2023 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series

The 2023 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series was the twenty-first edition of the continental championship for rugby sevens in Europe. The series took place over two legs, the first at Algarve in Portugal and the second at Hamburg in Germany. Ireland won the first leg of the tournament defeating Georgia in the Algarve final, 19–10.[1] Ireland earned a third place finish at the Hamburg event, thereby clinching the Rugby Europe Sevens Championship.[2]

2023 Rugby Europe Sevens
Series XXI
Hosts
Date9 June – 9 July 2023
Nations12
Final positions
Champions Ireland
Runners-up France
Third Spain
Team changes
Relegated Romania
 Czech Republic
2022
2024

Teams

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The current list of teams confirmed to be participating in the Sevens Championship Series.

Poland, were relegated to the 2023 Trophy tournament after finishing last in the previous year's Championship tournament.

Participating teams increased from ten to twelve teams for this year's tournament. This enabled three groups of four teams as opposed to the two groups of five teams that participated in the 2022 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series. Both Ireland and England were promoted from the 2022 Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy. However, Great Britain replaced England in the tournament following World Rugby's mandate of Olympic teams competing on the World Rugby Sevens Series from 2023 to 2024 season and the decision by the rugby authorities of England, Scotland, and Wales to merge and compete as Great Britain in advance of the 2024 Olympic games. Romania who finished fourth behind Wales in the 2022 Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy benefited from the three British teams merging by taking up the final position in the tournament.[3][4][5]

Schedule

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The official schedule for the 2023 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series is:[6]

2023 Series schedule
Leg Stadium City Dates Winners Runners-up Third place
Portugal Complexo Desportivo de
Vila Real de Santo António
Algarve 9–11 June   Ireland   Georgia   France
Germany Sports Park Steinwiesenweg Hamburg 7–9 July   Spain   France   Ireland

Standings

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2023 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship
 
Pos
Event 
Team
 
Algarve
 
Hamburg
Points
total
1   Ireland 20 16 36
2   France 16 18 34
3   Spain 10 20 30
4   Great Britain 14 14 28
5   Portugal * 12 10 22
6   Georgia * 18 4 22
7   Germany 8 12 20
8   Italy 6 8 14
9   Belgium 4 6 10
10   Lithuania * 3 2 5
11   Romania * 2 3 5
12   Czech Republic 1 1 2
Legend
Blue fill Entry to World Challenger Series
Dark bar Already a core team for the 2023–24 World Rugby Sevens Series
Red fill Relegated to 2024 European Trophy

Notes:

^* As per Rugby Europe rules, Lithuania was placed higher than Romania due to a better points difference for the series. Portugal was placed higher than Georgia due to a better points difference for the series.

First leg – Algarve

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Pool stage

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Pool A

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Spain 3 3 0 0 100 24 76 9
  Portugal 3 2 0 1 95 24 71 7
  Lithuania 3 1 0 2 31 72 –41 5
  Czech Republic 3 0 0 3 10 116 –106 3
Spain  43–0  Czech Republic
Portugal  29–0  Lithuania
Spain  38–7  Lithuania
Spain  19–17  Portugal

Pool B

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Germany 3 3 0 0 64 26 38 9
  Italy 3 2 0 1 48 33 15 7
  Georgia 3 1 0 2 45 50 –5 5
  Romania 3 0 0 3 26 74 –48 3
Germany  26–12  Romania
Italy  17–14  Georgia
Germany  26–7  Georgia
Italy  24–7  Romania
Georgia  24–7  Romania
Germany  12–7  Italy

Pool C

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Ireland 3 3 0 0 77 21 56 9
  France 3 2 0 1 41 60 –19 7
  Great Britain 3 1 0 2 40 36 4 5
  Belgium 3 0 0 3 26 67 –41 3
France  17–14  Great Britain
Belgium  7–31  Ireland
France  7–34  Ireland
Great Britain  19–7  Belgium
France  17–12  Belgium
Ireland  12–7  Great Britain

Knockout stage

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9th Place

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Semi-finalsNinth place
 
      
 
 
 
  Lithuania41
 
 
  Czech Republic14
 
  Lithuania5
 
 
  Belgium26
 
  Belgium45
 
 
  Romania7
 
Eleventh place
 
 
 
 
  Czech Republic14
 
 
  Romania26

5th Place

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Semi-finalsFifth place
 
      
 
 
 
  Spain38
 
 
  Italy21
 
  Spain12
 
 
  Portugal17
 
  Germany19
 
 
  Portugal21
 
Seventh place
 
 
 
 
  Italy12
 
 
  Germany17
 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
 
 
  Spain12
 
 
  Georgia24
 
  Georgia14
 
 
  France7
 
  Italy7
 
 
  France24
 
  Georgia10
 
 
  Ireland19
 
  Germany12
 
 
  Great Britain22
 
  Great Britain14
 
 
  Ireland17 Third place
 
  Ireland29
 
 
  Portugal10
 
  France21
 
 
  Great Britain14
 

Second leg – Hamburg

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Pool stage

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Pool A

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Germany 3 2 0 1 84 28 56 7
  Spain 3 2 0 1 90 38 52 7
  Ireland 3 2 0 1 62 34 28 7
  Czech Republic 3 0 0 3 0 136 –136 3
7 July 2023
14:35 UTC
Ireland  50–0  Czech Republic
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
7 July 2023
14:57 UTC
Spain  28–26  Germany
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
10:40 UTC
Spain  52–0  Czech Republic
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
11:02 UTC
Ireland  0–24  Germany
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
13:56 UTC
Ireland  12–10  Spain
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
14:18 UTC
Germany  34–0  Czech Republic
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg

Pool B

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Portugal 3 2 0 1 71 45 26 7
  Italy 3 2 0 1 87 64 23 7
  Georgia 3 1 1 1 55 52 3 6
  Romania 3 0 1 2 38 90 –52 4
7 JUly 2023
13:51 UTC
Georgia  19–19  Romania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
7 July 2023
14:13 UTC
Portugal  33–21  Italy
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
09:56 UTC
Georgia  17–21  Italy
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
10:18 UTC
Portugal  26–5  Romania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
13:12 UTC
Italy  45–14  Romania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
13:34 UTC
Georgia  19–12  Portugal
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg

Pool C

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Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
  Belgium 3 2 0 1 64 36 28 7
  France 3 2 0 1 72 44 28 7
  Great Britain 3 2 0 1 43 41 2 7
  Lithuania 3 0 0 3 17 75 –58 3
7 July 2023
13:07 UTC
France  38–10  Lithuania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
7 July 2023
13:29 UTC
Great Britain  14–22  Belgium
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
09:12 UTC
France  22–15  Belgium
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
09:34 UTC
Great Britain  10–7  Lithuania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
12:28 UTC
Belgium  27–0  Lithuania
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg
8 July 2023
12:50 UTC
France  12–19  Great Britain
Sports Park Steinwiesenweg

Knockout stage

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9th Place

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Semi-finalsNinth place
 
      
 
8 July 2023 16:18 UTC
 
 
  Georgia14
 
9 July 2023 11:12 UTC
 
  Czech Republic7
 
  Georgia17
 
8 July 2023 16:40 UTC
 
  Romania12
 
  Romania20
 
 
  Lithuania0
 
Eleventh place
 
 
9 July 2023 10:50 UTC
 
 
  Czech Republic19
 
 
  Lithuania24

5th Place

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Semi-finalsFifth place
 
      
 
9 July 2023 09:22 UTC
 
 
  Germany31
 
9 July 2023 12:50 UTC
 
  Italy5
 
  Germany26
 
9 July 2023 09:44 UTC
 
  Portugal12
 
  Portugal28
 
 
  Belgium10
 
Seventh place
 
 
9 July 2023 12:28 UTC
 
 
  Italy28
 
 
  Belgium0
 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
8 July 2023 17:02 UTC
 
 
  Germany19
 
9 July 2023 10:06 UTC
 
  Great Britain21
 
  Great Britain7
 
8 July 2023 18:08 UTC
 
  France33
 
  Italy7
 
9 July 2023 14:47 UTC
 
  France33
 
  France19
 
8 July 17:24 UTC
 
  Spain21
 
  Portugal12
 
9 July 2023 10:28 UTC
 
  Ireland19
 
  Ireland19
 
8 July 2023 17:46 UTC
 
  Spain24Third place
 
  Belgium0
 
9 July 2023 13:47 UTC
 
  Spain19
 
  Great Britain7
 
 
  Ireland12
 
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References

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  1. ^ "Ireland Men ramp up for Olympic qualifier by winning Rugby Europe Championship 7s". the42. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Ireland Men Finish Season As Rugby Europe Sevens Champions". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  3. ^ Heagney, Liam (20 July 2022). "World Rugby statement: England, Scotland and Wales' GB 7s decision". RugbyPass. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. ^ Shepard, Kit (20 July 2022). "Great Britain to join World Sevens Series". Rugby World. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. ^ Joyce, Jasmine (20 July 2022). "Great Britain Model Announced for 2023 World Sevens Series". Team GB. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Algarve and Hamburg to host 7s Championship this summer". Rugby Europe. Retrieved 2023-04-26.