2023 Rugby League European Championships

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The 2023 Rugby League European Championships was intended to be the 34th edition of the first division, Euro A, and 11th edition of the second division, Euro B, as well as the inaugural edition of the promotion and relegation era of the tournament after the cancellation of the planned first edition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contents

The tournament is officially postponed until an undefined date as a result of France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, due to the tournament acting as the European qualifiers. However, with a new format European qualifications tournament for the replacement 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup, the 2023 European Championships is informally cancelled.

Euro A

2023 (2023) European Championship  ()
Number of teams8
Matches played13
Tournaments
 < 2020

The 2023 Rugby League European Championship was intended to be the 34th edition of the Rugby League European Championship, and the inaugural edition of the promotion and relegation era of the tournament after the cancellation of the planned first edition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [1] [2]

On 25 May 2023, the European Rugby League (ERL) announced that the tournament would be postponed due to France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, this was as the competition acted as a World Cup qualification tournament for Europe. [3] The tournament was scheduled October and November 2023. [4]

Format

The tournament was to act as qualification for 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

The eight teams of the tournament will be split into two groups of four and each play a single round robin. The top team from each group of Euro A will contest the final and were to automatically qualify for the World Cup. Group runners-up were to contest a playoff with the winners of the Euro B group winners for the final two European World Cup places.

France (as hosts) and England (as 2021 knock-out stage participants) had qualified for the World Cup so if either of these teams had finished in a qualification spot, the next highest team in the group would gain qualification rights. [5] [6]

England schedule clash

After the fixture list was released, the Rugby Football League (RFL) announced that England would play Tonga in a three-match home test series, the dates of which coincide with the European fixtures. [7] The RFL had already decided that the England team for the European Championships would be led by England Knights head coach, Paul Anderson, and not England head coach, Shaun Wane. [8] As the Championships are an international tournament, sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation, England's matches are classed as full England internationals, not Knights' fixtures. [9]

Teams

TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in tournament (last) [lower-alpha 1]
Flag of England.svg  England Tournament Return22 November 202229 (2004)
Flag of France.svg  France Original 2020 Team22 November 202231 (2018)
Four Provinces Flag.svg  Ireland Original 2020 Team22 November 20228 (2018)
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Original 2020 Team22 November 20221 (2009)
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Original 2020 Team22 November 20228 (2018)
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Promoted from 2021 Euro B 22 November 20221 (2009)
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Original 2020 Team22 November 20220 (debut)
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Original 2020 Team22 November 202231 (2018)

    Group stage

    The draw for the tournament was made on 22 February 2023 in Huddersfield by Lisa McIntosh and Michelle Hargreaves. [10] [11] The tournament scheduled was confirmed on 31 March. [12] [13]

    Group A

    PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
    1Flag of England.svg  England [lower-alpha 2] 00000000Advance to Final
    2Four Provinces Flag.svg  Ireland 00000000Qualify for 2025 World Cup
    3Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 00000000Qualify for 2024 European Repêchage
    4Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 00000000Relegated to Euro B
    Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [ citation needed ]

    Group B

    PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
    1Flag of France.svg  France [lower-alpha 2] 00000000Advance to Final
    2Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 00000000Qualify for 2025 World Cup
    3Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 00000000Qualify for 2024 European Repêchage
    4Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 00000000Relegated to Euro B
    Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [ citation needed ]

    Final

    Group A WinnervGroup B Winner
    Source

    Euro B

    2023 (2023) European Championship B  ()
    Number of teams6
    Matches played7
    Tournaments
     < 2021

    The 2023 European Championship B was intended to be the 11th edition of the second tier of the Rugby League European Championship. [6] [14]

    On 25 May 2023, the European Rugby League (ERL) announced that the tournament would be postponed due to France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, this was as the competition acted as a World Cup qualification tournament for Europe. [15] [16] The tournament was scheduled October and November 2023. [4]

    Format

    The tournament was to act as qualification for 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

    The six teams of the tournament will be split into two groups of three and each play a single round robin. The top team from each group of Euro B will contest the final, and would originally enter a playoff with one of the group runners up from Euro A groups for a spot in the World Cup. [17] [6]

    Teams

    The tournament will consist of the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Ukraine. [6] [18]

    Russia was originally part of the competition, but as they remained suspended due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Czech Republic, who were the runners-up from 2021 Euro D Championship, replaced them in the tournament. [6] [18]

    TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in tournament [lower-alpha 3]
    Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Invited22 November 20224 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
    Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Invited22 November 20227 ( 2006 , 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 , 2012–13)
    Flag of Greece.svg  Greece Invited22 November 20220 (debut)
    Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Invited22 November 20220 (debut)
    Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Invited22 November 20221 (2011)
    Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Invited22 November 20223 (2010, 2014–15, 2021)

      Group stage

      Fixtures were announced on 28 October 2022. [19] [20] [21] [22]

      Group A

      Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, both their group stage matches will be played away. [23]

      PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
      1Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 00000000Advance to Final, qualify for 2024 European Repêchage, and promoted to Euro A
      2Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 00000000
      3Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 00000000
      Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ERL

      Group B

      PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
      1Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 00000000Advance to Final, qualify for 2024 European Repêchage, and promoted to Euro A
      2Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 00000000
      3Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 00000000
      Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ERL

      Final

      Group A WinnervGroup B Winner
      Source

      Notes

      1. ↑ Bold indicates champion for that year.
      2. 1 2 As England and France have already qualified for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup they are ineligible to take tournament qualification spots.
      3. ↑ Bold indicates champion for that year.
      4. ↑ Despite the Ukraine vs Norway match being a home game for Ukraine, it will be played in Norway due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. [19]

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      References

      1. ↑ "ERL Congratulates World Cup Organizers & Outlines International Fixture Schedule". europeanrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
      2. ↑ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
      3. ↑ "European Championships cancelled as international calendar left in tatters". LoveRugbyLeague. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
      4. 1 2 "Schedule announced for European Championship, including England". LoveRugbyLeague. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
      5. ↑ "Draws to be Made for Euro Men's and Women's Competitions". 25 February 2023.
      6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Road to France 2025: Rugby League World Cup Qualifying Process Announced". Rugby League International Federation. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
      7. ↑ "England to host Tonga in maiden Test series". BBC Sport. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
      8. ↑ Ibbetson, Stephen (26 February 2023). "England Knights penned in for European Championship as home nations react to draw". TotalRL.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
      9. ↑ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
      10. ↑ "Draws Made for Men's and Women's Euros".
      11. ↑ "England set to find out European Championship opponents". LoveRugbyLeague. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
      12. ↑ "Euro a Fixtures Release".
      13. ↑ "Dates Revealed For Men's 2023 European Rugby League Championship". The Sportsman. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
      14. ↑ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian.
      15. ↑ "ERL Announcement About Planned World Cup Qualifiers".
      16. ↑ "European Championships cancelled as international calendar left in tatters". 25 May 2023.
      17. ↑ "Draws to be Made for Euro Men's and Women's Competitions".
      18. 1 2 "Road to 2025 World Cup confirmed". 30 November 2022.
      19. 1 2 "2023 EURO B MEN'S DRAW & FIXTURES ANNOUNCED". europeanrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
      20. ↑ "Intrl - Euro B Draw & Fixtures Announced".
      21. ↑ "Greece find out what they need to do to repeat World Cup history". 28 October 2022.
      22. ↑ "Schedule announced for European Championship, including England". 31 March 2023.
      23. ↑ "Heritage order: Cleary gets behind Ukraine's World Cup bid". 15 March 2023.
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