Chasing records: Switzerland wins the Rugby Europe Men's Trophy and secures promotion to Europe's second-highest division
After a clear victory for Switzerland against Ukraine in front of 2,000 spectators, the Edelweiss men's team wins the Rugby Europe Men's Trophy and secures promotion to the next higher division. Qualification for the World Cup in Australia in three years is therefore no longer wishful thinking and is now within reach.
Rugby Europe Men's Trophy
Zurich, 13 April 2024 - Last Saturday, for the second time in the history of Swiss rugby, the Utogrund Stadium hosted a top match in the Rugby Europe Men's Trophy 2023/2024 - a European rugby league in which the national teams of Sweden, Lithuania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine compete with Switzerland - as part of SUISSE RUGBY DAY. In front of an enthusiastic 2,000 spectators, the Swiss Edelweiss men's team asserted its role as favorites with an outstanding 68:0 victory over Ukraine and emerged as the overall winners of the Rugby Europe Men's Trophy. The team led by coaches Olivier Nier, Matthieu Guyou-Kreis, and Simon Dupuy will once again claim the "Grand Slam" for the 2023/24 season after winning nine matches in a row. The team's promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship - the highest European division after the famous "Six Nations" tournament, a closed competition in which England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Italy play for supremacy in European rugby - goes hand in hand with the top spot in the table. In the 50-year history of Swiss rugby union, this is an unprecedented success story and a historic milestone, as promotion offers the opportunity to qualify for the next World Cup in Australia in 2027.
"A dream has come true for us and the hard work of recent years has finally paid off. With the promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship league, we have managed to capitalize on a new opportunity: for the first time in the history of Swiss rugby, a team has the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup," explains Cyril Lin, long-time captain of the team and record holder with more than 40 appearances for the Swiss national team. "I'm incredibly proud of my team's performance - the hard work has finally paid off!" added the 39-year-old player from Rugby Club Nyon after his 49th selection for Switzerland.
Switzerland will compete against Spain, the Netherlands, and Georgia in the Rugby Europe Championship next season. The Georgian "Lelos" are ranked 13th in the world rugby rankings and have already gained repeated World Cup experience in recent years. Switzerland will play its first match in this competition in Tbilisi in February 2025.
A special thanks for a great organization to the local clubs Zurich Rugby Academy, Zurich Rugby Union, and GC Zurich.