Swiss Rugby Finals Day 2023
This week-end, the Suisse Rugby family gathered in Yverdon-les-Bains for the 2nd consecutive year to play the 2023 Suisse Rugby Championships Finals.
The Suisse Rugby XV's competitions 2022-2023 season is over now ! This week-end, the 2023 Finals were played in 8 categories, and 9 champions were consecrated. The 2023 edition of the SUISSE RUGBY FINALS DAY - held for yhe 2nd time in Yverdon-les-Bain - was yet another great & popular success. 1800 spectators joined the event to showcase what Rugby in Switzerland has to offer.
All results:
- U16 - PAC Genevois 27 - 17 ER Lausanne
- U19 - Zug RC 15 - 19 ER Lausanne
- LNFB - Switzers Rugby 31 - 23 Salamanders
- Exc A - GC Zurich 2 25 - 22 LUC Zurich 2
- LNC - Neuchâtel SRC 18 - 10 RC Wurenlos
- LND - Rugby TV Thun 18 - 14 AS Morges
- LNFA - Luzern Dangels 12 - 05 Mermigans
- LNA - GC Zurich 29 - 25 RC Yverdon
The games in the main stadium where kicked-off with the U19 final between ER Lausanne and Zug RC (the defending champion). After an undefested season, it was ER Lausanne who won the match 19-14 and the team was crowned 2023 champion. Played on the main picth at Stade Municipal in front of a large and very supportive crowd, both teams offered a great match of rugby demonstrating skills, commitment and character. No wonder the Swiss U18 and U20 national team are both qualified for the next European Championships in October. Lucas Schmid (ER Lausanne) was elected MVP of the game by the Swiss U18 coaching staff.
The next game on the main pitch was the LNFA final between the Mermigans and the Lucerne Dangels (defending champions). Both teams fought toe to toe for 80 minutes and the score was still tied at 5-5 until the last seconds of the game, when Lucerne finally scored the winning try to keep their title and win the 2023 Swiss LNFA championship. The Mermigans were a great contender, but it was Sarah McNamara (Lucerne) who left the pitch with the MVP trophy handed over by the Ali Nouri, one of the Swiss Women’s national team coaches.
The day was concluded with a very tight match between the two leading LNA teams during the regular season. RC Yverdon was back in the final to defend its title in front of a home crowd, and faced GC Zurich who led the LNA throughout the season with 13 wins and only 1 loss. In a very intense game, Yverdon contested the win all the way up to the final minutes. But after the referee blew the whistle at full time, it was GC Zurich leaving the pitch as LNA champions - resulting in a "Grand Slam" as they also won the Excellence A title a few hours before. Yverdon had a great game and Jonathan Dallet (RC Yverdon) was designated by Mathieu Guyou, coach of the Swiss XV's team, as the winner of the 2023 Eric Melville Trophy for the most combative player.
A very warm thank you to Vincent Piguet, President of RC Yverdon and to his whole Organisation Committee (and in particular to Michel Maillard), for hosting such an amazing Rugby event.