Day 3 - European Championship Series 

 

BelSevens

A crucial day awaits the BelSevens as they face an elite Great Britain team in the semi-finals. The BelSevens, considered underdogs, approach this match with the right mentality: every game must be played to the fullest!

The match starts intensely, and they quickly concede two tries. After halftime, the Olympic team of Great Britain accelerates and finishes the match with a score of 0-29. The Belgians need to move past this semi-final and fully prepare for the bronze medal match against Spain.

This match could be historic, as if the BelSevens manage to beat the Spanish, as they did in the first leg in Makarska, they will finish in second place in the overall European Championship standings.

The match kicks off at high speed with a very quick try from the Spanish team. The BelSevens, focused and determined, do not let themselves get unsettled and remain focused on their ultimate goal. A magnificent try by Émilie Musch reduces the score to 5-7 before halftime, promising an exciting second half... and it was.

Belgium dominates this second half. A well-structured defense and a strong desire to win the medal make the difference for the BelSevens. The match is tense and the actions go back and forth, but it is the Belgians who push the hardest. Time ticks away and the final buzzer sounds with the Belgians in possession of the ball. They make one last push, all together. The ball moves to the right with captain Cécile Blondiau charging the Spanish defense. She is stopped but manages to pass the ball to the fleet-footed Hanne Swiers, who fires off and scores a magnificent try.

Incredible!

They have beaten Spain, secured the bronze medal for the second time in this championship, and finish second in the overall European Championship standings, just behind France. Historical!

Additionally, they qualify for another year in the HSBC Challenger Series.

Here is a recap of the BelSevens' journey to bronze and silver: in the pool stage, they beat Turkey (29-0), Italy (26-0), and lost to Spain (5-27). Then in the quarter-finals, they beat Germany (17-7) but lost the semi-final to Great Britain (0-29). They finished by winning the decisive match and taking revenge against Spain (10-7). An impressive journey!

 

A great weekend for rugby sevens in Belgium!

 

MenSevens

For the MenSevens, it was also a crucial day. They were starting their final day of the championship against Georgia, the team that had beaten them two weeks ago in Makarska. There was a sense of revenge in the air.

This tournament had already been somewhat frustrating for them, and this match for 5th place was no different. It was an incredible match. Both teams scored very quickly, and after just two minutes, the score was 7-7. The actions kept coming, and the ball moved from one end to the other without interruption.

The final match buzzer sounded, but the ball remained in play. No decisive try was scored, so they moved into overtime. The additional five minutes flew by with constant action from both sides, but still no try. After the first overtime, a second one followed. By this point, they had already been playing for 19 minutes instead of 14.

Once again, no try was scored, but the actions continued from both sides. At the end of the second overtime, the Georgians obtained a penalty close to the posts. The kicker opted for a dropkick to end the match. He aimed, he kicked, he scored. The Belgians thus suffered another defeat against Georgia, losing 7-10. They would also play against Spain, but for 7th place.

With Gaspard Lalli (captain) and Jens Torfs (prop) injured, this final obstacle was not going to be easy to overcome. They dug deep within themselves and gave everything to secure a victory and finish on a high note. Unfortunately, the Spaniards proved to be more effective, fresher, and more combative.

The Belgians will therefore have to settle for another 8th place in this leg of the European Championship.

 

Day 2 - European Championship Series Leg 2

 

BelSevens

An early first match against Spain again. The kick-off at 9:30 meant meeting at the stadium as early as 8:00. The BelSevens, motivated and ready for an important day, had all recovered well after yesterday and were physically prepared.

The warm-up began under the sun and without difficulty. Next to them, the Spanish team was also preparing to seek revenge for the match for bronze played two weeks earlier in Croatia. This game promised to be tense...

A quick start with a try on each side. Then, a well-structured Spanish team ready for the challenge got the machine going and pushed to make a difference before the break. As a result, the score was 5 to 17. The second half started off fairly well, but the BelSevens couldn't break through the Spanish defense. A few small errors led to a final score of 5-27 in favor of Spain.

The most important thing is that our BelSevens finished second in their group and thus qualified well for the quarter-finals.

By finishing fourth in the overall standings, they were set to play their quarter-final against Germany. A team not to be underestimated, but nonetheless quite beatable for them.

The BelSevens tend to want to rectify the situation after a defeat, and this time was no different... A focused and very active warm-up to prepare while intimidating the opponent who was warming up right next to them. It must have worked because we quickly led 10-0 with tries scored by Émilie Musch and Pauline Gernaey.

In the second half, we controlled the game with another try from Pauline, followed by a German try in the last seconds of the match.

Our BelSevens will therefore compete in the semi-final tomorrow against Great Britain. A match that promises to be close but very interesting.

 

MenSevens

The MenSevens needed a win today to overcome their two defeats from yesterday. Croatia, a must-win game for multiple reasons, was not going to stand in their way.

The least we can say is that the men channeled all their energy and frustration into today's game as they started off fiercely against the Croatians. By halftime, the score was already 31-0. It was also during halftime that the team learned they needed a 41-point difference to qualify for the quarters.

Armed with this information, they finished what they started, ending the game with a massive score. A resounding 59-5 victory, featuring a hat trick from Gaspard Lalli and tries from Nicolas Bulte, Jens Torfs, Ryan Godsmark, and Siméon Soenen, marked the perfect way to kick off the second day of the European Championship Series in Hamburg.

The MenSevens finished 7th in the overall standings, setting up a quarter-final clash against the 2nd place team.

With their initial mission (reaching the quarter-finals) accomplished, everything else was a bonus. They were set to face Ireland for the second time in two days. The Irish team, ranked 2nd in the world, is an Olympic team and competes in the World Series—no easy feat.

They gave it their all, showing great effort and determination. A beautiful try from Gaspard Lalli and some impressive plays added some excitement to the game. They can be proud of how they defended their colors and will be back for more! The final score was 7-36 for Ireland, meaning our MenSevens will play for 5th place tomorrow against Georgia.

A second day filled with highs, laughter, and good spirits. Bring on the third and final day!

 

Day 1 - European Championship Series Leg 2

 

BelSevens

This first day of the European Championship started well. Our BelSevens faced the Turkish team in their first match of the tournament at 10 AM. A relaxed and ready-to-perform group headed to the warm-up. The weather was beautiful, the focus was there, and they motivated each other by listening to the anthem "On met la patate" by Average Rob.

After putting on their jerseys, they headed to the field. The first whistle blew, and they were off. They immediately took control of the match and quickly scored one, two, three, even four tries thanks to Cécile Blondiau (2x), Emilie Musch, and Hanne Swiers.

At halftime, the score was 24-0. They just needed to maintain control during the second half and not let go. That said, Blondiau scored a fifth try, which Margaux Stévins converted, and the match ended at 29-0, with a hat-trick by Blondiau and a clean sheet on our side.

On paper, this second match against Italy would be closer. The group rested well between the two matches and the players were back in top shape for the warm-up. Aware that they needed to be reactive from the first whistle, they put a lot of intensity into this warm-up.

The match started a bit disorganized before Belgium took control with a beautiful try by Hanne Swiers. Then, tries by Margaux Lalli and Cécile Blondiau quickly followed. They controlled the second half with an additional try by Emilie Musch to seal the match.

A beautiful day ends. Rest tonight because tomorrow at 9:30 AM, they will face Spain, a very strong team that will be at the Olympics, but whom they beat during the first leg in Croatia two weeks ago.

 

MenSevens

The MenSevens tournament began with a crucial match against Portugal, a game that was key for placement in the quarter-finals. A difficult start marked the first half, during which we struggled. Fortunately, a try from Gaspard Lalli brought the score to 7-10 in favor of Portugal.

Just after the second half began, Portugal scored two more tries. Our MenSevens thus faced a challenging task to try to come back in the match. They did not give up and gave it their all to try to turn the tide. Unfortunately, the match ended in a 21-24 defeat to Portugal.

Next, we faced the Irish. This team, which will also be at the Olympics in a month and plays in the World Series, was expected to be a formidable opponent for our Belgians. Every match has to be played, and this was evident in the MenSevens' mentality in the locker room and during the warm-up. "We have nothing to lose," "let’s surprise them," "let’s achieve something great" were phrases heard from their camp.

A very good start to the match allowed us to equalize at 7-7. Ireland then increased the pressure, bringing the score to 19-7 by the end of the first half. Barely having time to catch their breath, the Irish accelerated in the second half to ultimately win 43-7.

A tough first day for our MenSevens, though against Portugal they came close to winning, and against Ireland they still showed some promising moments.

On Saturday, June 29 at 9:30 AM, our BelSevens will face Spain, while our MenSevens will play again at 1:06 PM against Croatia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The BelSevens and MenSevens will be in Hamburg from June 28 to 30 to compete in the second leg of the European Championship.

WOMEN
Our BelSevens finished third in the first leg, which took place in Croatia at the beginning of June, notably beating Spain. Buoyed by this excellent result, they will head to Germany with high ambitions. They will face Turkey, Italy, and Spain again in pool matches, with the clear objective of reaching the podium again! 

>>>Program – results – ranking

MEN
Our MenSevens, on the other hand, finished eighth after a somewhat disappointing tournament. After winning the three pool matches, they lost in the quarterfinals against a very strong Georgian team. In this second and final leg in Germany, they will seek to take their revenge. They will face Portugal, Ireland, and Croatia and will try to win a medal.

>>>Program – results – ranking

In Hamburg, our two teams will not only play for the European Championship title but also for a place in the Challenger Series, which brings together the teams ranked 12th to 24th in the world rugby Sevens rankings.

Here are the selections for the two teams:

BelSevens:
1. Margaux LALLI
2. Margaux STEVINS
3. Emilie MUSCH
4. Cécile BLONDIAU (C)
5. Nele PIEN
6. Pauline GERNAEY
7. Abigael BOKONDA
8. Shari CLAES
9. Hanne SWIERS
10. Noémie VAN DE POELE
11. Louka BLOMMAERT
12. Ambre COLLET

MenSevens:
1. Hugues BASTIN
2. Julien BERGER
3. Timothée DEVOS
4. Nicolas BULTE
5. Ryan GODSMARK
6. Gaspard LALLI
7. Rayane LEDUC
8. Martin MARENNE
9. Tornike MEGRELIDZE
10. Timothé RIFON
11. Siméon SOENEN
12. Jens TORFS
13. Michael VANLIERDE

Every game will be broadcasted live on the Rugby Europe website (link above). 

Belgium Rugby

The BelSevens took the bronze medal after a solid tournament in Makarska, Croatia, while the MenSevens landed in 8th place.

The BelSevens had just returned from an intense World Series tournament in Madrid when they gathered again at Brussels Airport to leave for Makarska, Croatia. The MenSevens, on the other hand, were heading towards their first big challenge with new head coach Jeff Williams.

The BelSevens found themselves in Pool B with Spain, Germany, and Ukraine. After beating Germany and Ukraine fairly easily, the BelSevens faced a solid Spanish team. A very tight game resulted in a 14-10 score in favor of Spain, leaving Belgium second in Pool B.
A very focused and energetic Belgian side defeated Great Britain in the quarter-finals before facing their French neighbors for a spot in the final. After a tough first half, being down 5-14, they managed to regroup in the second half and came very close in the end. The French went on to lose the final against Poland, while the BelSevens redeemed themselves against Spain in the game for bronze. This was a very good reaction from the BelSevens after the disappointing result in Madrid one week prior.

The MenSevens, on the other hand, cruised flawlessly through the pool stage by beating Lithuania, Spain, and Great Britain. Three tight games, but always in their favor, made them first in Pool C, which meant playing Georgia in the quarter-finals. A very tough Georgian side got the best of them, and the game ended 7 to 12. With that loss, their shot at a medal slipped away.

Losses against Portugal and Great Britain in the qualifying games resulted in an 8th place finish. It was a disappointing result for a team with much more potential.

 

Both teams will get a chance to go for gold again in Hamburg for the second leg of the Championship Series from June 28th to June 30th. The top three teams will secure a spot for the 2025 Challenger Series, which will be the goal for both of our teams.

 

‼️ New coaching staff ‼️

Belgium rugby, Ligue belge francophone de rugby and Rugby Vlaanderen are very happy to announce that since the 1st October 2019, Romain Huet and Jérémy Aicardi have joined our 7s coaching staff.

The boys just won the first leg of the Men 7s Trophy in Zagreb!!