2011 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification

In the European Regional Rugby World Cup Qualifying, two teams, Georgia and Russia, qualified directly to the world cup and Romania, the third place team, entered a playoff against the second place African team, Tunisia.

The Qualification process primarily based around the 2008–2010 European Nations Cup. The top two teams in the 2008-2010 European Nations Cup First Division qualified directly to New Zealand.

The third placed team entered a playoff series against the champions of Division 2A, and the leaders of the remaining divisions (excluding 3D) as of the end of the 2008–2009 season. The winner of this playoff, Romania, entered a playoff to decide the 20th place at Rugby World Cup 2011.

Contents

Round 1: European Nations Cup 2008–2010

Division 1

Georgia, the winner of Division 1 qualified for Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2011 as Europe 1, and Russia the runner-up, for Pool C as Europe 2. Romania, the third placed team, entered at Round 5 of Round 2's Playoff Series. Numbers in parentheses indicate world ranking at the start of the tournament.

ENC Champions and Qualified as Europe 1
Qualified for 2011 Rugby World Cup
Qualified for Round 2



Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Georgia (16) 10 8 1 1 326 132 +194 27
2  Russia (17) 10 7 1 2 291 175 +116 25
3  Romania (19) 10 6 1 3 282 136 +146 23
4  Portugal (21) 10 5 1 4 255 149 +106 21
5  Spain (23) 10 2 0 8 145 304 −159 14
6  Germany (26) 10 0 0 10 58 461 −403 10
Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue
November 8, 2008 Russia  42–15  Spain Moscow, Russia
November 15, 2008 Spain  22–11  Germany Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
February 7, 2009 Germany  5–38  Georgia Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, Germany
February 7, 2009 Portugal  14–18  Russia Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
February 7, 2009 Spain  10–19  Romania Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
February 14, 2009 Georgia  20–20  Portugal Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
February 14, 2009 Germany  0–22  Romania Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, Germany
February 21, 2009 Portugal  44–6  Germany Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
February 28, 2009 Romania  19–28  Russia Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania
February 28, 2009 Spain  11–55  Georgia Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
March 14, 2009 Georgia  28–23  Romania Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
March 15, 2009 Portugal  24–19  Spain Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
March 21, 2009 Romania  21–22  Portugal Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania
March 22, 2009 Russia  21–29  Georgia Illichivets Stadium, Mariupol, Ukraine
May 2, 2009 Germany  0–53  Russia Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover, Germany
February 6, 2010 Russia  14–10  Portugal Central Stadium, Sochi, Russia
February 6, 2010 Romania  45-27  Spain Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania
February 6, 2010 Georgia  77–3  Germany Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
February 13, 2010 Portugal  10–16  Georgia Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
February 13, 2010 Spain  20–38  Russia Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
February 13, 2010 Romania  67–5  Germany Stadionul Constructorul Cleopatra, Constanţa, Romania
February 27, 2010 Germany  0–69  Portugal Kultur- und Sportzentrum Martinsee, Heusenstamm, Germany
February 27, 2010 Georgia  17–9  Spain Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
February 27, 2010 Russia  21–21  Romania Central Stadium, Sochi, Russia
March 13, 2010 Spain  15–33  Portugal Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
March 13, 2010 Romania  22–10  Georgia Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania
March 13, 2010 Russia  48–11  Germany Central Stadium, Sochi, Russia
March 20, 2010 Portugal  9–20  Romania Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
March 20, 2010 Georgia  36–8  Russia Akçaabat Fatih Stadium, Trabzon, Turkey
March 20, 2010 Germany  17–21  Spain Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, Germany
March 27, 2010 Romania  48–3  Spain Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania

Division 2A

The winner of the division, Ukraine, qualified for Round 4 of Round 2's Playoff.

Promoted to Division 1 for 2010–2012 and qualified for 2011 RWC Qualifying


Place Nation
Games		 Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Ukraine (27) 8 5 0 3 140 109 +31 18
2  Belgium (31) 8 4 1 3 108 97 +11 17
3  Czech Republic (33) 8 3 1 4 135 142 −7 15
4  Poland (35) 7 3 0 4 94 118 −24 13
5  Moldova (38) 7 3 0 4 133 144 −11 13
Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
October 4, 2008 Poland  12–13  Ukraine Stadion Widzewa, Łódź 4,000
November 1, 2008 Belgium  9–8  Ukraine King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels 5,000
November 15, 2008 Czech Republic  7–13  Poland Městský Stadion 1,200
November 15, 2008 Moldova  20–8  Belgium Stadionul Dinamo 1,500
November 22, 2008 Czech Republic  11–9  Moldova Tatře Smíchov Stadion 800
March 15, 2009 Belgium  15–15  Czech Republic King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels 5,000
March 21, 2009 Ukraine  20–10  Czech Republic Spartak Stadium, Kiev 5,000
May 9, 2009 Ukraine  32–0  Moldova Spartak Stadium, Kiev 5,000
May 16, 2009 Moldova  28–30  Poland Stadionul Dinamo 800
May 30, 2009 Poland  14–3  Belgium Stadion Polonii Warszawa, Warsaw 6,000
September 12, 2009 Ukraine  19–12  Poland Spartak Stadium, Kiev 4,000
October 10, 2009 Ukraine  13–11  Belgium Spartak Stadium, Kiev 4,000
October 25, 2009 Poland  5–19  Czech Republic Městský Stadion 6,000
October 31, 2009 Belgium  14–3  Moldova King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels 3,000
November 14, 2009 Moldova  45–30  Czech Republic Stadionul Dinamo 1,000
April 03, 2010 Czech Republic  16–19  Belgium Prague
April 10, 2010 Czech Republic  27–16  Ukraine Říčany
April 24, 2010 Belgium  29–8  Poland King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels
April 24, 2010 Moldova  28–19  Ukraine Stadionul Dinamo
1 Poland  Postponed  Moldova Městský Stadion

1 The match between Poland and Moldova was originally scheduled for April 10, 2010, but was postponed after the death of Poland's president, Lech Kaczyński, earlier that day. The match was moved to January 1, 2011.

Division 2B

The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Netherlands, qualified for Round 3 of Round 2's Playoff.

Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Netherlands (41) 4 4 0 0 110 55 +55 12
2  Croatia (45) 4 3 0 1 74 60 +14 10
3  Malta (54) 4 2 0 2 66 70 −4 8
4  Sweden (43) 4 1 0 3 64 73 −9 6
5  Latvia (55) 4 0 0 4 47 103 −56 4
Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
October 25, 2008 Sweden  21–5  Latvia Vänersborg 300
October 25, 2008 Malta  16–18  Croatia Paola 2,500
November 1, 2008 Netherlands  18–12  Croatia Amsterdam 1,600
November 1, 2008 Sweden  6–9  Malta Vänersborg 450
November 8, 2008 Latvia  10–29  Netherlands Jelgava 350
April 18, 2009 Netherlands  36–24  Sweden Amsterdam
April 18, 2009 Latvia  19–32  Malta Riga
April 25, 2009 Malta  7–29  Netherlands Paola 2,500
April 25, 2009 Croatia  21–13  Latvia Makarska 500
May 2, 2009 Croatia  23–13  Sweden Split 1,500

Division 3A

The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Lithuania, qualified for Round 2 of Round 2's Playoff.

Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Lithuania (37) 7 7 0 0 198 50 +148 21
2  Armenia (UR) 8 4 0 4 151 154 −3 16
3  Serbia (59) 8 3 0 5 92 153 −61 14
4  Andorra (66) 7 2 0 5 112 173 −61 11
5  Switzerland (58) 6 2 0 4 79 102 −23 10

Armenia were ranked ahead of Serbia and Andorra were ranked ahead of Switzerland based on head-to-head results.

Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
September 13, 2008 Serbia  0–41  Armenia Smederevo 100
October 18, 2008 Armenia  35–15  Switzerland Abovyan 300
November 8, 2008 Andorra  10–26  Lithuania Andorra la Vella 1,000
November 15, 2008 Lithuania  33–0  Switzerland Vilnuis 350
December 6, 2008 Serbia  32–7  Andorra Smederevo
March 14, 2009 Switzerland  32–9  Andorra Avusy 500
March 21, 2009 Andorra  36–10  Armenia Andorra la Vella 150
April 4, 2009 Switzerland  6–12  Serbia Nyon
May 2, 2009 Lithuania  50–9  Serbia Vilnuis 400
May 9, 2009 Armenia  19–24  Lithuania Abovyan
October 10, 2009 Lithuania  40–12  Andorra Siauliai

All four remaining matches were scratched as Lithuania had already won the group.

Division 3B

The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Slovenia, qualified for Round 1 of Round 2's Playoff.

Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Slovenia (59) 4 4 0 0 89 64 +25 12
2  Hungary (65) 4 3 0 1 116 72 +44 10
3  Denmark (73) 4 2 0 2 78 88 −10 8
4  Norway (81) 4 1 0 3 54 63 −9 6
5  Austria (90) 4 0 0 4 31 81 −50 4
Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
September 13, 2008 Slovenia  32–26  Hungary Ljubljana
September 27, 2008 Norway  15–26  Hungary Oslo 300
October 11, 2008 Norway  11–3  Austria Oslo 300
October 18, 2008 Hungary  39–12  Denmark Kecskemét 500
November 1, 2008 Denmark  19–25  Slovenia Odense 915
November 8, 2008 Austria  9–18  Slovenia Vienna 500
April 11, 2009 Denmark  20–18  Norway Odense 600
April 18, 2009 Hungary  25–13  Austria Esztergom
April 25, 2009 Austria  6–27  Denmark Linz
April 25, 2009 Slovenia  14–10  Norway Slovenia 1,000

Division 3C

The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Israel, qualified for Round 1 of Round 2's Playoff.

Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1  Israel (86) 4 4 0 0 136 26 +110 12
2  Greece (UR) 4 3 0 1 80 67 +13 10
3  Bulgaria (89) 4 2 0 2 73 72 +1 8
4  Luxembourg (94) 4 1 0 3 51 84 −33 6
5  Finland (95) 4 0 0 4 47 138 −91 4
Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
October 4, 2008 Finland  19–27  Luxembourg Helsinki 300
October 11, 2008 Finland  10–12  Greece Helsinki 250
November 15, 2008 Bulgaria  8 -11  Israel Pernik 850
November 22, 2008 Greece  10–25  Israel Kifissia 600
November 29, 2008 Luxembourg  10–18  Bulgaria Luxembourg 400
March 21, 2009 Israel  30–0  Luxembourg Netanya 400
April 11, 2009 Greece  41–18  Bulgaria Greece 3,000
April 25, 2009 Bulgaria  29–10  Finland Pernik 500
April 25, 2009 Luxembourg  14–17  Greece Luxembourg 600
May 2, 2009 Israel  70–8  Finland Netanya 500

Round 2: European Nations Cup Champions Playoff Series

Match Results
Date Home Score Away Venue Attendance
Round 1
9-May-2009 Israel  26–19  Slovenia Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel 1,000
Round 2
23-May-2009 Israel  3–19  Lithuania Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel 1,000
Round 3
6-June-2009 Lithuania  6–3  Netherlands Vingis Park, Vilnius, Lithuania 1,000
Round 4
8-May-2010 Lithuania  16–27  Ukraine Savivaldybė Stadium, Šiauliai, Lithuania 3,500
Round 5
22-May-2010 Ukraine  3–33  Romania Spartak Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine
5-June-2010 Romania  61–7  Ukraine Stadionul Municipal, Botoşani, Romania

Sources
Overview
Statistics
Tournaments
Finals
Squads
Qualifying
Nations who have competed in the Rugby World Cup by tier
Tier 1 teams
Tier 2 teams
Tier 3 teams