2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference
Date14 October 2017 – 26 May 2017
Countries20
Tournament statistics
Champions Lithuania (1st title)
Matches played40
Attendance29,325 (733 per match)
Tries scored284 (7.1 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Conference 1
Malta James O'Brien (49)
Conference 2
Denmark Cassius Deschamps (59)
Top try scorer(s)Conference 1
Malta James Kirk (5)
Malta Luke Watts (5)
Conference 2
Luxembourg Gauthier Bares (5)
Serbia Igor Dejanović (5)
Denmark Christian Melgaard (5)
Official websiteRugby International Championship
2016–17 (Previous) (Next) 2018–2019

The 2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference is the third-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship and Trophy competitions. It is the second Conference under its new format. After Czech Republic was promoted to the Trophy and Ukraine relegated at the end of the 2016–17 season, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Sweden and Ukraine compete for the Conference 1 title. While after the relegation of Turkey and the promotion of Slovakia, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia will compete for the Conference 2 title.

The winners of Conference 1 North and South will play an additional match, a Conference 1-Trophy Promotion play-off for the right to play the 2018–19 Rugby Europe Trophy. While the bottom placed teams of Conference 1 North and South will be relegated to Conference 2 for the following season, replacing the North and South winners of Conference 2. The bottom placed team with the worse overall record will be relegated and participate in the 2019 Rugby Europe Development season.

The competition saw Alhambra Nievas and Joy Neville become the first and second women referees to take charge of men's fifteen–a–side internationals. On 14 October 2017 Nievas refereed the match between Finland and Norway. On 28 October 2017 Neville refereed the match between Norway and Denmark.[1][2][3][4][5]

Conference 1

North

Table

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 difference
1 Lithuania440012778+4920119
2 Ukraine42119263+2920012
3 Sweden420292109−171009
4 Hungary40136072−120305
5 Latvia410372121−490004
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 points

Fixtures

14 October 2017 Sweden  12–10  Hungary Bollspelaren, Norrköping  
15:00 CEST (UTC+02) Match Report

Gamesheet

Attendance: 650
Referee: Philippe Lenne (Belgium)
21 October 2017 Hungary  6–12  Latvia Frankarénában, Esztergom  
12:00 CEST (UTC+02) Match Report Gamesheet Attendance: 300
Referee: Tomás Tuma (Czech Republic)
28 October 2017 Ukraine  29–8  Sweden Spartak Stadium, Odesa  
14:00 EEST (UTC+03) report gamesheet Attendance: 1500
Referee: Bodea Ionut (Romania)
28 October 2017 Latvia  19–33  Lithuania Olympic Center, Jelgava  
15:00 EEST (UTC+03) Report Gamesheet Attendance: 500
Referee: Dan Maughan (Germany)
04 November 2017 Lithuania  22–12  Ukraine Aukstaitijos Sporto Kompleksas, Panevėžys  
14:00 EET (UTC+02) Gamesheet Attendance: 500
21 April 2018 Hungary  25–29  Lithuania Sportközpont, Százhalombatta  
12:00 CEST (UTC+02) Referee: Claudio Blessano (Italy)
28 April 2018 Lithuania  43–22  Sweden Centrinis stadionas, Telšiai  
15:00 EEST (UTC+03) Referee: Alexei Bryzgalin (Russia)
28 April 2018 Ukraine  19–19  Hungary Yunost Stadium, Lviv  
14:00 EEST (UTC+03) Gamesheet Attendance: 300
Referee: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
05 May 2018 Latvia  14–32  Ukraine stadions ir labākais regbija, Upesciems  
15:00 EEST (UTC+03) Gamesheet Referee: Hrvoje Bartolic (Croatia)
12 May 2018 Sweden  50-27  Latvia  
15:00 CEST (UTC+02)

South

Table

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 difference
1 Malta440022148+17330120
2 Croatia42118597−1210011
2 Israel420210586+1911010
4 Bosnia and Herzegovina41035140−860004
5 Andorra401360154−940204
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 points

Fixtures

21 October 2017 Andorra  22–27  Israel Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella  
16:00 CEST (UTC+02) Report Gamesheet Attendance: 600
Referee: Yann Benoit (Switzerland)
28 October 2017 Bosnia and Herzegovina  20–52  Malta Atletski Stadion, Zenica  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) Report Gamesheet Referee: Cekal Stepan (Czech Republic)
28 October 2017 Croatia  32–17  Israel Stadion Stari plac, Split  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) Report Gamesheet Attendance: 600
Referee: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
04 November 2017 Malta  56–8  Croatia Hibernians Stadium, Paola  
14:00 CET (UTC+01) Gamesheet Attendance: 3000
11 November 2017 Israel  44–8  Bosnia and Herzegovina Wingate Institute, Netanya  
14:00 IST (UTC+02) Gamesheet Attendance: 1400
17 March 2018 Israel  17–24  Malta Wingate Institute, Netanya  
14:00 IST (UTC+02) Gamesheet Attendance: 500
Referee: Jorge Mopeceres (Spain)
17 March 2018 Bosnia and Herzegovina  20–17  Andorra Gradska arena, Zenica  
14:00 CET (UTC+01) Gamesheet Attendance: 500
Referee: Critian Serban (Romania)
24 March 2018 Malta  89–3  Andorra Hibernians Stadium, Paola  
14:00 CET (UTC+01) Report
28 April 2018 Croatia  27-6  Bosnia and Herzegovina Stadion NŠC Stjepan Spajić, Zagreb  
18:30 CEST (UTC+02)
05 May 2018 Andorra  18-18  Croatia Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella  
17:00 CEST (UTC+02)

Conference 2

North

Table

Champions and Promoted
Relegated
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP
Losing
BP
Grand Slam
BP
Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1 Luxembourg440016224+13820119
2 Denmark430121145+16620014
3 Finland4202107120−131009
4 Norway41038390−71106
5 Estonia400431315−2840000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 points

Fixtures

14 October 2017 Finland  15–8  Norway Myllypuro, Helskini  
14:00 EEST (UTC+03) Report

Gamesheet

Attendance: 250
Referee: Alhambra Nievas (Spain)
14 October 2017 Denmark  3–18  Luxembourg Athletics stadium, Odense  
16:00 CEST (UTC+02) Report

Gamesheet

Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Rami Aro (Sweden)
28 October 2017 Norway  12–24  Denmark Bislett Stadium, Oslo  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) Report Gamesheet Attendance: 1500
Referee: Joy Neville (Ireland)
11 November 2017 Luxembourg  64–0  Estonia Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City  
16:00 CET (UTC+01) Gamesheet Attendance: 600
Referee: Mike Hawkins (Denmark)
14 April 2018 Luxembourg  45–5  Finland Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City  
16:00 CEST (UTC+02) Attendance: 1,300
28 April 2018 Denmark  127–5  Estonia Athletics stadium, Odense  
15:00 CEST (UTC+02) Referee: Finlay Brown (Scotland)
28 April 2018 Luxembourg  35–16  Norway Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City  
18:00 CEST (UTC+02) Referee: Kacper Michialkiewicz (Poland)
12 May 2018 Finland  10-57  Denmark Myllypuro, Helskini  
14:00 EEST (UTC+03)
12 May 2018 Estonia  16-47  Norway  
15:00 EEST (UTC+03)
9 June 2018 Estonia  10-77  Finland Tartu, Estonia  
EET (UTC+02)

Notes:

  • The Finland v Norway match was notable for being the first time an all female list of referees were chosen to officiate a men's fifteen a side game.[6]
  • Originally a home game for Norway, but moved to Luxembourg due to recent cold weather conditions meaning the pitch could not recover in time.[7]

South

Table

Champions and Promoted
Possible Relegation
Place Nation Games Points Try
BP
Losing
BP
Grand Slam
BP
Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1 Cyprus430111451+6320014
2 Austria430111088+2210013
3 Serbia420213198+3311010
4 Slovenia42028275+70109
5 Slovakia400445173−1280000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
At least 3 more tries than opponent- 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points
Completing a Grand Slam – 1 points

Fixtures

21 October 2017 Austria  27–25  Serbia Sportsklub-Platz, Vienna  
18:15 CEST (UTC+02) report gamesheet Referee: Csaba Priskin (Hungary)
28 October 2017 Serbia  21–30  Slovenia Stadion Borca, Starčevo  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) report Attendance: 450
Referee: Lukasz Jasinski (Poland)
04 November 2017 Slovenia  29–15  Slovakia Stadion park Šiška, Ljubljana  
14:00 CET (UTC+01) Gamesheet Attendance: 600
11 November 2017 Cyprus  42–5  Austria Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, Paphos  
14:30 EET (UTC+02) Attendance: 1000
25 November 2017 Slovakia  6–38  Cyprus Štadión PFK, Piešťany  
14:00 CET (UTC+01) Gamesheet Attendance: 300
24 March 2018 Austria  56–0  Slovakia Sportsklub-Platz, Vienna  
16:00 CET (UTC+01) Report
24 March 2018 Cyprus  17–5  Slovenia Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, Paphos  
14:30 EET (UTC+02) Report

Gamesheet

07 April 2018 Slovenia  18–22  Austria Stadion park Šiška, Ljubljana  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) Gamesheet Attendance: 225
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
21 April 2018 Slovakia  24–50  Serbia Štadión PFK, Piešťany  
15:00 CEST (UTC+02) [www.rugbyeurope.eu/sites/default/files/180421_reic_conf2s_skvvsrb_game_sheet_v2.pdf Gamesheet] Attendance: 250
Referee: David Sutherland (Scotland)
28 April 2018 Serbia  35–17  Cyprus Makiš Stadium, Belgrade  
14:00 CEST (UTC+02) Referee: Pedro Mendis Silva (Portugal)

Conference 1 promotion to Trophy play-off

19 May 2018
Lithuania 81-10Malta 
Siaulai, Lithuania

See also

References

  1. "Female referees Alhambra Nievas and Joy Neville to make history by taking charge of Men's Internationals". www.telegraph.co.uk. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  2. "Alhambra Nievas: Female referee hopes to 'create a pathway' for other women". www.bbc.co.uk. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. "Meet Alhambra Nievas – the trailblazing female referee about to make history". www.telegraph.co.uk. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. "Spanish referee Alhambra Nievas makes rugby history in Helsinki". www.telegraph.co.uk. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. "'Role model' Joy takes top refereeing honour". www.independent.ie. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  6. "Sports first for Finland international as female referees take charge". 14 October 2017.
  7. "Norway Facebook post". Rugby Norge. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
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