New Zealand were the only unbeaten team in the tournament
New Zealand have won the inaugural U20 Rugby Championship with a 36-25 win in the final against Australia.
The win for the Baby Blacks meant they were not beaten in the entire tournament. They were the only team to go unbeaten.
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In the 53rd minute New Zealand were winning 19-13 when King Maxwell was sent to the sin bin. Australia then scored two tries to take the lead. New Zealand managed to battle back to lead 26-25 but faced another yellow card with Rico Simpson sent to the sin bin.
However, the Baby Blacks discipline was good when a player down and were the next to score through a penalty.
The team then were able to see out the match and add more points to make history. They are the first team ever to win the U20 Rugby Championship.
The tournament was put together for the first time this year. It was introduced because of the form of the northern hemisphere at the youth team level. U20 teams in the northern hemisphere compete in an annual U20 Six Nations.
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris said before the tournament began: “The TRC U20 Championship is an exciting investment and development strategy that will allow for a more defined pathway for younger players into senior and international rugby and provide a springboard into the annual World Rugby U20 Championship that is currently missing.
“This exposure to international matches against top-quality opposition can only benefit the players in terms of experience and adapting to the demands of top-level rugby. The tournament will also provide extra development opportunities for coaches, team management and match officials.”
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