2019 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification explained

Datefrom:1 October 2016
Dateto:16 June 2018
Nations:31
Prev:2015
Next:2023

Qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup for European Rugby began in September 2016, where 5 teams are competing for one direct qualification spot into the final tournament, and a further 26 teams competing, alongside the initial 5 teams, for a place in the Europe/Oceania play-off and or repechage.

The qualification process came to a chaotic conclusion when 3 of the 5 teams in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Rugby Europe Championship were effectively disqualified for fielding ineligible players. As a result, Russia qualified for the World Cup and Germany advanced to a playoff against Portugal for a place in the repechage process.

Format

The Rugby Europe Championship, controlled by Rugby Europe, is the regional qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup 2019, with the Championship, Trophy and Conference 1 and 2 being involved in the process.

The 2016–17 Rugby Europe International Championships form the majority of qualification matches for the European region. The respective winners of Round 1A and 1B, Rugby Europe Conference 2 North and South, will progress to the Round 1 Final. The overall winner of Round 1, will advance to the Round 3, where they will play against the winner of Round 2, Conference 1. The winner of Round 3 will play against the winner of the 2016–17 Rugby Europe Trophy tournament in the Round 4 Final, where the winner of that final will parachute down to Round 6 - the European Final play-off.

The winner of Round 5, which is an aggregate table of the 2017 and 2018 Rugby Europe Championship's, will qualify for the World Cup as Europe 1, the runner-up will advance to Round 6.

Round 6 will see the winner of Round 4 and the runner-up of Round 5 face against each other in a one-off play-off match, the higher ranked team hosting at the time of teams decided, to earn the right to progress to a home and away Cross-Regional play-off series against the third placed team from Oceania, Oceania 3.

Entrants

Thirty one teams competed during for the 2019 Rugby World Cup – European qualification; teams world rankings are prior to the first European qualification match on 3 September 2016.

Nation data-sort-type="number"Rank !data-sort-type="date"Began play !Qualifying status
62 22 October 2016 Eliminated by Malta on 11 February 2017
87 8 October 2016 Eliminated by Serbia on 29 April 2017
24 18 February 2017 Eliminated via points deduction on 15 May 2018
74 8 October 2016 Eliminated by Hungary on 20 May 2017
54 29 October 2016 Eliminated by Malta on 29 April 2017
29 October 2016 Eliminated by Andorra on 11 February 2017
33 3 September 2016 Eliminated by Portugal on 18 November 2017
88 8 October 2016 Eliminated by Hungary's victory on 6 May 2017
2 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
1 October 2016 Eliminated by Hungary's victory on 22 April 2017
97 8 October 2016 Eliminated by Denmark on 22 April 2017
8 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
11 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
26 11 February 2017 Advances to Europe/Oceania play-off on 16 June 2018
82 1 October 2016 Eliminated by Czech Republic on 27 April 2017
6 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
63 5 November 2016 Eliminated by Malta on 22 April 2017
13 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
51 22 October 2016 Eliminated by Czech Republic on 15 April 2017
46 5 November 2016 Eliminated by Czech Republic's victory on 6 May 2017
59 22 October 2016 Eliminated by Czech Republic's victory on 15 April 2017
49 22 October 2016 Eliminated by Czech Republic on 20 May 2017
32 12 November 2016 Eliminated by Portugal on 11 March 2017
34 5 November 2016 Eliminated by Portugal's victory on 1 April 2017
90 8 October 2016 Eliminated by Hungary on 22 April 2017
37 24 September 2016 Eliminated by Portugal on 18 March 2017
30 19 November 2016 Eliminated by Germany on 16 June 2018
16 11 February 2017 Eliminated via points deduction on 15 May 2018
21 12 February 2017 Qualified as Europe 1 via mass points deduction on 15 May 2018
9 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
79 29 October 2016 Eliminated by Bosnia and Herzegovina on 22 April 2017
67 29 October 2016 Eliminated by Austria on 22 April 2017
23 12 February 2017 Eliminated via points deduction on 15 May 2018
58 3 September 2016 Eliminated by Latvia on 29 April 2017
31 19 November 2016 Eliminated by Netherlands on 18 March 2017
5 November 2016 Withdrew from competition on 5 November 2016
27 24 September 2016 Eliminated by Portugal's victory on 4 March 2017
5 N/A Qualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup

Round 1: Rugby Europe Conference 2

Round 1A: North

Advances to Round 1 Final
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1440015730+127319
2430116142+119214
3420298109–11210
4410392144–5226
5400439222–18300
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points

Round 1B: South

Advances to Round 1 Final
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
132016554+1119
232015451+308
331028948+4126
4310252107–5504
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points

Round 1 Final

Hungary, as winners, qualify for round 3.

Round 2: Rugby Europe Conference 1

Round 2A: North

PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1440015826+132319
243019347+46214
342025698–42210
4410356124–6815
5400439107–6811
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points

Round 2B: South

PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1431014749+98317
24301135100+35214
3421110679+27313
4410362181–11904
5400472113–4122
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points

Round 2 Final

The Czech Republic, as winners, qualify for round 3.

Round 3

The Czech Republic, as winners, qualify for the final of round 4.

Round 4

Round 4A: Rugby Europe Trophy

PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1550017937+142424
2530215994+65315
35302140122+18113
4530273730012
55104100162-6237
6500552215–16300
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points

Round 4 Final

This fixture, unlike previous knock out fixtures, doubles as part of the Rugby Europe Trophy competition. Portugal, as winners, advance to round 6.

Round 5

Table

For the Rugby Europe Championship teams, results are considered on a 2-year aggregate from the 2017 and 2018 seasons (excluding matches involving Georgia, who had already qualified). The winner advanced to the Rugby World Cup and the runner-up advanced to the Round 6 play-off.[1]

Qualified as Europe 1
Advances to Round 6
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
DeductionsTotal
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
18404226144+82420
28206149446–287210
38602296126+1706-30 0
4860221785+1322-40–14
58206170257–873-30–19
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point
Loss within 7 points - 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points - 0 points
World Rugby received complaints against all five teams of fielding ineligible players, in breach of Regulation 8, during the qualification process. 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-offs ahead of Spain.[2] [3] On 29 May 2018, it was confirmed that both Romania and Spain had appealed the decision.[4] On 6 June, the appeal failed and the decision was upheld meaning Russia was confirmed as Europe 1 and qualified for the World Cup, whilst Germany advanced to round 6.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Matches

Round 6: Final play-off

Germany, as winners, advance to the Europe/Oceania play-off.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rugby World Cup 2019. rugbybworldcup.com. www.rugbyworldcup.com. 14 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170912041821/http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/qualifying/europe/bracket. 12 September 2017. dead.
  2. Web site: World Rugby statement regarding the independent disputes committee's decision. 15 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516103106/https://www.worldrugby.org/news/334794. 16 May 2018. en-gb. bot: unknown.
  3. Web site: MEDIA RELEASE - RWC-2019-QUALIFICATION-DISPUTE-JUDGMENT . 2018-05-15 . 2018-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180516015245/http://www.rugbyeurope.eu/media-release-rwc-2019-qualification-dispute-judgment . dead .
  4. https://www.worldrugby.org/news/337505 Disciplinary update: Romania and Spain to appeal disputes committee outcomes
  5. https://www.worldrugby.org/news/340527 Independent Appeal Committee decision regarding Romania and Spain
  6. Web site: Judicial Committee judgement. 15 May 2018.
  7. 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 Appeal committee decision
  8. Web site: FINAL RANKING RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019 QUALIFIERS | Rugby Europe . 2018-06-07 . 2018-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141321/https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/final-ranking-rugby-world-cup-2019-qualifiers . dead .
  9. Web site: Rugby RU. Qualification process Europe. Rugby.ru. 8 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170514131255/http://www.rugby.ru/new/sistema-otbora-na-kubok-mira-2019-evropa.html. 14 May 2017. dead.