Under-20 Six Nations Championship Fixtures Confirmed For 2024
Ireland Under-20 captain Gus McCarthy lifts the Under-20 Six Nations trophy as his team-mates celebrate ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
The Under-20 Six Nations Championship returns in 2024, with five rounds of fixtures offering fans the chance to see rugby stars of the future in action.
The matches kick off on Friday, February 2, and open the 2024 roster of Six Nations Rugby Championships, with a set of fixtures that mirror the elite men’s competition that starts the next day.
Round one opens with Italy hosting England and closes with a rematch between the 2023 Under-20 World Championship finalists, Ireland and France.
Fans can look forward to games being played under ‘Friday Night Lights’, with most clashes being staged on Friday evenings, as the curtain raiser for the Guinness Six Nations games the next day.
The only exceptions are France hosting reigning champions Ireland in round one on Saturday, February 3, before France travel to Wales in round four, when the two teams will play on Thursday, March 7.
Extensive broadcast coverage will once again ensure fans in each of the six nations will have access to every game. In Ireland, RTÉ and Virgin Media will deliver coverage, and, in the UK, BBC and S4C will cover the games.
Fans in France can view every game thanks to coverage from L’Equipe and, in Italy, Sky Italia will continue their coverage of the Six Nations Championships.
International fans will also have access to every moment of next year’s U-20 Six Nations Championship, through broadcast coverage spanning 154 territories.
The Under-20 Six Nations has shown a year-on-year increase in popularity as new fans continue to engage with the Championship.
Broadcast coverage of the 2023 Championship generated a 11% increase in audience across all fixtures and markets. It was across social and digital channels that the rise in popularity saw a huge spike with a new and younger audience.
A 492% increase in social media followers for the dedicated Under-20 accounts, over 1000% increase in video views of Under-20 content, and 65% of audience members on TikTok were below the age of 25-years-old.
The Under-20 Six Nations is testament to the commitment from Six Nations Rugby and all six Unions to build the best possible platform for the next generation of players to gain valuable experience, and provide international fans with every opportunity to engage with the rugby starts of the future.
