European Championship preview

We are nearing the final line up for next year’s World Cup. From Europe England, Ireland and France qualified automatically for the World Cup due to their placing in the 2014 tournament, and then Wales and Italy qualified as the next best two teams in the Six Nations (2015 and 2016 results combined).

In Madrid this week Europe’s test teams from outside the Six Nations will now compete for the right to play Scotland for the continent’s final place in next summer’s tournament (the “fairness” of allocating most of Europe’s places to a “private” tournament was raised by Spanish vice-captain Isabel Ricowhen we interviewed herlast week).

The vehicle being used – the European Championship – is actually women’s rugby’s oldest international tournament, dating back to 1988. From 2000 to 2008 this was played every four years, with all of Europe’s unions sending their strongest teams. In 2008 15 teams took part, in two divisions. However, by 2012 it had fallen into a sad decline (coinciding with, or caused by, the rise of sevens), with only eight entries including only England, France and Italy from the Six Nations.

The assumption was that the 2012 tournament would be the last – but Rugby Europe have revived the brand and this week’s tournament will include almost all active European test teams from outside the Six Nations. The only exception is Germany, whose XVs revival came too late for inclusion. Sweden – who made the finals in 2010 - have not entered

So from this Wednesday we will see Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Russia competing for what promises to be a fascinating tournament, not least because European test rugby outside of the Six Nations is now so rare. Despite their attempts to organise games, Spain have played only two tests since 2014, the same as the Netherlands, whowon the European Trophy in 2014but did not play last year. The other four teams have been slightly more active, but altogether there have been barely more than a dozen tests in Europe since the last World Cup.

Despite their inactivity,Spainand theNetherlandsstart as clear favourites. Spain include almost all of Rio sevens team (plus several players who did not make the cut) making it far stronger than the side that playedHong KongandScotlandlast year, and the Dutch side is full of familiar names from their sevens squad What is more, the Dutch recentlybeat the British Army– a team that has more than held its own against Scotland in recent years. Both countries also have very active domestic leagues– almost certainly the strongest outside those of the Six Nations - based around fifteens rugby, giving them a good pool of active players to choose from.

The team most capable of preventing this final is Belgium. Runners-up in the 2014 European Trophy to the Netherlands, they were clear winners in the Dutch absencelast year. The Belgians also benefit from a strong domestic 15s tradition, and also have several players from the French Top 8 available.

Switzerland, finalists in last year’s Trophy, and Russia would also seem to offer an outside threat, though the Swiss inexperience (and relatively small pool of players) and the Russian domestic concentration on sevens would seem to limit the damage they might inflict on the favourites.

TheCzech Republic, who are still looking for their first test win, look like being the outsiders.

The six teams have been divided into two pools and the seeding for that has been interesting, as Rugby Europe have ignored world rankings and instead used the results of the last European Trophy. Thus Belgium are the top seed, Switzerland second, Russia third and the Czech Republic fourth. Spain are then only the fifth seed, and the Netherlands sixth. Fortunately this has kept the Dutch and Spanish apart, as they start as favourites, and also gives these two teams an extra few days rest before the final (should they both qualify).

Fixtures

Pool A:6 October: Belgium v Spain (5pm local)9 October: Czech Republic v Spain (1.30pm)12 October: Belgium v Czech Republic (11.30am)

Pool B:6 October: Switzerland v Netherlands (3pm local)9 October: Russia v Netherlands (11.30am)12 October: Switzerland v Russia (1.30pm)

15 October: Play-offs and final.

One final element to highlight about this tournament is (play-off with Scotland aside) the lack of any follow-up. For five teams - regardless of how well they play - there will be nothing on their fixture lists after this tournament until at least next year's European Trophy (if there is one, and if they are able to enter). This must be a concern. Regardless of how much promise these teams will show, and how dedicated the players are, with no reliable, predictable plan for regular fixtures it is very hard to see how European test rugby outside the Six Nations can develop as it will remain unattractive to sponsors and administrators alike. The entry list for the 2017 World Cup is the thinest since it ceased to be a purely invitational event. If it is not to become thinner yet in 2021 - indeed if there is to be a World Cup in 2021 and the competiton is not to follow the fate of the Europen Championship - then something needs to be done.

Squads

Belgium:Ilham Bahri (Boitsfort); Esther Beeckman (Dendermondse); Julie Bijnens (Boitsfort); Laura Bosman (Dendermondse); Amandine Briquet (RC Soignies); Philippine Crespin (RC La Hulpe); Ciska De Grave (Lille); Anoush De Vos (Dendermondse); Carmen Dedonder (Dendermondse); Maite Demarbre (RC Soignies); Sytske D'haeseleir (Lille); Lotte Heemeryck (Dendermondse); Margaux Lalli (Lille); Lauranne Lecloux (Boitsfort); Alison Lenaerts (Boitsfort); Stephanie Lepage (Boitsfort); Naomy Maupertuis (RC La Hulpe); Emilie Musch (Boitsfort); Nele Pien (Dendermonde); Laura Rowies (Boitsfort); Marie Rutsaert (RC Leuven); Britte Seghers (Mechelen); Heloise Stevins (Boitsfort); Margaux Stevins (Boitsfort); Alicia Torre (Coq Mosan); Sarah Verzin (Boitsfort);

Czech Republic

Netherlands

Russia:Ekaterina Bankerova (Krasnyj Jar); Julia Guzeva (Krasnyj Jar); Natalia Bezrukih (Krasnyj Jar); Aleksandra Buzunova (Krasnyj Jar); Ekaterina Kazakova (Krasnyj Jar); Snežanna Kulkova (Krasnyj Jar); Marija Pikalova (Krasnyj Jar); Polina Teslenko (Krasnyj Jar); Irina Trapeznikova (Krasnyj Jar); Ekaterina Šulbaeva (Krasnyj Jar); Natalia Ŝukina (Krasnyj Jar); Evgenija Aplesneva (Enisej-STM); Aleksandra Kerženceva (Enisej-STM); Anna Minislamova (Enisej-STM); Evgenija Steblinskaja (Enisej-STM); Alena Mihal’cova (Enisej-STM); Anna Gavriljuk (RGUTIS-Podmoskov’e); Julija Ledovskaja (RGUTIS-Podmoskov’e); Kristina Seredina (RGUTIS-Podmoskov’e); Anna Haŝina (RGUTIS-Podmoskov’e); Ašura Ahmedova (sbornaja Dagestana); Elena Šornikova (sbornaja Dagestana); Marija Birjukova (CSP-Krylatskoe); Larisa Vasilevskaja (CSP-Krylatskoe); Tatiana Berlizova (CSP №4); Nadežda Kudinova (CSP №4)

Spain

Switzerland