The United States earned their first-ever victory at the World Rugby Junior World Championship on Friday 17 July 2026, beating Uruguay 39-15 in Kutaisi, Georgia, to finish 15th at the 2026 edition of the tournament.
It was the Americans' 15th attempt at the tournament, which had always eluded them before: the win came on the penultimate day in Georgia and marks a turning point for the U.S. youth setup, never previously able to break through across its appearances. Against Uruguay, the USA set the tempo from the opening minutes and managed their lead all the way to the final whistle, securing the placing. The victory keeps them off the bottom of the table and sends them home from Georgia with a piece of history to defend.
The day produced other headlines: Scotland matched their best-ever finish by taking fifth with a 28-21 win over Wales at Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi; Australia beat Argentina 52-29 for seventh place, while Japan edged Spain 34-26 in Kutaisi to record two wins at a single Junior World Championship for the first time. The tournament closes on Saturday with defending champions South Africa meeting France in the final at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, while New Zealand and England contest third place.
