Sanzaar has announced the match schedule and venue for the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship in Australia in May.

The championship will see the up-and-coming rugby stars from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa do battle.

The tournament will be played at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Bokarina on Australia’s eastern seaboard and will comprise a round-robin format where all teams will play each other once.

The top team after the three-round, six-match tournament will be declared the U20 champion.

The Junior Springboks will kick off the championship against New Zealand on Thursday, May 2, at 09:00 (South Africa time).

Bafana Nhleko’s side will play hosts Australia on Tuesday, May 7, at 11:00, before finishing the tournament against Argentina on Sunday, May 12, at 05.30.

Nhleko and his coaching staff have been busy with preparations for the U20 Rugby Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship with a series of alignment camps.

Recently, the team played several matches against senior provincial sides as part of the camps, to get the training group further aligned and battle-ready for the two international events.

According to Nhleko, they are well on course with their preparation programme.

“We are demanding a lot from our group in terms of learning and application, and the players have responded well,” said Nhleko.

“They are aligning to the coaching, how we want to play, and what is required for them to perform at this level.

“Crucially for us, the U20 Rugby Championship will give us time to play against quality opposition, test the group combinations and help us identify the right guys before the final squad selection.

“The championship will also help bridge the previous gap between the preparation period and the World Rugby U20 Championship. We are excited for this opportunity to play in Australia, which will be a great experience for the players and a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to grow as a group.”

The first-ever tournament will provide the southern hemisphere giants with much-needed preparation for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will once again be held in Cape Town between June 24 and July 14.

Rugby Championship U20 schedule (SA kick-off times):

Thursday, May 2

09:00: Junior Boks vs New Zealand

11:00: Australia vs Argentina

Tuesday, May 7

09:00: New Zealand vs Argentina

11:00: Junior Boks vs Australia

Sunday, May 12

05:30: Junior Boks vs Argentina

07:30: Australia vs New Zealand