Rugby Europe Sevens

Last updated
Rugby Europe Sevens
Current season, competition or edition:
Rugby football current event.svg 2023 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series
Sport Rugby sevens
Founded2002;21 years ago (2002)
No. of teams12 (Championship)
CountryEuropean
Most recent
champion(s)
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland (2nd title)
Most titlesFlag of Portugal.svg  Portugal (8 titles)

The Rugby Europe Sevens are a series of rugby sevens tournaments held by Rugby Europe. It was formerly known as the FIRA-AER Sevens until 2013, and the Sevens Grand Prix Series until 2021. [1] Only one annual tournament existed prior to 2011, when Rugby Europe created a series of tournaments, following the model of the World Rugby Sevens Series. The main division is known as the Rugby Europe Championship Series, formerly known the Grand Prix, followed by the Trophy Series, Conference 1, and Conference 2. [1] The competitions use a promotion/relegation system.

Contents

Format

In the Championship Series, twelve teams play in at least two tournaments each summer throughout Europe. Each tournament spans two to three days — the first day is a pool phase, the second day is a pool and knockout phase, and the third day a knockout phase. During the pool phase, the teams are divided into three pools of four teams each. After the pool phase, the top eight teams (two first of each pool, plus two best-performing third place teams) advance to the Cup tournament; the other four teams play for the Challenge Trophy.

At the end of each tournament, teams are awarded points based on their performance. At the end of the series, the team with the most points is declared the champion. The team with the fewest points is relegated from the Championship Series to the Trophy competition, whereas the champion of the Trophy competition is promoted to next season's Championship Series.

History

2002–2010

A number of qualifying tournaments lead up to a finals tournament, which functions as the European championship and, in 2008, also as the qualifying stage for the Sevens World Cup.

Portugal won the first European Championship held in Heidelberg in 2002. Portugal would go onto win eight out of the first ten tournaments. In 2003, Heidelberg again held the tournament. In 2004 Palma de Mallorca was the host. From 2005 to 2007, Moscow hosted the tournament. Hanover held the tournament for the first time in 2008 and did so again in 2009. In 2010, the tournament returned to Moscow.

2011–present

In 2011, the format of the competition changed. The twelve best teams now meet over the course of several tournaments, following the model of the IRB Sevens World Series. The name also changed from the European Championship to the Sevens Grand Prix Series. The first edition of this competition was held in 2011 and won by Portugal. In 2021 the competition changed its name from the Sevens Grand Prix to the Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series. [1]

Tournaments

Championship Series

Rugby Europe Sevens
Championship
EditionYearEventsChampionsRunners-upThirdFourth
I 2002 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of Georgia (1990-2004).svg  Georgia Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of France.svg  France
II 2003 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Georgia (1990-2004).svg  Georgia Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
III 2004 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of Italy.svg  Italy IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
IV 2005 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of France.svg  France
V 2006 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of France.svg  France
VI 2007 1Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
VII 2008 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia IRFU flag.svg  Ireland
VIII 2009 1Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
IX 2010 1Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Grand Prix Series
X 2011 4Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of England.svg  England Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
XI 2012 3Flag of England.svg  England Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
XII 2013 2Flag of England.svg  England Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
XIII 2014 4Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Flag of England.svg  England Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
XIV 2015 3Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of England.svg  England Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
XV 2016 3Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
XVI 2017 4Flag of Russia.svg  Russia IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
XVII 2018 [2] 4IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of England.svg  England
XVIII 2019 [3] 2Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of France.svg  France IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
2020Series not played because of COVID-19 pandemic.
Championship Series
XIX 2021 [4] 2Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
XX 2022 [5] 2Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
XXI 2023 [6] 2IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain


Team Records

TeamChampionsRunners-upThirdFourth
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 8 ( 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011 )1 ( 2012 )1 ( 2013 )
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 4 ( 2007, 2009, 2016, 2017 )2 ( 2005, 2006 )4 ( 2010, 2013, 2018, 2021 )3 ( 2011, 2014, 2015 )
Flag of France.svg  France 2 ( 2014, 2015 )8 ( 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2023 )3 ( 2012, 2022 )3 ( 2002, 2005, 2006 )
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 2 ( 2021, 2022 )1 ( 2015 )4 ( 2011, 2016, 2017, 2023 )5 ( 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019 )
Flag of England.svg  England 2 ( 2012, 2013 )1 ( 2011 )2 ( 2014, 2015 )1 ( 2018 )
IRFU flag.svg  Ireland 2 ( 2018, 2023 )1 ( 2017 )2 ( 2004, 2019 )1 ( 2008 )
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1 ( 2019 )2 ( 2018, 2021 )2 ( 2002, 2022 )2 ( 2003, 2016 )
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1 ( 2004 )3 ( 2005, 2006, 2009 )
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 1 ( 2002 )2 ( 2003, 2008 )
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland 1 ( 2014 )1 ( 2004 )
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 1 ( 2008 )1 ( 2017 )
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 1 ( 2007 )
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 1 ( 2021 )
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1 ( 2022 )
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1 ( 2023 )

Updated to 2023

Trophy

YearChampionsRunners-upThirdFourth
2011 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
2012 Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus
2013 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
2014 Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
2015 Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
2016 [7] IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
2017 Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
2018 Flag of Romania.svg  Romania Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
2019 Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
2020 Series not played because of COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
2022 [8] IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of England.svg  England Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
2023 [9] Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia

Conference

Conference 1

YearChampionsRunners-upThird
2011 Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
2012 Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
2013NorthFlag of Latvia.svg  Latvia Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
SouthFlag of Monaco.svg  Monaco Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
2014NorthFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
SouthFlag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
2015 [10] IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
2016 Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
2017 Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
2018 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
2019 Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
2020 Series not played because of COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 [11] Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova
2022 [12] Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2023 [13] Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco Flag of Austria.svg  Austria

Conference 2

YearChampionsRunners-upThird
2015 [14] IRFU flag.svg  Ireland Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
2016 Flag of Malta.svg  Malta Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
2017 Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Flag of Finland.svg  Finland Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
2018 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein
2019–2021Competition not held
2022 [15] Flag of Malta.svg  Malta Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
2023 Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro

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