Nearby lightning strikes forced the abandonment of the World Rugby U20 Championship Pool B opening match between New Zealand and Japan at the AIA Arena in Kutaisi, Georgia, on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The international governing body determined the game would not restart, freezing the final score at 38-21 in favor of New Zealand according to tournament regulations.
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The adverse weather conditions also forced schedule adjustments for subsequent tournament fixtures at the venue later that evening.
"Following lightning strikes close to the AIA Arena in Kutaisi the match between New Zealand and Japan was suspended and will not restart.
In accordance with the tournament rules the final score will stand as New Zealand 38-21 Japan," stated World Rugby.
Officials prioritized safety over completing the remaining minutes of the second-half contest.
"The welfare of the players, officials and fans must always come first," added World Rugby.
Organizers monitored the local radar before shifting the kickoff times for the remaining matches of the day.
"Following lightning close to the AIA Arena in Kutaisi, France v Fiji in the World Rugby Junior World Championship will now kick-off at 19:00 local time (GMT+4)," noted World Rugby.
The final match of the day also suffered delays from its original schedule.
"Australia v Spain will now kick-off at 21:10 local time (previously scheduled for 20:30 GMT+4)," reported World Rugby.
The remaining schedule remains contingent on weather developments in Georgia.
"Both kick offs are subject to any further adverse weather in the area," stated World Rugby.
