | 5 | | | |
| 4 | Japan | 5 | Tonga | Tonga | 28 |
| | | | Fiji | Fiji | 20 |
| 3 | United States | 22 | Fiji | Fiji | 20 |
| 2 | Fiji | 27 | | | |
13th-16th Places Playoffs :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 18 June 2008 | Tonga | 17–5 | Japan | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 18 June 2008 | United States | 22–27 | Fiji | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
15th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | Japan | 44–8 | United States | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
13th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | Tonga | 28–20 | Fiji | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
9th-12th Place Playoffs
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Ireland | 9 | | | |
| 4 | Italy | 6 | | | |
| 4 | Italy | 6 | Ireland | Ireland | 39 |
| | | | Scotland | Scotland | 12 |
| 3 | Scotland | 15 | Scotland | Scotland | 12 |
| 2 | Canada | 10 | | | |
9th-12th Places Playoffs :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 18 June 2008 | Scotland | 15–10 | Canada | Rodney Parade, Newport |
| 18 June 2008 | Ireland | 9–6 | Italy | Arms Park, Cardiff |
11th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | Italy | 33–10 | Canada | Arms Park, Cardiff |
9th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | Ireland | 39–12 | Scotland | Rodney Parade, Newport |
5th-8th Places Playoffs
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | Argentina | 6 | | | |
| 4 | France | 30 | | | |
| 4 | France | 30 | France | France | 21 |
| | | | Australia | Australia | 42 |
| 3 | Samoa | 0 | Australia | Australia | 42 |
| 2 | Australia | 32 | | | |
5th-8th Places Playoffs :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 18 June 2008 | Argentina | 6–30 | France | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
| 18 June 2008 | Samoa | 0–32 | Australia | Liberty Stadium, Swansea |
7th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | Argentina | 10–30 | Samoa | Rodney Parade, Newport |
5th Place Play-Off :
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
| 21 June 2008 | France | 21–42 | Australia | Arms Park, Cardiff |
1st place playoffs
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | New Zealand | 31 | | | |
| 4 | Wales | 6 | | | |
| 4 | Wales | 6 | New Zealand | New Zealand | 38 |
| | | | England | England | 3 |
| 3 | South Africa | 18 | England | England | 3 |
| 2 | England | 26 | | | |

### Semi-finals

* 18 June 2008 19:15
| New Zealand | 31–6 | Wales |
| | (Report) | |
* Rodney Parade, Newport
* 18 June 2008 19:15
| South Africa | 18–26 | England |
| | (Report) | |
* Arms Park, Cardiff

### 3rd place playoffs

* 22 June 2008 17:00
| Wales | 18–43 | South Africa |
| | (Report) | |
* Liberty Stadium, Swansea

### Final

* 22 June 2008 19:00
| New Zealand | 38–3 | England |
| | (Report) | |
* Liberty Stadium, Swansea Attendance: 8537 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon