Emerging Nations: Rugby Europe Championship
As we power through the miserable month of January most rugby fans will be looking forward to the upcoming Six Nations with the opening game this Friday night. The very next day however will be the start of the Rugby Europe Championship, which will deliver as much drama and spectacle as their European leaders. Granted, the tournament will almost definitely be won by perennial victors Georgia (cue the cries for a “Seven Nations" or a Six Nations relegation system) or the distant runners up Romania who since the 2000’s have had the same appearances in the tournament as Georgia - albeit through different formats - but have only won it five times, compared to Georgias fifteen.
Georgia victorious at end of the 2023 campaign. Image
This years REC, just like in ‘23, will host eight teams in two groups of four, playing a round robin. The winners and runners up of each pool then go into a knockout playoff for the cup while the bottom two then play in two ranking finals. This group has been locked in for its second year now so there will be a team relegated by the end of this year’s tournament. Whichever team has accumulated the least points will be swapping places with the overall winners of the Trophy Division by tournament end.
This is the first time the higher ranked nations will be playing since the Rugby World Cup 2023 where Georgia, Romania and Portugal showed up but with a mixed bag of performances. Romania were the worst team in the tournament by far with no wins and a -255 points deficit. Interestingly Portugal found themselves in the same pool as Georgia. Having only won the REC once back in ’03 they actually managed to finish on top of Georgia, finishing the pool stages with six points having beat Fiji in a game for the history books. They also held Georgia to a draw, which turned out to be Georgias best result as they lost their other three fixtures. Portugal also managed to keep their scores against RWC royalty Wales and Australia respectable as both were only a twenty point loss. Pretty impressive from a team who were the last to qualify.
Spain played in two test matches in November ’23 against USA and Canada. Losing and winning each respectively by quite a margin, which informs us more on the state of North American rugby than it does on the abilities of Spain. They were only in this position as they were denied entry into the RWC due to fielding ineligible players for the second tournament consecutively. When it comes to overall win/loss ratios in the REC, Spain are third even though they’ve never lifted the cup. Finishing in the top three, five times in the last decade means they have been a consistent threat and the likes of Georgia and Romania won’t be able to rest on their laurels when the time comes to face them.
current standings in the World Rugby Rankings
current standings in the World Rugby Rankings
The Netherlands found themselves in the Championship when they won the trophy division and beat Belgium in a playoff game back in 2020. The ensuing season they lost every game and would’ve been relegated if it wasn’t for Covid, where the decision was made to freeze the leagues from promotion and relegation. The following season was a repeat situation in terms of results but this time it was the Russian invasion of Ukraine that saw Russia get kicked out keeping The Netherlands safe for one more season. Last year the tournament grew to eight teams which once again meant that The Netherlands were free from relegation. The Dutch results have been getting better but Belgium, Poland and Germany are never far behind and a forth “Deus Ex Machina” may be a bit too much to ask for. If they wish to survive in this tournament their results need to improve. They currently match Poland with four points from last season but a simple loss to neighbours Germany or Belgium could result in relegation for the boys in orange.
This brings us to the bottom of the log in both tables, Germany and Belgium, who both have only managed a single point each from last years outing. Being thrust into this league from the Trophy must’ve been a shock but if you want to improve you have to play the highest you can manage. The fact that they even managed a bonus point each does bring hope that they’re not too far off the mark and at least the relegation battle looks as though it could be an epic encounter.
this weekends fixtures (CET) Ultimate Rugby
We open this weekend with Spain playing the Netherlands in Amsterdam where the visitors are favourites, currently sitting seven spots ahead in the World Rugby rankings. The same fixture last year saw the Spanish win with only an eight point lead, a drastic shift to parity for the Dutch compared to the previous fifty point pastings they received the two years previous. A hard opener but a win this weekend would be The Netherlands first ever against Spain! Belgium will host Portugal who’s spectacular form at the World Cup would suggest a pretty handy beating for the Flemish. Germany have the monumental task of playing Georgia who will probably use this fixture as a training game while Romania travel to Poland where after a disappointing World Cup campaign they’ll be looking to bounce back and put their hands up as genuine challengers for the European Cup 2024.