"We are incredibly proud to play host to the up-and-coming stars of the Rugby world at the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2014," said chief executive of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union Vern Reid.

"We will also be marking the tenth anniversary of Hong Kong's first appearance in a global junior tournament in 2003 in France.

"That tournament was later subsumed into the IRB's Junior World Rugby Trophy and Junior World Championship events."

"With the HKRFU hosting the world famous Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for more than 35 years and marking many 15-a-side milestones including the first Bledisloe Cup played on neutral territory in 2008 and the opening match of the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013, we are well prepared to host these eight premier international teams."

Top seeds United States will be joined in pool A by fourth, fifth and eight seeds, Tonga, Georgia and Hong Kong respectively.

The American team were promoted to the Junior World Championships for 2013 having been crowned champions of the Trophy in 2012; however a last place finish in France earlier this year sees them relegated back to the second tier of International Junior rugby.

Italy lifted the Trophy in Chile this year beating Canada to take a spot in the 2014 Junior World Championships ©IRB



Canada missed out on promotion to next year's Junior World Championships following defeat to Italy in the Trophy final earlier this year.

Whilst not reaching their goal of promotion, the Canadian side will be satisfied with the result which saw them move from sixth in 2012 to runners up in 2013.

The result also places them as second seeds in next year's tournament where they'll head pool B alongside Japan, Uruguay and Namibia.

Next year's edition of the Under-20 tournament will see 16 matches played with the pool stages due to take place on April 7, 11 and 15 and the finals taking place on April 19.

IRB general manager for rugby fifteens, Philippe Bourdarias, announced his delight at the rapidly increasing popularity of the event which saw more than 35,000 spectators attending matches in the Chilean city of Temuco last year.

"We are delighted to be able to bring the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to Hong Kong in 2014."

"The tournament is going from strength to strength and the tournament in Chile this year showed what can be achieved."

"Fans in Hong Kong, who have seen some memorable Rugby events in the past few years, are in for another great treat at next year's JWRT".

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
May 2013: Temuco relishing Junior World Rugby Trophy hosting challenge