In the European Regional Rugby World Cup Qualifying, two teams, Georgia and Russia, qualified directly to the World Cup, and Romania, the third place team, entered a playoff against the second place African team, Tunisia.
The Qualification process primarily based around the 2008–2010 European Nations Cup. The top two teams in the 2008-2010 European Nations Cup First Division qualified directly to New Zealand.
The third placed team entered a playoff series against the champions of Division 2A, and the leaders of the remaining divisions (excluding 3D) as of the end of the 2008–2009 season. The winner of this playoff, Romania, entered a playoff to decide the 20th place at Rugby World Cup 2011.
Round 1: European Nations Cup 2008–2010
Division 1 Georgia, the winner of Division 1 qualified for Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2011 as Europe 1, and Russia the runner-up, for Pool C as Europe 2. Romania, the third placed team, entered at Round 5 of Round 2's Playoff Series. Numbers in parentheses indicate world ranking at the start of the tournament.
ENC Champions and Qualified for Rugby World Cup as Europe 1Qualified for Rugby World Cup as Europe 2Qualified for Round 2 Europe Playoff Series
Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1 (16)10811326132+194272 (17)10712291175+116253 (19)10613282136+146234 (21)10514255149+106215 (23)10208145304−159146 (26)10001058461−40310
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueNovember 8, 2008 42–15Moscow, RussiaNovember 15, 200822–11Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainFebruary 7, 20095–38Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, GermanyFebruary 7, 200914–18Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, PortugalFebruary 7, 200910–19Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainFebruary 14, 200920–20Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, GeorgiaFebruary 14, 20090–22Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, GermanyFebruary 21, 200944–6Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, PortugalFebruary 28, 200919–28 Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, RomaniaFebruary 28, 200911–55Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainMarch 14, 200928–23Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, GeorgiaMarch 15, 200924–19Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, PortugalMarch 21, 200921–22 Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, RomaniaMarch 22, 200921–29Illichivets Stadium, Mariupol, UkraineMay 2, 20090–53Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover, GermanyFebruary 6, 201014–10 Central Stadium, Sochi, RussiaFebruary 6, 201045-27 Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, RomaniaFebruary 6, 201077–3 Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, GeorgiaFebruary 13, 201010–16 Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, PortugalFebruary 13, 201020–38 Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainFebruary 13, 201067–5 Stadionul Constructorul Cleopatra, Constanţa, RomaniaFebruary 27, 20100–69 Kultur- und Sportzentrum Martinsee, Heusenstamm, GermanyFebruary 27, 201017–9 Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, GeorgiaFebruary 27, 2010 21–21 Central Stadium, Sochi, RussiaMarch 13, 2010 15–33 Estadio Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainMarch 13, 2010 22–10 Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, RomaniaMarch 13, 2010 48–11 Central Stadium, Sochi, RussiaMarch 20, 2010 9–20 Estádio Universitário, Lisbon, PortugalMarch 20, 2010 36–8 Akçaabat Fatih Stadium, Trabzon, TurkeyMarch 20, 2010 17–21 Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg, GermanyMarch 27, 2010 48–3 Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest, Romania
Division 2A The winner of the division, Ukraine, qualified for Round 4 of Round 2's Playoff.
Promoted to Division 1 for 2010–2012 and qualified for 2011 RWC Qualifying
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceOctober 4, 2008 12–13Stadion Widzewa, Łódź4,000November 1, 2008 9–8King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels5,000November 15, 2008 7–13Městský Stadion1,200 November 15, 2008 20–8Stadionul Dinamo1,500 November 22, 2008 11–9Tatře Smíchov Stadion800March 15, 2009 15–15King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels5,000March 21, 2009 20–10Spartak Stadium, Kyiv5,000May 9, 2009 32–0Spartak Stadium, Kyiv5,000May 16, 2009 28–30Stadionul Dinamo800May 30, 2009 14–3Stadion Polonii Warszawa, Warsaw6,000September 12, 2009 19–12Spartak Stadium, Kyiv4,000October 10, 2009 13–11Spartak Stadium, Kyiv4,000October 25, 2009 5–19Městský Stadion6,000October 31, 2009 14–3King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels3,000November 14, 200945–30Stadionul Dinamo1,000April 3, 201016–19PragueApril 10, 201027–16ŘíčanyApril 24, 201029–8King Baudouin Stadium, BrusselsApril 24, 201028–19Stadionul Dinamo1PostponedMěstský Stadion
1 The match between Poland and Moldova was originally scheduled for April 10, 2010, but was postponed after the death of Poland's president, Lech Kaczyński, earlier that day. The match was moved to January 1, 2011.
Division 2B The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Netherlands, qualified for Round 3 of Round 2's Playoff. Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1 (41)440011055+55122 (45)43017460+14103 (54)42026670−484 (43)41036473−965 (55)400447103−564
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceOctober 25, 2008 21–5Vänersborg300 October 25, 2008 16–18Paola2,500November 1, 2008 18–12Amsterdam1,600 November 1, 2008 6–9Vänersborg450 November 8, 2008 10–29Jelgava350April 18, 2009 36–24Amsterdam April 18, 2009 19–32Riga April 25, 2009 9–27Paola2,500 April 25, 2009 21–13Makarska500May 2, 2009 23–13Split1,500
Division 3A The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Lithuania, qualified for Round 2 of Round 2's Playoff.
Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1 (37)770019850+148212 (UR)8404151154−3163 (59)830592153−61144 (66)7205112173−61115 (58)620479102−2310
Armenia were ranked ahead of Serbia and Andorra were ranked ahead of Switzerland based on head-to-head results.
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceSeptember 13, 2008 0–41Smederevo100October 18, 2008 35–15Abovyan300November 8, 2008 10–26Andorra la Vella1,000November 15, 2008 33–0Vilnius350December 6, 2008 32–7SmederevoMarch 14, 2009 32–9Avusy500March 21, 2009 36–10Andorra la Vella150April 4, 2009 6–12NyonMay 2, 2009 50–9Vilnius400May 9, 2009 19–24AbovyanOctober 10, 2009 40–12Šiauliai All four remaining matches were scratched as Lithuania had already won the group.
Division 3B The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Slovenia, qualified for Round 1 of Round 2's Playoff.
Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1 (59)44008964+25122 (65)430111672+44103 (73)42027888−1084 (81)41035463−965 (90)40043181−504
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceSeptember 13, 2008 32–26LjubljanaSeptember 27, 2008 15–26Oslo300October 11, 2008 11–3Oslo300October 18, 2008 39–12Kecskemét500November 1, 2008 19–25Odense915November 8, 2008 9–18Vienna500April 11, 2009 20–18Odense600April 18, 2009 25–13EsztergomApril 25, 2009 6–27LinzApril 25, 2009 14–10Slovenia1,000
Division 3C The leader of the division at the end of the 2008–2009 season, Israel, qualified for Round 1 of Round 2's Playoff.
Qualified for Round 2
Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1 (86)440013626+110122 (UR)43018067+13103 (89)42027372+184 (94)41035184−3365 (95)400447138−914
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceOctober 4, 2008 19–27Helsinki300October 11, 2008 10–12Helsinki250November 15, 2008 8 -11Pernik850November 22, 2008 10–25Kifissia600November 29, 2008 10–18Luxembourg400March 21, 2009 30–0Netanya400April 11, 2009 41–18Greece3,000April 25, 2009 29–10Pernik500April 25, 2009 14–17Luxembourg600May 2, 2009 70–8Netanya500
Round 2: European Nations Cup Champions Playoff Series
Match ResultsDate HomeScoreAwayVenueAttendanceRound 19-May-2009 26–19Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel1,000Round 223-May-2009 3–19Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel1,000Round 36-June-2009 6–3 Vingis Park, Vilnius, Lithuania1,000Round 48-May-2010 16–27Savivaldybė Stadium, Šiauliai, Lithuania3,500Round 5 3–33 Spartak Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine5-June-2010 61–7 Stadionul Municipal, Botoşani, Romania
Sources https://www.irb.com https://web.archive.org/web/20110825205045/http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/ http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/medias/matches/2008_BG_IL.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20090521154538/http://fpr.pt/noticias/noticia.asp?opm=25&id=7542&id2=25