Virgin Media Park To Host Three Games In 2026

The Ireland Men’s U20s, sponsored by PwC, will return to Virgin Media Park in Cork next year as the fixtures for the 2026 Men’s U20 Six Nations are confirmed.

Head Coach Andrew Browne will assemble an extended Ireland Men’s U20s squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre later this month, as preparations begin in earnest for the 2026 Championship, which begins with an away trip to France on Saturday, 7 February (Kick-off 8pm).

Ireland Men’s U20s then host Italy in Cork on Friday, 13 February (Kick-off 7.45pm), before a Round 3 trip to Bath to face England on Friday, 20 February (Kick-off 7.45pm).

After a break week, Browne’s side conclude the Six Nations with back-to-back home matches in Cork against Wales on Saturday, 7 March (Kick-off 7.45pm) and Scotland on Sunday, 15 March (Kick-off 3.15pm).

Virgin Media Park has been home to the Ireland Men’s U20s since 2019 and ticket details for the three home matches in the 2026 Championship will be confirmed in due course.

Six Nations Rugby today also announced that there will be coverage of every fixture in the 2026 Men’s U20 Six Nations thanks to coverage through the BBC and S4C in the UK, RTÉ and Virgin Media in Republic of Ireland, and the new L’Equipe partnership in France. Italian coverage of the U20 Six Nations, as well as global distribution, will be confirmed soon.

Commenting on the 2026 U20 Six Nations, Julie Paterson, Chief of Rugby at Six Nations Rugby, said: “The U20 Six Nations is a key step in the development pathway for players and teams, and the quality of competition is reflected in the growth of audiences and engagement from fans.

“The significance of the tournament to nurture the next generation of international rugby stars is highlighted by the 130 players to have graduated from the U20 Six Nations into the elite game since 2022, and it is hugely exciting for fans to be able to follow the journey of the players looking to break through thanks to the extensive coverage of our the tournament.”

The Ireland Men’s U20s squad will assemble for a three-day camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre in October, followed by another six-day camp in November ahead of a friendly fixture which will be announced shortly.

Ireland Fixtures – 2026 U20 Men’s Six Nations:

Saturday, 7 February: France v Ireland, 8pm, TBC
Friday, 13 February: Ireland v Italy, 7.45pm, Virgin Media Park, Cork
Friday, 20 February: England v Ireland, 7.45pm, The Rec, Bath
Saturday, 7 March: Ireland v Wales, 7.45pm, Virgin Media Park, Cork
Sunday, 15 March: Ireland v Scotland, 3.15pm, Virgin Media Park, Cork.