Rugby Europe

Rugby Europe
Founded	1934
Place of foundation	Paris
president	Octavian Morariu
Chairman	Jean-Louis Barthes
Members	49 national associations
Homepage	www.rugbyeurope.eu

The association Rugby Europe is the European continental federation for Rugby Union . It is one of the six continental federations of the world rugby association World Rugby and comprises a total of 49 national federations of individual countries.

Rugby Europe was founded in 1934 at the instigation of France as Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) after it was excluded from the Five Nations tournament . Since 1999 the name FIRA has neither been regarded as an abbreviation nor dissolved accordingly. Instead, it received the addition of AER (French Association Européenne de Rugby or English Association of European Rugby ). The restrictive part of the name amateur was no longer applicable since the accession of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, because rugby union in these countrieswas already professionally operated - at least in the upper divisions and the national teams. In 2014 the name was completely changed and modernized, since then the association has operated under the name "Rugby Europe".

development

prehistory

From 1910, France was allowed to participate in the regular game traffic of the four British regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland: the previous annual Home Championship (or the Four Nations Tournament ) was expanded to become the Five Nations Tournament , which was considered the unofficial European rugby championship.

According to the British, who founded the International Rugby Football Board in 1886/90 to standardize and monitor the rules , the French federation was not consistent enough in complying with all amateur regulations. France did not respond to several warnings to their satisfaction, and so from 1932 they excluded it from the tournament.

Careful not to lose touch with the international level and to keep up a corresponding international match traffic, France was looking for new partners. After playing against Germany at least once a year since 1927, it found open ears here with the proposal to found an international association.

The FIRA until World War II

After a preparatory meeting on September 4, 1933 in Turin, the founding meetings took place on January 2, 1934 in Paris and on March 24 of that year in Hanover. Founding members were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Catalonia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Spain. On June 10, the official publication of the foundation took place in the Official Gazette of the French Republic.

At first, the international match traffic between the members actually expanded. There were even attempts at a championship: several tournaments were held - in May 1936 an Olympic four-nation tournament in Berlin, in October 1937 a world exhibition tournament in Paris and in May 1938 still a three-nation tournament in Bucharest. The strongest force on the mainland was France, followed by a clear margin by Germany.

But setbacks soon followed: the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) prevented Spain and its autonomous region of Catalonia from participating again. Their self -government was eliminated after the war by the Franco dictatorship and the association dissolved. Six months later the Second World War began , and from 1940 onwards all international gaming traffic ceased.

Stagnation after 1945

Since it was first held in 1947, France has been welcome back to the Five Nations Tournament . This significantly reduced his interest in FIRA.

On top of that, the French rugby union emerged stronger from the war than the other federations on the mainland: the government in Vichy , which was dependent on the German occupation , had banned, dissolved and expropriated the competing rugby league and its clubs after 1940 . The French rugby league was considered "proletarian" and was too far left to the government. The justification for the ban was that there was "only one rugby". League property (such as sports fields and club houses) was given to the Union and its clubs. France's sporting dominance over the other FIRA members continued to grow. Against Germany, for example, France, with a few exceptions, only competed with its B team until 1969 and still won easily.

Its sporting superiority and its lack of interest contrasted France's preponderance of votes in the governing bodies, whereby it blocked the further development of both the FIRA and its member associations - albeit inadvertently.

In the next few years only a few new members were accepted, short-lived competitions were introduced and organizational changes were made:

• The Eastern Bloc countries aspired to the FIRA. Czechoslovakia was incorporated in 1948, the GDR in 1956, Poland in 1957, Yugoslavia in 1964 and Bulgaria in 1967 (also Morocco in 1957 and Sweden in 1958).
• A European Cup (for national teams) was decided in 1951, but only held in 1952 and 1954.
• A European Cup for club teams (Cup of National Champions or FIRA Cup ) was founded in the early 1960s and played three times (?).
• The statutes were changed in 1961 and a technical commission was established in 1963.

Upswing from 1966

In 1965 a second European Cup for national teams was decided and from 1966 onwards it was held regularly every year. In 1970 the Junior Championship followed, the forerunner of today's Rugby Junior World Championship. From the 1973/74 season onwards, the European Cup was converted into a European championship that was played in the league system (with promotion and relegation between three divisions).

These competitions intensified contacts between the members and made membership attractive for other countries: in 1975 Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Soviet Union and Tunisia were accepted.

Expansion overseas

So far, the FIRA had only European member countries, whereby Morocco and Tunisia as remnants of the French colonial empire and neighbors of Europe were regarded as belonging.

However, since the 1980s, it began to expand overseas. The IRFB had approved France in 1978 and subsequently saw itself no longer as a mere regular commission from just seven partner countries, but as an umbrella organization that now accepted more and more countries - both FIRA members and Anglo-Saxon nations. A race arose between FIRA and IRFB for the position as the future world association: In 1987 the FIRA welcomed Paraguay, Chile, the Solomon Islands, Barbados, Western Samoa, Taiwan and Hong Kong as new full members and Argentina as an associated member. Although it was already certain that the first World Cup would be hosted by the IRFB, in 1988 Nigeria, the Seychelles, the USA, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania took them on.

In 1986, FIRA members (Morocco, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and others) founded an African sub-association, the Confédération Africaine de Rugby Amateur (CARA). It is now the CAR Continental Federation of World Rugby.

Restriction to Europe

The admission of members from overseas continued for a few years until negotiations between the FIRA and the board took place in 1994 , as a result of which they recognized it as a world association: in 1995 a delegate of the FIRA was elected to the International Board (the Romanian Viorel Morariu ).

From 1995 to 1997, the FIRA by the International Rugby Board was mandated to promote Rugby around the world and spread. At the same time, the idea of ​​the FIRA as a European continental association prevailed: In 1994 and 1995 the statutes were changed, and in 1999 the FIRA was not only renamed FIRA-AER, but also separated from its non-European members (with the exception of Morocco and Tunisia who were allowed to stay temporarily). In return, Ireland and Wales, and a little later England and Scotland, joined the FIRA-AER. In 2014 the FIRA-AER was renamed Rugby Europe.

Competitions

National team competition

For national teams, a European Cup was decided in 1951, but initially only in 1952 and 1954, then from 1966 regularly played annually. Nothing is known about its mode of competition. It was probably played in a knockout system, with the two semi-final losers playing for third place. From the 1973/74 season it was converted into a European Championship, which is held in the league system (with promotion and relegation between three divisions). The competition has been called the European Nations Cup since 2000 .

See also: European Rugby Championship and European Nations Cup

Cup for club teams

A European Cup ( FIRA Cup ) was established for club teams in the early 1960s and was probably played three times. There is some evidence that this competition was held over a two-year period (1961–1962, 1963–1964, and 1965–1966).

The finals of 1962, 1964 and 1966 as well as the performance of the German representatives are known here.

1961-62

Final: AS Béziers (FRA) - Grivita Rosie Bucharest (ROM) 11: 3

German representative: SV 1908 Ricklingen, eliminated in the 3rd round against ASPTT Rabat (MAR) 3: 3, 3: 9

1963-64

Final: Grivita Rosie Bucharest (ROM) - Stade Montois (FRA) 10-0 canceled.

Grivita Rosie, the Romanian champions, was declared the winner on the score of 10-0 early in the second half when the referee abandoned the game after the captain of the other team, Mont-de-Marsan (France), refused twice had to leave the field.

German representative: TSV Victoria Linden, eliminated in the 5th round against Grivita Rosie Bucharest (ROM) 6:17

1965-66

Final: Dinamo Bucharest (ROM) - SU Agen (FRA) 18-0

German representative: DSV 1878 Hannover, eliminated in the 2nd round against SU Agen (FRA) with 3:15

A second cup was held four times from 1996/97 to 1999/2000 under the name Northwest European Cup (also: Euro Cup ). The group of participants was limited to two clubs each from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

1996/97 - Final: Boitsfort RC (BEL) - Haagscher RC (NED) 19:17

1997/98 - Winner: Boitsfort RC (BEL)

1998/99 - Winner: RC DIOK Leiden (NED)

1999/2000 - Final (October 1999): DRC Hannover (GER) - RC DIOK Leiden (NED) 16:17, 19:12

In 2005 a European Clubs Cup was played for the first time . There was a preliminary round with four regional groups (North, East, South, West), the group winners of which played a final round - each against each other. In the 2005 finals, however, the North winner Stockholm Exiles RFC did not take part.

In 2005 Arka Gdynia (POL) won ahead of SC Neuenheim (GER) and RC Nada Split (CRO).

2006 Final: RC Slava Zenit Moscow (RUS) - RC Nada Split (CRO) 24:21

The other European cup competitions ( Heineken European Cup , European Shield ) are not organized by FIRA-AER, but by the Organizing Committee of the Six Nations .

Cup for regional teams

A trophy for regional selections (e.g. national associations) was donated in 2002: the FIRA European Regions Cup . The finals were played exclusively by French teams.

2002: Roussillon (FRA) - Provence (FRA) 15: 9

2003: Roussillon (FRA) - Provence (FRA) 25:23

2004: Provence (FRA) - Bourgogne (FRA) 24:18

2005: Midi-Pyrenées (FRA) - Provence (FRA) 8: 7

The competition is no longer held because of the withdrawal from Italy and Spain and the high travel costs for the regional associations. (The French were financially supported by the national association FFR ).

Competition for junior national teams

For national teams U19, the Junior Championship was launched in 1969, which was converted into the Rugby Junior World Championship in 1992 .

countries

Today's member countries

In alphabetical order with year of entry ( G = founding member)

1. Andorra (1986)
2. Armenia (1994)
3. Azerbaijan (after 1999)
4. Belgium (1934 - G )
5. Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992)
6. Bulgaria (1967)
7. Denmark (1975)
8. Germany (1934 - G )
9. England (after 1999)
10. Estonia (1999)
11. Finland (? 1992, after 1999)
12. France (1934 - G )
13. Georgia (1992)
14. Greece (after 1999)
15. Ireland (1999)
16. Iceland (2011)
17. Israel (1978)
18. Italy (1934 - G )
19. Croatia (1992)
20. Latvia (1992)
21. Lithuania (1992)
22. Principality of Liechtenstein (2011)
23. Luxembourg (1975)
24. Malta (after 1999)
25. Moldova (1992)
26. Monaco (1994)
27. Montenegro (2014)
28. Netherlands (1934 - G )
29. Norway (1988)
30. Austria (1990)
31. Poland (1957)
32. Portugal (1934 - G )
33. Romania (1934 - G )
34. Russia (1992, as Soviet Union 1975)
35. San Marino (2007)
36. Scotland (after 1999)
37. Sweden (1958)
38. Switzerland (1975)
39. Serbia (as Yugoslavia in 1964)
40. Slovakia (after 1999)
41. Slovenia (1992)
42. Spain (1934 - G )
43. Czech Republic (as Czechoslovakia in 1948)
44. Turkey (2013)
45. Ukraine (1992)
46. Hungary (1990)
47. Wales (1999)
48. Belarus (2013)
49. Cyprus (2006)

Temporary member countries in Europe

(Or temporary EM participants):

1. GDR (1956–1990)
2. Catalonia (1934–1939 - G )
3. Morocco (1957-2000)
4. Tunisia (1975-2000)

Note: When the GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990, the German Rugby Sports Association of the GDR also dissolved. - Catalonia was an autonomous region of Spain from 1931 to 1939 and a founding member of the FIRA. Today it has regained its autonomy within Spain and a rugby federation. As a regional association, however, it is neither a member of FIRA nor of the International Rugby Board (predecessor of World Rugby). A women's international match between Germany and Catalonia in March 1995 is included in its official statistics by the DRV . - Morocco and Tunisia took part in the FIRA European Championship as neighboring countries of Europe and were initially allowed to remain in the FIRA-AER in 1999, although they have been founding members of the African association CAR since 1986.

No FIRA members in Europe

(As of June 2014)

1. Albania
2. Kosovo
3. Macedonia
4. Vatican state

Temporary member countries outside Europe

In alphabetical order

1. Argentina (associated since 1987, full member 1996–1999)
2. Barbados (1987-1992)
3. Brazil (1991–1999)
4. Chile (1987-1999)
5. Ivory Coast (1978–1999)
6. Hong Kong (1987-1999)
7. India (1993–1999)
8. Cameroon (1994–1999)
9. Kazakhstan (1992–1999)
10. Kenya (1988–1990)
11. Colombia (1996-1999)
12. Madagascar (? -1993)
13. Mexico (? -1997)
14. Namibia (1991–1999)
15. Nigeria (1988–1997)
16. North Korea (1992–1997)
17. Paraguay (1987-1999)
18. Solomon Islands (1987-1999)
19. Seychelles (1988–1997)
20. Zimbabwe (1996-1999)
21. South Korea (1991–1997)
22. Tahiti (1993-1999)
23. Taiwan (1987-1999)
24. Tanzania (1988–1990)
25. Uganda (1988–1990)
26. Uruguay (1991–1999)
27. USA (1988-1999)
28. Uzbekistan (1992–1997)
29. Venezuela (1992–1999)
30. Western Samoa (1987-1992, 1994-1999)
31. Zaire (1992-1999)

Footnotes

1. ↑ Even the archive in the earlier version of the FIRA website did not contain the competition.
2. ↑ The first cup winner was AS Béziers from France in 1962 (according to information on their own website).
3. ↑ The information about 1964 comes from the corresponding year supplement of the Encyclopædia Britannica , chapter sport.
4. ^ German Rugby Yearbook 1971/72

swell

• Chris Rhys: Rugby. The Records . Enfield, Middlesex (Guinness Superlatives Ltd), 1987. ISBN 0-85112-450-X
• FIRA-AER website (see below: Weblinks)
• Rugby League in France (Wikipedia)

References

See also

• World rugby
• Rugby union
• Rugby league

Web links

• Rugby Europe website