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| Photo: Provided by the Korea Rugby Association |
Established in 1971, the spring rugby league carries 56 years of history and tradition. The Gyeongsan Life Sports Park Rugby Stadium was created to honor the late Park Jin-hee (Songhwa), former K.K. chairman and past vice president of the Korea Rugby Association, fulfilling her wish for a dedicated rugby facility.
The Korea Rugby Association is the event host, with the North Gyeongsang Rugby Association and Gyeongsan City Rugby Association serving as local organizers. Thirty teams across U-15, U-18 and college divisions will compete. The U-15 and U-18 divisions will use group play followed by knockout rounds, while the college division will determine its champion via a full round-robin.
The U-15 division (12-a-side) features 12 teams: ▲Gyeongsan Middle School ▲Gwangju Mujin Middle School ▲Namsung Middle School ▲Daeseo Middle School ▲Baejae Middle School ▲Bupyeong Middle School ▲Seoul National University of Education Affiliated Middle School ▲Siheung G Sports Club A ▲Yeongdo Jeil Middle School ▲Cheonan Buseong Middle School ▲Cheongju Nam Middle School ▲Pyeongri Middle School. The teams are divided into four groups for the preliminary stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing directly to the quarterfinals.
The U-18 division (15-a-side) includes 14 teams: ▲Gyeongsan High School ▲Daegu Sangwon High School ▲Myeongseok High School ▲Baejae High School ▲Baeksin High School ▲Busan Sports High School ▲Bucheon Buk High School ▲Seoul National University of Education Affiliated High School ▲Yangjeong High School ▲Iri Technical High School ▲Incheon Mechanical Technical High School ▲Jindo Sil High School ▲Cheonan Oseong High School ▲Chungbuk High School. Like the U-15s, they will be split into four groups for prelims, with the top two from each group moving on to the quarterfinals.
The college division (15-a-side) features four teams: ▲Kyung Hee University ▲Korea University ▲Yonsei University ▲Wonkwang University. Those teams will play a full round-robin to determine the college champion.
This tournament will also double as the second-stage selection for the 2026 youth national team and the squad for the 34th Korea-China-Japan Junior Games. The selection process has three rounds: the first round concluded in March, the second round will take place during this event, and the final third round is scheduled for May.
All matches will be streamed live on SOOP, the Korea Rugby Association's channel.
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil sports@stoo.com]
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