Scotland Crowned World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 Champions with Victory over USA
Scotland won the World Rugby U20 Trophy 2024 and guaranteed their place in the World Rugby U20 Championship 2025 following a convincing 48-10 victory against the USA at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Japan China also had a strong finish to the competition, coming in third, fifth, and seventh place, respectively.
A 48-10 victory over the USA in the championship game guaranteed Scotland’s advancement to the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2025. On Wednesday, triumphant Scotland captain Liam McConnell hoisted the World Rugby U20 Trophy at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
A valiant USA team forced Scotland to work hard, but their more clinical hosts ultimately punished them.
Following the event, McConnell said, “It means a lot.” “There have been some difficult days over the past two years. The management is as thrilled as the entire team. The end of the tunnel is in sight.
“To be back in the U20 Championship means everything.” We consider ourselves to be among the elite nations, and we believe this is a great chance for the boys to fight against the world’s finest teams wherever they go the following year.
“It was a proper game at halftime, and the USA was up for it, but we came out in the second half and kept doing our thing and kind of broke them down.”
One of the four previous U20 Trophy winners in the competition, Japan defeated 2008 champions Uruguay 75–22 to finish third. They won easily because they got off to a fast start and never let up on their intensity.
Earlier, the Netherlands finished their first tournament campaign in fine fashion, defeating previous winners Samoa 46-29 in the fifth place play-off with yet another explosive display.
After defeating Kenya in the pool stages, the Dutch scored 20 points overall by running in six tries. Their aggressive style of play helped them win two games. In the opening match of the day, Hong Kong China defeated Kenya 34–14 in the seventh place play-off, snapping a 12-game losing skid at the World Rugby U20 Trophy.
FINAL: SCOTLAND 48-10 USA
Scotland defeated the United States, the only other team to win the U20 Trophy on home soil, to become the second nation to do so. The host country has been untouchable throughout the competition after a dismal U20 Men’s Six Nations campaign earlier in the year. They have crossed the 100-point mark against both Samoa and Hong Kong China, rushing in 32 tries in their three pool stage victories.
In the championship match against the 2012 winners, USA, they added eight more points. Scotland gained the lead early on with to goals from hard-working second-row Euan McVie, who scored a well-earned hat-trick; hooker Jerry Blyth-Lafferty added two; and back-row Tom Currie and center Johnny Ventisei added further points.
The host country rapidly established its dominance over the game with the presence of national rugby legends John Jeffrey, Gavin Hastings, Greig Laidlaw, and Frank Hadden in the grandstand, in addition to World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and USA senior men’s head coach Scott Lawrence.
By the time McVie, against valiant and coordinated USA defense, pushed his way over from short range after a series of assaults on the try-line after a penalty kick to touch, they had nearly scored twice.
Scotland played with great speed and style, but their attacks were regularly thwarted by a combination of tenacious USA tackling and sporadic careless play.
While this was going on, their pack was dominating both loose and set pieces, winning penalty after penalty against a back-pedaling USA eight.
Before the second try in the 27th minute resulted following a breakout from an uncommon USA sortie into Scottish territory, two more opportunities were wasted. Deep in their own half, the host team moved inside the USA’s 22 thanks to a break by Conor McAlpine. Ventesei scored beneath the posts by cutting back against the grain after the ball was rapidly spread right.
The physically superior Scots gained another attacking platform as a result of another turnover. Through the phases, they increased the pressure, getting closer and closer until Currie pushed his way through.
Early in the second quarter, USA’s Corbin Smith scored a penalty to put the team ahead, but hooker Jerry Blyth-Lafferty scored from a maul after a penalty was called at the restart.
After another short-range lineout, Blyth-Lafferty sidestepped his way to a second in the 66th minute. Eight minutes from time, McVie barged over for Scotland’s sixth goal, and with three minutes remaining, he earned a well-deserved hat-trick.
It was time to get a replacement. Kerr Yule scored, but Oliver Cline of the USA made a brilliant cross-field punt that allowed Keelan Farrell to score a well-earned consolation try with the clock running out.
THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF: JAPAN 75-22 URUGUAY
In the third-place play-off at Hive Stadium, Uruguay faced an unstoppable Japanese team and had to settle for fourth place.
Japan, who were eliminated from the World Rugby U20 Championship the previous year, started the game with a strong point to prove. They scored 11 tries and displayed a potent blend of speed, strength, and creativity.
Japan had defeated this team three times in their previous four matches, but this time around they were beaten twice each by winger Tasuku Masuyama, flanker Shusui Kamei, and hooker Kenshin Shimizu.
Japan threatened to run away with it in the first ten minutes, but Masuyama responded with two highlight-reel tries in sixty seconds. When he got his hands on the ball on halfway, he had a lot of work ahead of him, but he broke through two tackles to score from 50 meters. And he made a 30-meter weaving move to the line for his second, dodging past many defenders along the way.
They dominated the set piece, their strikers playing with plenty of low-down grunt and quickness. Two phases after a five-meter lineout, Kamei scored his first try when he crashed under the posts without any resistance.
With hooker Francisco García diving over for his third try in Edinburgh, Los Teritos’ unstoppable, well-planned 22-meter maul on the half-hour mark gave them the points they needed. In the first half, Uruguay attempted the maul try technique twice more, but were unsuccessful.
Three minutes into the second session, Kamei scored his second, and Japan carried on like they intended to. Uruguay had a moment of respite when skipper Franco Bertini surged ahead.
However, fly-half After 53 minutes, Rieto Ito showed off his clean heels on his way to the try-line for Japan’s sixth try of the game. Five minutes later, they increased their lead even further when Shimizu scored his second, making it his seventh of the competition.
Fourteen minutes into the game, Japan had already scored fifty points when Kent Iioka’s name appeared on the scoreboard. In the 71st minute, Jingo Takenoshita added their eighth goal. Two minutes later, Felipe Bofill gave Uruguay some comfort.
However, Japan emerged victorious after substitute Takaya Motohashi, who played an only 13 minutes, twice outran the opposition in the game’s last moments.
FIFTH PLACE PLAY-OFF: SAMOA 29-46 NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands ran in six tries against Samoa to secure fifth place, capping off their impressive debut in the World Rugby U20 Trophy. With goals from captain Kit Temperley, Niek Doornenbal, and Tobias de Prieelle, Gareth Gilbert’s team had a 29–5 advantage at the half.
Shortly after the half, Temperley scored his second, and Kees de Bruin and Ilan Vaasen, who scored 16 points with the boot, also scored. Although it was a fun match with five tries scored, Samoa finished sixth overall, their lowest finish in Trophy history.
Before this play-off for fifth place, Potu Leavasa’s squad and the Netherlands had each won one game in their respective pools. The Netherlands took an early 9-0 lead thanks to three penalties from Vaasen, who also scored the first try of the game.
Temperley had a great run of play, missing a close range shot in the left corner before possession was promptly recycled and De Prieelle scored from close range. Vaasen gave his team a 19-0 lead with the conversion and another penalty kick, making it five goals in as many attempts. Doornenbal completed a lovely handling sequence inside the left channel for a second Dutch try as the thirty-minute mark drew near.
Samoa finally got the try they had been waiting for as halftime drew near when Totoa Auvaa scored an unconverted try from close range. After a purposeful knock-on sent Antonio Popoalii to the sin bin, Temperley charged down a kick and tapped down in the left corner to score the Netherlands’ third try.
As a result, the score was 29–5 at the interval. Early in the second half, Temperley once again showed off his predatory tendencies by crossing in the left corner.
Samoa’s Harry Hanipale scored from close range, but Vaasen answered with the Netherlands’ fifth attempt. Prior to De Bruin representing the Dutch and Captain Tagiilima Ripine and Benjamin Faavae for Samoa, Henry Aiono gave Leavasa’s troops the last word with a try.
SEVENTH PLACE PLAY-OFF: HONG KONG CHINA 34-14 KENYA
Hong Regime China defeated Kenya handily to take seventh place in the World Rugby U20 Trophy after overcoming an early 14-0 deficit.
Kenya took the lead thanks to tries from winger Eugene Ojiambo and second-row player Andycole Omolo, but as the first half progressed, Hong Kong China changed gears. At Edinburgh’s Hive Stadium, Ben Sheldon (two), James Kee, Hassan Lin, and Dom Hedley scored to put Joe Barker’s team ahead 29–14 at halftime.
Kenya concluded the tournament in ninth place without a victory, while Hong Kong China ended their 12-match losing skid with a late sixth-inning strike from Matthew Rickard.
Hong Regime China had a strong start, but Ojiambo’s outstanding interception try in the third minute dealt Kenya’s first blow. After receiving a pass from Kee, the winger sprinted clear within his own 22-meter line and dove beneath the goal posts.
Soon after, Kenya scored once more thanks to a rapid penalty kick by fly-half Philip Okeyo. With half-back partner Patrick Wainaina as his passing partner, he launched a blistering break inside the left channel and selflessly offloaded to Omolo to score.
However, Hong Kong, China quickly responded as powerful hooker Sheldon pushed his way through after a deft driving maul. They soon scored again when Kee, the outside centre, broke free from inside his own half with lightning pace.
Then, Barnaby Horberry and Kee teamed superbly to send Lin scampering over in the right corner, giving Hong Kong China the lead for the first time. Following the sin-binning of Kenyan center Daniel Bett, Hong Kong China’s number eight, Hedley, managed to cross the finish line.
After front-row player Bramwel Mate of Kenya was given a yellow card just before halftime, Sheldon touched down for his second try of the half and Hong Kong China’s fifth.
In the last moments, Rickard—who also scored two conversions—dipped into the left corner as Hong Kong China easily defeated Kenya, 22–16, in the U20 Trophy last year in Nairobi.
