The 2018 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. This is the second season under its new format, that saw Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and Belgium compete for the title.
This year's edition of the Rugby Europe Championship also served as a key stage of the European region qualification process for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The team with the best record across the 2017 and 2018 Championships qualified as Europe 1. As Georgia have already secured qualification automatically, results involving that team are discarded for the purposes of Rugby World Cup qualification.
Both the Championship and the Qualification Process were heavily affected by controversial disciplinary issues involving player eligibility and the selection of neutral officials (namely, Romanian referee Vlad Iordachescu in Belgium-Spain). In respect of matters relating to the eligibility of players, following a full review of the evidence, including statements and submissions from World Rugby, Rugby Europe, Belgium, Romania, Spain and Russia, the independent committee found: Belgium had fielded one or more ineligible players on 7 occasions during the 2017 and 2018 Rugby Europe Championships (of which 6 matches related to Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying); Romania has fielded one ineligible player on 8 occasions during the 2017 and 2018 Rugby Europe Championships (of which 6 matches related to Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying); Spain had fielded one or more ineligible players on 9 occasions during the 2017 and 2018 Rugby Europe Championships (of which 8 matches related to Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying).
In respect of sanctions, pursuant to Regulation 18, the independent committee determined the following:
The deduction of 5 points for any match in which a union fielded an ineligible player. in practice this meant the following
40-point deduction for Spain 30-point deduction for Belgium; 30-point deduction for Romania.
Therefore, based on a re-modelling of the Rugby Europe Championship tables in the context of Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifying, Russia would qualify as Europe 1 into Pool A replacing Romania and Germany will replace Spain in the European play-off against Portugal.
Georgia's victory in the 2018 Rugby Europe Championship itself was unaffected. Germany's proposed promotion/relegation play-off with Portugal, however, becomes a Romania-Portugal play-off. Ironically, Germany would now face Portugal in the Rugby World Cup European qualification play-off.
Table ChampionsAdvances to promotion/relegation play-off
Pos.TeamGamesPointsTriesTablepointsPlayedWonDrawnLostForAgainstDiffForAgainstDiff1550018835+153262+25301242520314284+581912+7210113500534359−325355−52000045203106182−761426−12100−1*5530214674+72194+18100−7*6530219880+118289+19200−11*Source- Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win – 4 points | Draw – 2 points | At least 3 more tries than opponent – 1 point | Loss within 7 points – 1 point | Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points | Completing a Grand Slam – (not counted towards World Cup qualification)* deducted points Appeal committee decision
Fixtures
Week 1
LP 1 Zurab Zhvania HK 2 Shalva Mamukashvili TP 3 Levan Chilachava LL 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (c)RL 5 Nodar Tcheishvili BF 6 Otar Giorgadze OF 7 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili N8 8 Lasha Lomidze SH 9 Gela Aprasidze FH 10Revaz JinchvelashviliLW 11Alexander ToduaIC 12Giorgi KveseladzeOC 13David Kacharava RW 14Giorgi PruidzeFB 15Beka TsiklauriReplacements:HK 16Giorgi Chkoidze PR 17Tornike Mataradze PR 18Giorgi Melikidze FL 19Mikheil Gachechiladze FL 20Guram Shengelia SH 21Vasil Lobzhanidze FH 22Lasha Malaguradze WG 23Anzor Sitchinava Coach:Milton Haig LP 1 Lucas Sotteau HK 2 Thomas Dienst (c) TP 3 Sydney Mulumba LL 4 Guillaume MortierRL 5 Sven d'HoogheBF 6 Bertrand BilliOF 7 Amin Hamzaoui N8 8 Brieuc Corradi SH 9 Tom Cocqu FH 10Vincent HartLW 11Ervin MuricIC 12Nathan BontemsOC 13Guillaume PironRW 14Thomas WallrafFB 15Dazzy Cornez Replacements:HK 16Max Dubois PR 17Bastien Gallaire PR 18Tom HerengerFL 19Vincent Tauzia FL 20Isaac Montoisy SH 21Benjamin Cocu CE 22Louis Debatty PR 23Romain Pinte Coach:Guillaume Ajac Touch judges: Matteo Liperini (Italy) Simone Boaretto (Italy)
LP 1 Andrei Polivalov HK 2 Stanislav Selskii TP 3 Innoentiy Zykov LL 4 Evgeny ElginRL 5 Andrei Ostrikov BF 6 Victor Gresev OF 7 Andrei TemnovN8 8 Anton Rudoy SH 9 Alexei Shcherban FH 10Ramil GaisinLW 11Vasily Artemyev (c) IC 12Dmitri GerasimovOC 13Igor Galinovskiy RW 14German DavydovFB 15Yuri KushnarevReplacements:HK 16Valery Tsnobiladze PR 17Valery Morozov PR 18Magomed Davudov FL 19Andrei Garbuzov LK 20Tagir Gadzhiev FB 21Vasily Dorofeev WG 22Vladislav Sozonov CE 23Sergey Trishin Coach:Aleksandr Pervukhin LP 1 Beñat Auzqui HK 2 Marco Pinto Ferrer TP 3 Jonathan García LL 4 David BarreraRL 5 Lucas Guillaume BF 6 Pierre BarthèreOF 7 Gautier GibouinN8 8 Jaime Nava de Olano (c) SH 9 Guillaume Rouet FH 10Mathieu Bélie LW 11Sebastien AscaratIC 12Dan SneeOC 13Fabien PerrinRW 14Brad Linklater FB 15Charlie MaliéReplacements:PR 16Fernando López Pérez HK 17Juan Anaya Lazaro PR 18Anibal Bonán FL 19Thibaut Visensang SH 20Sébastien Rouet CE 21Ignacio Contardi Medina WG 22Bastien Fuster PR 23Jesús Moreno Rodríguez Coach:Santiago Santos Touch judges: Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland) Chris Harrington (Ireland)
LP 1 Mihăiţă Lazăr HK 2 Andrei Rădoi TP 3 Andrei Ursache LL 4 Johan van Heerden RL 5 Marius AntonescuBF 6 Valentin Ursache OF 7 Mihai Macovei (c)N8 8 Stelian Burcea SH 9 Florin Surugiu FH 10Florin Vlaicu LW 11Ionuț Dumitru IC 12Sione Faka'osileaOC 13Paula KinikinilauRW 14Tangimana FonovaiFB 15Cătălin FercuReplacements:HK 16Florin Bărdașu PR 17Ionel Badiu PR 18Alexandru Țăruș LK 19Alin Coste FL 20Andrei Gorcioaia SH 21Valentin Calafeteanu WG 22Stephen Shennan WG 23Jack Umaga Coach:Lynn Howells LP 1 Julius Nostadt (c) HK 2 Senzokuhle Ngubane TP 3 Paul Weiss LL 4 Eric MarksRL 5 Stefan MauBF 6 Falk Duwe OF 7 Rafael Dutta N8 8 Luke DyckhoffSH 9 Tim MenzelFH 10Daniel KochLW 11Christopher Korn IC 12Yassin Ayachi OC 13Robin Plümpe RW 14Paul PfistererFB 15Marvin DieckmannReplacements:HK 16Sam Ramsay PR 17Felix Martel PR 18Marcus Bender FL 19Yasar Bauer N8 20Carsten Lang FB 21Jan Piosik WG 22Mark Sztyndera CE 23Clemens von Grumbkow Coach:Pablo Lemoine Touch judges: John Catteau (Belgium) Kevin Sulejmani (Belgium)
Week 2
LP 1 Sergey Sekisov HK 2 Valery Tsnobiladze TP 3 Innoentiy Zykov LL 4 Andrei Garbuzov RL 5 Evgeny ElginBF 6 Andrei Temnov OF 7 Tagir GadzhievN8 8 Anton Rudoy SH 9 Vasily Dorofeev FH 10Ramil Gaisin LW 11Vladislav SozonovIC 12Dmitri GerasimovOC 13Mikhail BabaevRW 14German Davydov FB 15Yuri Kushnarev (c) Replacements:HK 16Nazir Gazanov PR 17Andrei Polivalov PR 18Magomed Davudov LK 19Bogdan Fedotko FL 20Viktor Gresev SH 21Alexei Shcherban WG 22Igor Galinovskiy WG 23Denis Simplikevich Coach:Aleksandr Pervukhin LP 1 Lucas Sotteau HK 2 Thomas Dienst TP 3 Alexis Cuffolo LL 4 Tuur MoelantsRL 5 Sven d'Hooghe BF 6 Bertrand BilliOF 7 Amin Hamzaoui N8 8 Thomas DemolderSH 9 Julien Berger (c) FH 10Sébastien Guns LW 11Louis Debatty IC 12Nathan BontemsOC 13Guillaume PironRW 14Thomas Wallraf FB 15Vincent HartReplacements:HK 16Max Dubois PR 17Bastien Gallaire LK 18Guillaume Mortier FL 19Maxime Temmerman WG 20Eliott van Trappen SH 21Tom Cocqu SH 22Isaac Montoisy PR 23Romain Pinte Coach:Guillaume Ajac Touch judges: Jorge Molpeceres (Spain) Eki Fanlo (Spain)
LP 1 Marcus Bender HK 2 Gilles Valette TP 3 Felix Martel LL 4 Eric MarksRL 5 Stefan Mau BF 6 Falk DuweOF 7 Kain RixN8 8 Luke Dyckhoff SH 9 Oliver Paine FH 10Wynston Cameron-DowLW 11Zani Dembele IC 12Clemens von Grumbkow (c)OC 13Robin Plümpe RW 14Paul Pfisterer FB 15Daniel KochReplacements:HK 16Sam Ramsay PR 17Senzokuhle Ngubane PR 18Paul Weiss LK 19Jens Listmann N8 20Carsten Lang FB 21Jan Piosik CE 22Yassin Ayachi CE 23Pascal Fischer Coach:Pablo Lemoine LP 1 Mikheil Nariashvili HK 2 Shalva Mamukashvili TP 3 Levan Chilachava LL 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (c)RL 5 Nodar Tcheishvili BF 6 Mikheil GachechiladzeOF 7 Viktor Kolelishvili N8 8 Lasha Lomidze SH 9 Gela Aprasidze FH 10Lasha KhmaladzeLW 11Alexander Todua IC 12Giorgi KveseladzeOC 13David Kacharava RW 14Anzor SitchinavaFB 15Beka TsiklauriReplacements:HK 16Badri Alkhazashvili PR 17Zurab Zhvania PR 18Anton Peikrishvili FL 19Otar Giorgadze FL 20Giorgi Tsutskiridze SH 21Vasil Lobzhanidze FH 22Lasha Malaguradze WG 23Giorgi Pruidze Coach:Milton Haig Touch judges: Mike English (Wales) Dewi Philips (Wales)
LP 1 Beñat Auzqui HK 2 Marco Pinto Ferrer TP 3 Jesús Moreno Rodríguez LL 4 David BarreraRL 5 Ilaitia Gavidi BF 6 Pierre BarthèreOF 7 Lucas Guillaume N8 8 Gautier Gibouin (c)SH 9 Guillaume Rouet FH 10Mathieu Bélie LW 11Sébastien Ascarat IC 12Dan Snee OC 13Fabien PerrinRW 14Brad LinklaterFB 15Charlie MaliéReplacements:PR 16Fernando López Pérez HK 17Juan Anaya Lazaro FL 18Anibal Bonán FL 19Thibaut Visensang SH 20Sébastien Rouet CE 21Ignacio Contardi Medina WG 22Bastien Fuster PR 23Xerom Civil Bonaventure Coach:Santiago Santos LP 1 Mihăiţă Lazăr HK 2 Andrei Rădoi TP 3 Andrei Ursache LL 4 Johan van HeerdenRL 5 Marius Antonescu BF 6 Valentin UrsacheOF 7 Mihai Macovei (c)N8 8 Stelian Burcea SH 9 Florin Surugiu FH 10Florin Vlaicu LW 11Stephen Shennan IC 12Sione Faka'osileaOC 13Paula KinikinilauRW 14Tangimana Fonovai FB 15Cătălin FercuReplacements:HK 16Eugen Căpățână PR 17Ionel Badiu PR 18Alexandru Țăruș LK 19Valentin Popârlan FL 20Andrei Gorcioaia SH 21Valentin Calafeteanu WG 22Ionuț Dumitru WG 23Jack Umaga Coach:Lynn Howells Touch judges: Vivien Praderie (France) Cyrille Le Gall (France)
Week 3
LP 1 Mikheil Nariashvili HK 2 Shalva Mamukashvili TP 3 Levan Chilachava LL 4 Giorgi Nemsadze (c)RL 5 Shalva Sutiashvili BF 6 Giorgi Tkhilaishvili OF 7 Viktor KolelishviliN8 8 Lasha Lomidze SH 9 Vasil Lobzhanidze FH 10Lasha Khmaladze LW 11Alexander ToduaIC 12Giorgi KveseladzeOC 13David Kacharava RW 14Anzor Sitchinava FB 15Soso MatiashviliReplacements:HK 16Badri Alkhazashvili PR 17Zurab Zhvania PR 18Giorgi Melikidze FL 19Otar Giorgadze FL 20Mikheil Gachechiladze SH 21Gela Aprasidze FH 22Lasha Malaguradze CE 23Giorgi Koshadze Coach:Milton Haig LP 1 Fernando López Pérez HK 2 Quentin García TP 3 Jesús Moreno Rodríguez LL 4 David González RL 5 Joshua Peters BF 6 Asier Ussáraga LatierroOF 7 Matthew FouldsN8 8 Ilaitia Gavidi SH 9 Sébastien Rouet FH 10Dan Snee (c)LW 11Silvio Casteglioni Algorriz IC 12Thibaut ÁlvarezOC 13Joan Losada GifraRW 14Javier Carrión LlorensFB 15Mathieu PeluchonReplacements:PR 16Jean-Baptiste Custoja HK 17Stephen Barnes FL 18Manuel Mora Ruiz FL 19Lionel Tauli SH 20Grégory Maiquez CE 21Iñaki Mateu Spuches WG 22Julen Goia Iriberri PR 23Alberto Blanco Alonso Coach:Santiago Santos Touch judges: Elgan Williams (Wales) Gareth John (Wales)
LP 1 Mihăiţă Lazăr HK 2 Andrei Rădoi TP 3 Alexandru Țăruș LL 4 Johan van HeerdenRL 5 Valentin Popârlan BF 6 Vlad Nistor OF 7 Andrei GorcioaiaN8 8 Stelian Burcea (c)SH 9 Valentin Calafeteanu FH 10Jack UmagaLW 11Ionuț DumitruIC 12Sione Faka'osileaOC 13Paula KinikinilauRW 14Tangimana Fonovai FB 15Cătălin FercuReplacements:HK 16Eugen Căpățână PR 17Ionel Badiu PR 18Constantin Pristăviță LK 19Marius Antonescu FL 20Kuselo Moyake SH 21Florin Surugiu WG 22Stephen Shennan FH 23Florin Vlaicu Coach:Lynn Howells LP 1 Sergey Sekisov HK 2 Valery Tsnobiladze TP 3 Innoentiy Zykov LL 4 Andrei GarbuzovRL 5 Evgeny Elgin BF 6 Viktor Gresev OF 7 Tagir GadzhievN8 8 Dmitri KrotovSH 9 Vasily Dorofeev FH 10Yuri Kushnarev (c) LW 11Evgeni Nepeivoda IC 12Dmitri GerasimovOC 13Sergey TrishinRW 14Mikhail BabaevFB 15Ramil GaisinReplacements:HK 16Nazir Gazanov PR 17Andrei Polivalov PR 18Magomed Davudov LK 19Anton Sychev N8 20Anton Rudoy SH 21Alexei Shcherban WG 22Alexey Mikhaltsov FB 23Alexander Budychenko Coach:Mark McDermott Touch judges: Luc Ramos (France) Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (France)