Rugby Europe Championship 2025

Rugby Europe has outlined the qualification process for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, expanding the tournament to 24 teams. Four European teams will automatically qualify via the 2025 Rugby Europe Championship (REC), with the fifth-place team entering the World Rugby Repechage in November 2025.

Eight nations are devided in two pools based on the standings of last year's REC.

Pool A: Georgia, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland
Pool B: Portugal, Romania, Belgium, Germany

Tournament Format REC 2025:

Pool Stage: Three weekends in February, with each team playing five matches.
Play-offs and Finals: Semifinals on March 1-2, followed by final matches on March 16 to determine rankings from 1st to 8th place.

 

Pool B schedule:

31/01-1/02

Romania - Germany
Portugal - Belgium

8/02-9/02

Belgium - Romania (Stade Tondreau, Mons)
Portugal - Germany

15/02-16/02

Romania - Portugal
Germany - Belgium (Kassel, Germany)

 

Globally, 12 of 24 World Cup spots have been claimed already (top three teams from each pool in RWC France 2023). The remaining 12 teams will be decided through qualifiers:

Europe (4): REC 2025 top 4
Africa (1): Rugby Africa Cup 2025 champion
Asia (1): Asia Rugby Championship 2025 winner
South America (1): Sudamérica Rugby Championship 2025 winner
Pacific (3): Top 3 from the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (excluding already qualified Fiji and Japan)
Play-off (1): South America vs. Pacific qualifier
Repechage (1): Winner

All matches will be streamed live on www.rugbyeurope.tv.

BLACK DEVILS - SWITZERLAND

On November 2nd, the Black Devils take on Switzerland in a friendly game. This match is crucial in preparing for the REC 2025, which will serve as a qualifying tournament for the World Cup. Our Black Devils will face Portugal, Romania at home on February 8th, and Germany. To secure a spot in the 2027 World Cup, they will need to finish first or second in their group, meaning they must win at least 2 out of 3 matches. If successful, they will go to Australia to play in the very first World Cup in Belgian rugby history.

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Le 2 novembre, les Black Devils affrontent la Suisse dans un match amical. Ce match est crucial pour se préparer au REC 2025, qui servira de tournoi de qualification pour la Coupe du Monde. Nos Black Devils affronteront le Portugal, la Roumanie à domicile le 8 février, et l'Allemagne. Pour décrocher une place pour la Coupe du Monde 2027, ils devront terminer premiers ou deuxièmes de leur groupe, c'est-à-dire remporter au moins 2 matchs sur 3. En cas de succès, ils iront en Australie pour disputer la toute première Coupe du Monde de l'histoire du rugby belge.

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Op 2 november nemen de Black Devils het op tegen Zwitserland in een vriendschappelijke wedstrijd. Deze wedstrijd is cruciaal ter voorbereiding op de REC 2025, die zal dienen als kwalificatietoernooi voor de Wereldbeker. Onze Black Devils zullen het opnemen tegen Portugal, Roemenië thuis op 8 februari, en Duitsland. Om een plaats in het WK 2027 te bemachtigen, moeten ze als eerste of tweede eindigen in hun poule, wat betekent dat ze minstens 2 van de 3 wedstrijden moeten winnen. Bij succes gaan ze naar Australië om deel te nemen aan het allereerste Wereldkampioenschap in de geschiedenis van het Belgische rugby.

 

"This first experience in South America was very intense and very energy-consuming, but above all, it was very rich in rugby lessons and revealing of the group's mindset.

We faced teams of very high level (including one that played in the World Cup), which allowed us to judge that we have the potential to be among the 24 teams of the 2027 World Cup, but also highlighted all the work we still have to accomplish to be physically at our best in order to be more consistent for 80 minutes and avoid the lapses that were fatal to us against Chile and Brazil."

"... The group has learned a lot, not only on a technical and tactical level but also on a mental level. The travel and the intensity of the matches and training sessions have forged a cohesion that will be invaluable for the future."

"... Following the REC 2024, it allowed us to evolve our game plan, to build it with the players by taking time to exchange ideas with them over 3 weeks. It also allowed us to identify our strengths and weaknesses, thus guiding our work for the coming months, both for the players and the staff. We now know what we absolutely need to improve, and we will continue to work hard to be ready in 2025."

"... There is a real motivation in the team to continue on this path and to prepare in the best possible way for the upcoming challenges. The commitment I have seen from the players and the staff during this tour gives me a lot of hope for the future."

Laurent Dossat

 

Our Black Devils left for their 2024 Summer Camp in Latin America.

A group of 35 players left on Sunday 7th of July to Chile where the first part of their training camp will take place. This camp will be a first preparation for what's to come in late 2024 and early 2025 with the REC'25 beginning of February. 

The Black Devils will end their week in Chile with a game against the national team on the 13th of July. Their trip will continue to Paraguay with a game there on the 20th of July and it will end in Brasil. They will play a final friendly game on the 27th before heading back the 28th. 

 

The games will be streamed on RugbyPass TV. 

 

Buy your tickets here

 

Buy your tickets here

 

Here is our squad for the game against Hong Kong.

As always, we want to invite to next generation of rugby players to this high level game of rugby in Belgium.

So we are giving free entrance for all the kids under 12 !

Don't miss this chance and secure your spot for this game HERE

Buy your tickets right now here