Baby Boks get young Azzurri first-up

Hosts Italy take on South Africa and current champions England play Japan on the first day of next year's Under-20 world championship, on June 2.

The Baby Boks are the top seeded team in Pool B and their group opponents are Australia, Samoa and Italy.

The tournament, which runs from June 2 to 20 June in northern Italy, sees England returning to defend the crown which they retained in June in New Zealand after edging South African in a memorable Final at Eden Park.

Pool A consists of England, France, Wales and Japan - while New Zealand, Ireland, Argentina and Scotland are grouped in Pool C.

The South Africans face Samoa on Saturday, June 6 in Parma and their final pool match is on Wednesday, June 10 against Australia.

The three pool winners plus the best-placed second-ranked team will contest the two semifinals on Monday, June 15 in Calvisano, with the Final and final play-off matches to take place on Saturday, June 20 in Cremona.

Four venues will host the U20 Championship this year - Parma, Calvisano, Viadana, with the final to be held in Cremona on 20 June.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "It's great to be bringing the U20 championship back to Italy after they hosted such a successful tournament in 2011. The fixture list has some great matches that will showcase the future stars of world rugby during a very important year for the game.

"More than 300 players have made the step up from the U20 Championship to the international test arena since 2008 and I have no doubt there will be further players graduating up the ranks after this tournament."

FIR tournament director Tullio Rosolen said: "We are confident this is an exciting schedule.

"New Zealand will play a match in each of the venues, England will be divided between Calvisano and Viadana, South Africa will be in Calvisano and Parma as well as the Italian U20 team, so the main contenders for the title as well as the national team will ensure fans in the region get to see the future stars of world rugby in action.

International stars such as Aaron Cruden and Julia Savea from New Zealand, Australian Quade Cooper, France centre Mathieu Bastareaud, Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray, England backs George Ford and Owen Farrell and South African fly-half Handré Pollard are just some of the players to graduate from the U20 Championship to international test level. Italy centre Luca Morisi, who also represented his country at U20 level, is ambassador for the tournament in Italy next year.

For the Polls and fixtures, CLICK HERE!