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 for the 2019 Rugby World Cup – European qualification; teams world rankings are prior to the first European qualification match on 3 September 2016.
Nation Rank 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 PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTablepointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff1440015730+1273192430116142+1192143420298109–112104410392144–52265400439222–18300Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points Matches
Round 1B: South Advances to Round 1 Final PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTablepointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff132016554+1119232015451+308331028948+41264310252107–5504Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points Matches
Round 1 Final Hungary, as winners, qualify for round 3.
Round 2: Rugby Europe Conference 1
Round 2A: North Advances to Conference Final PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTablepointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff1440015826+132319243019347+46214342025698–422104410356124–68155400439107–6811Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points Matches
Round 2B: South Advances to Conference Final PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTablepointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff1431014749+9831724301135100+352143421110679+273134410362181–119045400472113–4122Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points Matches
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 Advances to Round 4 Final PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTablepointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff1550017937+1424242530215994+6531535302140122+18113453027373001255104100162-62376500552215–16300Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points Matches
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
Round 5A: Rugby Europe Championship
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.
Qualified as Europe 1Advances to Round 6 PlaceNationGamesPointsBonuspointsDeductionsTotalpointsplayedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff18404226144+8242028206149446–28721038602296126+1706-30 0 4860221785+1322-40–1458206170257–873-30–19Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points Offensive Bonus Point is given for 3 more tries than the other team - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss 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. On 29 May 2018, it was confirmed that both Romania and Spain had appealed the decision.Disciplinary update: Romania and Spain to appeal disputes committee outcomes 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.Independent Appeal Committee decision regarding Romania and SpainAppeal committee decision
Matches 2017 MatchesAs the bottom-placed team in the 2017 Championship, Belgium faced the 2016/17 Trophy champions Portugal in a promotion/relegation play-off. While the game did not effect Portugal's World Cup qualification chances, as they were still to compete in the round 4 final at the time, Belgium were competing to stay in the European Championship and therefore the qualifying tournament. On 20 May 2017, Belgium defeated Portugal to remain in contention.
2018 Matches
Round 6: Final play-off Germany, as winners, advance to the Europe/Oceania play-off.
Team details FB 15Pierre Mathurin RW 14Marcel CoetzeeOC 13Mathieu DucauIC 12Raynor Parkinson LW 11Maxime OltmannFH 10Hagen Schulte SH 9 Sean ArmstrongN8 8 Jarrid Els OF 7 Jaco OttoBF 6 Ayron SchrammRL 5 Sebastian FerreiraLL 4 Eric MarksTP 3 Samy Füchsel HK 2 Mika Tyumenev LP 1 Julius Nostadt (c) Replacements:HK 16Mark Fairhurst PR 17Anthony Dickinson PR 18Jörn Schröder LK 19Marcel Henn LK 20Timo Vollenkemper SH 21Tim Menzel FB 22Nikolai Klewinghaus FH 23Chris Hilsenback Coach: Pablo Lemoine FB 15Nuno Sousa GuedesRW 14Tomás AppletonOC 13Rodrigo FruedenthalIC 12Vasco RibeiroLW 11Adérito EstevesFH 10José RodriguesSH 9 Manuel QueirósN8 8 Jacques le Roux OF 7 Sebastião VillaxBF 6 Salvador Vassalo Santos (c)RL 5 Gonçalo Uva LL 4 Jean SousaTP 3 Bruno Rocha HK 2 Duarte DinizLP 1 Francisco Fernandes Replacements:PR 16Bruno Medeiros HK 17Nuno MascarenhasLK 18Geordie McSullea N8 19Francisco Sousa SH 20Francisco VieiraCE 21Manuel Vilela PereiraFB 22Andreu CyrillePR 23João Taveira Coach: Martim Aguiar Touch judges: Ian Tempest (England) Christophe Ridley (England) Notes: Mark Fairhurst (Germany) and Jean Sousa and João Taveira (both Portugal) made their international debuts.
See also 2016–17 Rugby Europe International Championships 2017–18 Rugby Europe International Championships
References
External links "Regional qualification process set for Rugby World Cup 2019" (World Rugby)