Radio Romania International Sports Club
Rugby
Steliu Lambru, 06.03.2024, 17:08
The 2024 edition of Europe’s second-tier rugby competition, second only to Six Nations and known as Rugby Europe Championship, will soon be drawing to a close. Taking the start for the 2024 edition of the event were eight teams, distributed according to two groups. Included in Group A have been Georgia, Spain, The Low Countries and Germany. Group B teams were Portugal, Romania, Belgium and Poland. With 14 points, Georgia emerged as the winner of Group A. It was followed by Spain, with 9 points,The Low Countries, with 6 and Germany, with zero points on their record sheet. Portugal was at the top of the table in Group B, with 11 points. Romanian was the runner-up team, with 9 points. Third and fourth placed were Belgium and Poland, with 9 and zero points, respectively.
The only surprise was provided by Belgium winning the game against Portugal in Group B, 10-6. Advancing to the competition’s semi-finals were Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania, while competing for the 5th to 8th-places were the other four teams. In the semifinals, Georgia took on Romania, while Portugal played Spain.
In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, Georgia trounced Romania, 43-5, 10-nil at half time. Scoring for Romania was center Fonivai Tangimana, through a successful try. In the Portuguese capital Lisbon, Portugal defeated Spain, 33-30, 13-20 at half time. In the play-out fixtures, The Low Countries thrashed Spain, 54-7, while Germany outclassed Belgium, 21-11.
All four final confrontations are scheduled on March 17 and will be hosted by the Jean-Bouin stadium in Paris. Competing for the 7th and 8th positions are Poland and Belgium, while The Low Countries will play Germany for the 5th and the 6th positions. Fighting for the bronze medal will be Romania and Spain, while Georgia will play Portugal in the final. The 3rd-place final and the great final are re-enactments of the confrontations as part of Rugby Europe Championship’s 2023 edition.
