U19 World Cup starts in Dubai

Players of the future on display in the desert

The U19 teams of Canada and Namibia will get the 2006 Under-19 World Cup underway in Dubai on Tuesday.

The two meet at the Exiles Rugby Club in a division B match, which will be followed on the same pitch by the clash between Fiji and Italy.
 
The big teams will not be in action until Wednesday, with champions South Africa taking on France – also at Exiles RFC – last year's runners-up New Zealand playing Wales, England meeting Ireland, and Australia meeting Scotland.

The tournament is played in a divisional format, with each team playing three matches against teams from the same division of twelve.

Once the three matches have been played, the standings are calculated, and then there are two further head-to-head play-off rounds to decide the final positions. The bottom team in division A is relegated to division B, with the first-placed team in division B replacing it. Last year, Samoa were promoted to division A, with Georgia moving the other way.

The fixture list and divisions are as follows, and scores will be added as the tournament progresses:

Division A: South Africa, France, Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand, Wales, Romania, Japan, Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia.

April 5: South Africa v France – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 5: Argentina v Samoa – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 5: New Zealand v Wales – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 5: Romania v Japan – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 5: Ireland v England – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 5: Scotland v Australia – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 9: Ireland v France – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 9: Scotland v Wales – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 9: South Africa v Samoa – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 9: Argentina v England – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 9: Romania v Australia – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 9: New Zealand v Japan – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 13: New Zealand v Australia – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 13: South Africa v England – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 13: Scotland v Japan – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 13: Romania v Wales – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 13: Argentina v France – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 13: Ireland v Samoa – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah

Division B: Canada, Namibia, Uruguay, USA, Chile, Tonga, Chinese Taipei, Russia, Fiji, Italy, Georgia, Korea.

April 4: Canada 29-10 Namibia – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 4: Uruguay 35-3 USA – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 4: Chile 6-24 Tonga – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 4: Chinese Taipei 14-36 Russia – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 4: Fiji 38-30 Italy – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 4: Georgia 57-3 Korea – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 8: Fiji v USA – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 8: Canada v Tonga – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 8: Georgia v Namibia – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 8: Uruguay v Russia – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 8: Chile v Korea – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 8: Chinese Taipei v Italy – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 12: Canada v Korea – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 12: Fiji v Russia – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 12: Georgia v Tonga – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah
April 12: Chile v Namibia – Sharjah Wanderers 2, Sharjah
April 12: Uruguay v Italy – Exiles RFC 2, Dubai
April 12: Chinese Taipei v USA – Sharjah Wanderers, Sharjah

Play-off rounds:

Division A:

April 17: 1st v 4th – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 17: 9th v 12th – Sharjah
April 17: 10th v 11th – Sharjah
April 17: 5th v 8th – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 17: 2nd v 3rd – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 17: 6th v 7th – Sharjah
April 21: 9th place play-off – Sharjah
April 21: 3rd place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 21: 5th place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 21: 11th place play-off – Sharjah
April 21: 1st place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 21: 7th place play-off – Sharjah

Division B:

April 16: 9th v 12th – Sharjah
April 16: 1st v 4th – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 16: 10th v 11th – Sharjah
April 16: 5th v 8th – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 16: 6th v 7th – Sharjah
April 16: 2nd v 3rd – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 20: 3rd place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 20: 9th place play-off – Sharjah
April 20: 5th place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 20: 11th place play-off – Sharjah
April 20: 1st place play-off – Exiles RFC, Dubai
April 20: 7th place play-off – Sharjah