Rugby Canada to host U20s Canada Conference 2022 at the University of Guelph this August

Rugby Canada will host the U20s Canada Conference 2022, an international men’s U20s tournament organised in partnership with World Rugby, in August at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

Before the World Rugby U20 Trophy returns in 2023, Canada has been selected to stage a replacement tournament from 13-23 August which will provide key high-performance competition for its men’s U20 programme, as well as those of participating unions Uruguay, Zimbabwe and Chile.

Supported by World Rugby, the U20s Canada Conference confirms the international federation’s commitment to support the pathway for the next generation of rugby talent, who will eventually improve the competitiveness of their senior teams.

“We would like to thank World Rugby for giving us the opportunity to host this event,” commented Dustin Hopkins, Managing Director of Rugby Operations, Rugby Canada. “This tournament will provide much-needed game time for our U20s programme in a competitive environment. We would also like to thank our venue, the University of Guelph, for their partnership. We look forward to staging a successful event.”

World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: “U20 tournaments have proven to be a successful pathway for young talents in our unions to flourish, gain international experience and prepare for test rugby. Before the global World Rugby U20 Trophy return next year, we are delighted to support our unions and Rugby Canada in delivering the U20s Canada Conference, a fantastic opportunity for promising rugby players to compete at the highest level.”

Taking place in a round-robin format, the event’s first stage of matches will take place on Saturday, 13 August, followed by subsequent rounds on Thursday, 18 August and Tuesday, 23 August. The full schedule is below:

Match Day 1 - 13 August, 2022
Kick-off 16:00 ET: Chile v Uruguay
Kick-off 18:30 ET: Canada v Zimbabwe

Match Day 2 – 18 August, 2022
Kick-off 16:00 ET: Uruguay v Zimbabwe
Kick-off 18:30 ET: Canada v Chile

Match Day 3 – 23 August, 2022
Kick-off 16:00 ET: Chile v Zimbabwe
Kick-off 18:30 ET: Canada v Uruguay

The U20s Canada Conference is a non-ticketed event and fans who wish to attend the matches are encouraged to do so. Broadcast and partnership details will be confirmed in due course.