2017–18 Rugby Europe International Championships

The 2017–18 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The 2017–18 season is the second of its new format and structure, where all Levels play on a one-year cycle, replacing the old format of a two-year cycle, with the teams playing each other both home and away.

2017–18 Rugby Europe International Championships
DateOctober 2017 – June 2018
Countries35
Tournament statistics
ChampionsChampionship
 Georgia (10)
Trophy
 Portugal (2)
Conference
 Lithuania (2)
Development
 Bulgaria (1)
Antim Cup (11th title)
Matches played73
Attendance190,278 (2,607 per match)
Tries scored509 (6.97 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Championship
Yuri Kushnarev (45)
Trophy
Liam McBride (57)
Conference
Cassius Deschamps (59)
Development
Petar Nikolov (41)
Top try scorer(s)Championship
Sione Faka'osilea (3)
Paula Kinikinilau (3)
Giorgi Kveseladze (3)
Fernando López Pérez (3)
Anton Rudoy (3)
Trophy
Sep Visser (8)
Conference
Gauthier Bares (5)
Igor Dejanović (5)
James Kirk (5)
Christian Melgaard (5)
Luke Watts (5)
Development
Ivayilo Ivanov (4)
Official websiteRugby Europe
← 2016–17 (Previous) (Next) 2018–19 →

For all teams competing in the Championship, except for Georgia, this year's edition of the Rugby Europe International Championships doubles as the second year of 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifiers for the European region, where the winner of the two-year cycle, excluding Georgia, automatically qualifies to the tournament as Europe 1. All other teams remain in contention, playing in their respective leagues, but also playing in World Cup play-offs, for the right to play in the Europe/Oceania play-off against Oceania 3.

Countries

Pre-tournament World Rugby rankings in parentheses. Trophy and Conference as of 9 October 2017. Championship as of 5 February 2018.

Legend:
* Champion of 2016–17 season; ↑ Promoted from lower division during 2016–17 season; • Division Champion but not promoted during 2016–17 season; ‡ Last place inside own division but not relegated during 2016–17 season; ↓ Relegated from higher division during 2016-17season

2018 Rugby Europe Championship
Main article: 2018 Rugby Europe Championship

The six teams participating in the 2018 Championship remain the same as the 2017 season, after Belgium survived a relegation threat by defeating Portugal in a playoff in May 2017. Following the match on 18 March 2018 between Belgium and Spain, an appeal by the Spanish Rugby Federation to World Rugby and Rugby Europe was published for the match to be replayed, following the appointment of a Romanian referee – Romania needed Spain to lose in order to qualify. In the meantime, World Rugby also received complaints amid European countries fielding ineligible players, in breach of Regulation 8, during the qualification process; issues were made against all competing five nations. The appeal from Spain for their match to be replayed was held whilst the appointed panel investigated the accused ineligible players, although the final verdict around the Belgium–Spain was for the result to stand. The neutral panel cleared Germany and Russia of the alleged ineligible players, but found Belgium, Romania and Spain guilty of breaching Regulation 8. The panel determined that each nation would be deducted 5 points for each game they had fielded an ineligible player, regardless of if more than one ineligible player had been fielded. The investigation found that Belgium and Romania had fielded ineligible players 6 times (a deduction of 30 points) and Spain 8 times (a deduction of 40 points) during the qualification process. This meant, with the deducted points for the respective nations, Russia would qualify ahead of Romania and Germany would advance to the play-off's ahead of Spain.[1][2] [3]

Champions
Advances Promotion/
Relegation play-off
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Georgia550018835+15330124
2 Russia520314284+5821011
3 Germany500534359−3250000
4 Belgium5203106182−76100-1*
5 Spain530214674+72100-7*
6 Romania530219880+118200-11*
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)
* deducted points [5][6][7]

2017–18 Rugby Europe Trophy
Main article: 2017–18 Rugby Europe Trophy
Champions and
advances to Promotion/
Relegation play-off
Relegated
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Portugal550016876+9220123
2 Netherlands5401199110+8930019
3 Czech Republic530293120−2700012
4  Switzerland5203109122−1302010
5 Poland5104106147−410307
6 Moldova500558158−1000101
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference

Conference 1
Main article: 2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference § Conference 1

Conference 1 North
Champions and advances to
Promotion play-off
Relegated
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Lithuania440012778+4920119
2 Ukraine42119263+7920012
3 Sweden420292109−171009
4 Hungary40136072−120305
5 Latvia410372121−490004
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

Conference 1 South
Champions and advances to
Promotion play-off
Relegated
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Malta440022148+17330120
2 Croatia42118597−1210011
3 Israel420210586+1911010
4 Bosnia and Herzegovina410354140−860004
5 Andorra401360154−940204
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

Conference 2
Main article: 2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference § Conference 2

Conference 2 North
Champions and Promoted
Relegated
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Luxembourg440016224+13820119
2 Denmark430121145+16620014
3 Finland4202107120−131009
4 Norway41038390−71106
5 Estonia400431315−2840000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

Conference 2 South
Champions and Promoted
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Cyprus430111451+6320014
2 Austria430111085+2510013
3 Serbia420213198+3311010
4 Slovenia42028275+70109
5 Slovakia400445173−1280000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

2018 Rugby Europe Development
Champions and Promoted
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP		 Losing
BP		 Grand Slam
BP		 Table
points
played won drawn lost for against diff
1 Bulgaria22009625+711009
2 Turkey21013847−90004
3 Montenegro2002870−620101
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:[4]
Win – 4 points : Draw – 2 points : Loss within 7 points – 1 point : Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points: At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 point (will not be counted towards World Cup Qualification)

Play-offs

Championship-Trophy Promotion play-off
10 November 2018
14:00 EET (UTC+02)
Romania  36–6  Portugal
Gamesheet
Stadionul Lascăr Ghineț (Arena Zimbrilor), Baia Mare
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ian Tempest

Conference 1 promotion to Trophy play-off
19 May 2018
14:00 EEST (UTC+03)
Lithuania  81–10  Malta
Gamesheet
Šiaulių savivaldybės stadionas, Šiauliai
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Rémy Charleroy
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See also

References
  1. World Rugby statement regarding the independent disputes committee's decision
  2. MEDIA RELEASE – RWC-2019-QUALIFICATION-DISPUTE-JUDGMENT
  3. No changes were made on the standings yet, due to the 14-day appeal window
  4. Rugby Europe. Rugby Europe International Championships 2017–18 Manual (PDF). p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  5. "Judicial Committee judgement" (PDF). Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  6. https://pulse-static-files.s3.amazonaws.com/worldrugby/document/2018/06/06/1a671241-08fe-4060-bfb9-3696cfe3cff0/180606-Appeal-Committee-Decision-RWC-2019-Qualifier-Dispute-FINAL-.pdf
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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