Subscribe to Newsletter
Enter your email address below and subscribe to our newsletter
Georgia to host expanded Rugby Junior World Championship in 2026
Share your love
Georgia will host the Men’s Junior World Championship in June and July 2026, the tournament’s return to the country for the first time since 2009. The 2026 edition will feature an expanded format with 16 international teams competing for the title.
Matches will be staged in two cities, the capital, Tbilisi, and Georgia’s second-largest city, Kutaisi, giving fans the opportunity to combine top-level international rugby with travel and cultural experiences across the country.
Match venues
Three stadiums will host fixtures throughout the tournament:
- Avchala Rugby Stadium– Tbilisi
- Mikheil Meskhi Stadium– Tbilisi
- Aia Arena– Kutaisi
Avchala Rugby Stadium and Aia Arena will host matches during the opening four match days. On match days five (July 17–18), games will be played across three venues, including Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.
Organizers advise supporters to carefully check match locations as teams may change venues or cities between the early rounds and the final stages of the competition.
The expanded 16-team format signals growing global interest in youth rugby and provides Georgia with a major opportunity to show its sporting infrastructure, hospitality sector and cultural attractions to international visitors.
