Final Autumn test shows demand for 15s

Well over 100 countries now play international women's rugby on a regular basis - two new national teams (Turks & Caicos and Curacao) joined the fold only last weekend. The remarkable rate of growth and international spread of the women's game is something that the IRB and national unions can be hugely and justifiably proud.

Most of this growth has been in sevens, with barely a quarter of all active unions fielding a fifteens team alongside their sevens squad. As a result the impression is often given that sevens is the preferred format for women's rugby - that the traditional fifteen-a-side game is a minority pursuit favoured only by traditional rugby nations.

However this weekend's test match is a strong indication that this is not the case. The Centre sportif de Colovray in Nyon in Switzerland will host Switzerland women's test match against the Czech Republic, and is a return fixture after the two teams played theirfirst test matchfor the "Konektor Cup" in Prague in June.

Neither is a "traditional" rugby nation, and the Czech Republic in particular have a strong background in sevens. However, pressure from players has ensured that the international game in the two countries has expanded beyond the shorter form of the game. The highly successful Prague test ensured not only this repeat fixture, but will also see both countries competing in a revived second tier of the annual FIRA European fifteens championship next year.

Fifteens is far more common that the international game would suggest. Countries, such as Portugal, which play exclusively sevens internationally often have club fifteens tournaments, while others - including many in South America - have expressed an aim of playing test rugby.

Sevens has many practical advantages - from the obvious requirement for fewer players, to the financial incentives that come with Olympic status. But when given the opportunity - as Switzerland and the Czech Republic will show on Saturday - a great many players see fifteens rugby as the real test.

As for Saturday's game, Switzerland showed the benefit of more experience of the fifteens game in June's Prague test, which was their fourth, but (for the Czech squad at least) the home team's first. While both nations are evenly matched at sevens, the Swiss took the test by 27-15 and - given the extra advantage of home soil - can be expected to win again. What will be interesting to see is how far the Czech have closed the gap. They now have a domestic fifteens competition and thirty-one players attended their training camp in Brno Bystrc last weekend, ensuring a good practice before the final selection.

Switzerland v Czech Republic, Nyon, 16th November, 1pm (CET).

Switzerland:1 Katja Dick,  2 Aida Stamm, 3 Angela Diener, 4 Cynthia Munstermann, 5 Anuschka Buob, 6 Sarah McNamara, 7 Carolin Reischauer, 8 Judith Martinot-Prébandier (C), 9 Muriel Henderson-Kehl, 10 Esther Duss, 11 Selina Fux, 12 Rahel Bosshardt, 13 Simone Haymoz, 14 Carole Casparis, 15 Christa Herrmann

Replacements:16 Kirstin Aebischer, 17 Rebecca Ellis, 18 Mirjam Sax, 19 Léonie Robert, 20 Lea Stohm, 21 Patricia Cartier, 22 Sabrina Walti, 23 Anita Gander

Czech Republic ("The Ladybugs“):1 Květa Kottková, (RC Slavia), 2 Dominika Havelková, (RC Přelouč), 3 Petra Morávková, (RK Petrovice), 4 Lucie Svobodová, (RK Petrovice), 5 Vendy Menoušková, (RC Zlín), 6 Věra Samková, (RC Sparta), 7 Klára Hladilová, (RC Sparta), 8 Katka Vrbacká, (RC Vyškov), 9 Kamila Rousová, (RC Dragon Brno) (Capt), 10 Martina Hlaváčová, (RC Tatra), 11 Eva Korniová, (RC Dragon Brno), 12 Alexandra Marie Zítková, (RC Dragon Brno), 13 Pavlína Čuprová, (RC Vyškov), 14 Ester Charvátová, (RC Sparta), 15 Šárka Šimánková, (RC Sparta).

Replacements:16 Zuzana Skokanová, (RC Vyškov), 17 Veronika Trnková, (RC Vyškov), 18 Karolina Filsáková, (RC Havířov), 19 Míša Blažková, (RK Petrovice), 20 Hanka Erika Radochová, (RK Petrovice), 21 Kateřina Kulová, (RC Sparta), 22 Dominika Dohnalová, (RC Havířov), 23 Nina Koubová, (RC Sparta)

Head Coach Richard KrütznerAssistant Vlastimil BažantPhysiotherapist Iveta PokornáManager Martin Charvat