2026 Rugby Europe Championship
| 2026 Rugby Europe Championship | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 7 February – 15 March 2026 | ||
| Countries | |||
| Tournament statistics | |||
| |||
The 2026 Rugby Europe Championship will be the tenth Rugby Europe Championship, the annual rugby union competition for the top European national teams outside the Six Nations Championship, and the 55th edition of the competition (including all its previous incarnations as the FIRA Tournament, Rugby Union European Cup, FIRA Nations Cup, FIRA Trophy, and European Nations Cup).
Eight teams took part in the 2024 championship. The championship was contested by Belgium, Georgia, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland.
Georgia entered the tournament as defending champions. They won the final against Spain in the 2025 tournament, claiming their 17th title. The serpentine system was applied to allocate each team to their respective groups.[1] Each team played a total of five games (three round robin group matches to determine the team's path and two play-off matches).[1] Seeding (for a group) and relegation are calculated over a two-year cycle, as is the promotion from the Trophy competition.[1]
All matches on the final day will be staged at the same venue in Madrid.[2]
Participants
| Nation | Stadium | Head coach | Captain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home stadium | Capacity | Location | |||
| Belgium | Stade Charles Tondreau | 8,000 | Mons | Laurent Dossat | Jens Torfs |
| Georgia | Avchala Stadium | 3,500 | Tbilisi | vacant | Vasil Lobzhanidze |
| Germany | Auestadion Paul Greifzu Stadium |
18,737 20,000 |
Kassel Dessau-Roßlau |
Mark Kuhlmann | Jörn Schröder |
| Netherlands | NRCA Stadium | 7,000 | Amsterdam | Lyn Jones | Hugo Langelaan |
| Portugal | Estádio Nacional | 37,593 | Oeiras | Simon Mannix | Tomás Appleton |
| Romania | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf | 8,207 | Bucharest | David Gérard | Ovidiu Cojocaru |
| Spain | Estadio Nueva Balastera | 8,100 | Palencia | Pablo Bouza | Jon Zabala |
| Switzerland | Stade Municipal Yverdon | 6,600 | Yverdon-les-Bains | Olivier Nier | Cyril Lin |
| Pos | Event Team
|
2025 | 2026 | Points total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 10 | ||
| 2 | Spain | 8 | ||
| 3 | Romania | 6 | ||
| 4 | Portugal | 5 | ||
| 5 | Belgium | 4 | ||
| 6 | Netherlands | 3 | ||
| 7 | Switzerland | 2 | ||
| 8 | Germany | 1 |
Tables and fixtures
Pool A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Grand Finals Semi-Finals |
| 2 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ranking Finals Semi-Finals |
| 4 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: unknown. Source: Rugby Europe[3]
Rules for classification:
If two teams have the same number of points the best ranked will be: 1) match points in the games played between the tied Unions; 2) tries in the games played between the tied Unions; 3) match points difference in all pool games; 4) tries difference for in all pool games; 5) match points for in all pool games.
If three or more teams have same number of points, the best ranked will be: 1) match points difference in all pool games; 2) tries for in all pool games; 4) match points for in all pool games.
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[4]
Rules for classification:
If two teams have the same number of points the best ranked will be: 1) match points in the games played between the tied Unions; 2) tries in the games played between the tied Unions; 3) match points difference in all pool games; 4) tries difference for in all pool games; 5) match points for in all pool games.
If three or more teams have same number of points, the best ranked will be: 1) match points difference in all pool games; 2) tries for in all pool games; 4) match points for in all pool games.
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[4]
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
| 22 February 2026 13:00 CET (UTC+1) |
| Switzerland | v | Netherlands |
| Stade Municipal, Yverdon-les-Bains Referee: TBA |
Pool B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Grand Finals Semi-Finals |
| 2 | Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ranking Finals Semi-Finals |
| 4 | Romania | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: unknown. Source: Rugby Europe[3]
Rules for classification:
If two teams have the same number of points the best ranked will be: 1) competition points; 2) match points difference; 3) match tries difference; 3) match points difference in all pool games; 4) tries for in all pool games; 5) match points for in all pool games.
If three or more teams have same number of points, the best ranked will be: 1) competition points; 2) tries for in all pool games; 3) match points for in all pool games.
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[4]
Rules for classification:
If two teams have the same number of points the best ranked will be: 1) competition points; 2) match points difference; 3) match tries difference; 3) match points difference in all pool games; 4) tries for in all pool games; 5) match points for in all pool games.
If three or more teams have same number of points, the best ranked will be: 1) competition points; 2) tries for in all pool games; 3) match points for in all pool games.
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[4]
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Ranking Finals
Semi-finals
| 7-8 March 2026 TBA |
| 3rd POOL A | v | 4th POOL B |
| TBA Referee: TBA |
| 7-8 March 2026 TBA |
| 3rd POOL B | v | 4th POOL A |
| TBA Referee: TBA |
Seventh-place final
Fifth-place final
Grand Finals
Semi-finals
| 7-8 March 2026 TBA |
| 1st POOL A | v | 2nd POOL B |
| TBA Referee: TBA |
| 7-8 March 2026 TBA |
| 1st POOL B | v | 2nd POOL A |
| TBA Referee: TBA |
Bronze Final
Final
Final standings
| Pos. | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBA | 10 |
| 2 | TBA | 8 |
| 3 | TBA | 6 |
| 4 | TBA | 5 |
| 5 | TBA | 4 |
| 6 | TBA | 3 |
| 7 | TBA | 2 |
| 8 | TBA | 1 |
International broadcasters
| Country | Broadcaster[5] | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | VRT LN24 |
Belgium games shown live via VRT and LN24. |
| Georgia | Rugby TV Imedi TV |
Georgia games shown live via Rugby TV and Imedi TV. Also Georgia games are streamed and free on Rugby TV Facebook page. |
| Germany | ProSieben Maxx Joyn Ran |
Germany games shown live via ProSieben Maxx, other games are streamed and free on Joyn and Ran. |
| Netherlands | Ziggo | Selected games live on Ziggo Sport. |
| Portugal | Sport TV | Portugal games shown live on Sport TV. |
| Romania | TVR1 TVR Sport |
Romania games shown live via TVR1 and TVR Sport. |
| Spain | Teledeporte RTVE Play |
Spain games shown live via Teledeporte and .RTVE Play digital platform. |
| Switzerland | RTS 2 SRI digital |
Switzerland games shown live via RTS 2 channel and SRI digital platforms. |
| North America | FloRugby | All games available through streaming via FloSports. |
| Rest of the World | Rugby Europe | All games available through streaming via Rugby Europe (registration required). Some games are streamed and free on Rugby Europe Youtube channel |
See also
References
- ^ a b c "New Format for Rugby Europe Championship". Rugby Europe. 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Men's Championship 2026 Calendar confirmed, Madrid to host Finals Day". Rugby Europe. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ a b "2026 Rugby Europe Championship Standings".
- ^ a b "September 2025 Edition (2025-2026 season v1) Rugby Europe International XV Championships Men & Women 2025-2026 Tournament Manual" (PDF). Rugby Europe. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ "Unprecedented Coverage for 2025 Men's Rugby Europe Championship". Rugby Europe.