2007 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification

none 4 September 2004 25 November 2006 36 2003 2011 2007 Rugby World Cup – European qualification was a European Nations Cup competition that decided which European teams participated in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. The group stages counted towards both qualification and the European Nations Cup. Hosts France and other 2003 World Cup quarter finalists England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales qualified automatically. Qualification process There were three places available for European teams, and one place in the repechage. The teams were ranked according to their division in the European Nations Cup, taking into account the relegations and promotions at the end of the previous competition. Note that for the 2004/05 season Division 1 did not count towards World Cup qualification. The 2005/06 season decided which round (either 4 or 5) the teams entered. In the group rounds, there were three points awarded for a win, two for a draw, and one for a loss. There were no bonus points awarded. Round 1 The eight teams from divisions 3B (apart from those newly relegated from 3A Hungary) and 3C (apart from Azerbaijan and Armenia) played each other in four two-legged playoffs. The winners entered the next round. Round 2 The four Round 1 winners, Hungary, and the fifteen teams from divisions 2A, 2B and 3A were drawn into four groups of five. They played each other once, with the best two teams qualifying for the next round. The third placed teams played in two two-legged playoffs to qualify for the next round. Round 3 The four winners, four runners-up, and two play-off winners from Round 2 were drawn into two groups of five. The best team from each group played each other in a two legged playoff for a place in the next round. Round 4 The bottom three teams from Division 1 2005/06 and the winner of the previous round played two two-legged playoffs to enter the next round. Round 5 The winner of Round 4 Playoff 1, the third placed team from Division 1 2005/06 and Six Nations competitor Italy form Pool A. The winner of Round 4 Playoff 2 and the first and second placed teams from Division 1 2005/06 form Pool B. The top team from each pool qualified for the World Cup as Europe 1 and Europe 2. The second placed teams entered the next round. Round 6 The two second placed teams from Round 5 played a two-legged playoff, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup as Europe 3. The loser entered the repechage as Europe 4. Round 1 Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria and Lithuania qualified for round 2. 4 September 2004 AND 76–3 NOR Andorra La Vella André Watson ZAF 18 September 2004 NOR 9–23 AND Bergen Andorra won 99–12 on aggregate The first match was refereed by André Watson. He was called by the International Board, because in this way the first match of qualification the new edition of Rugby World Cup could be refereed by the same judge as the last match (the final) of the Rugby World Cup 2003. Watson had announced his retirement from international rugby only three months before after a match between Australia and Pacific Islands. 25 September 2004 BIH 10–29 AUT Zenica 16 October 2004 AUT 12–7 BIH Vienna Austria won 41–17 on aggregate 18 September 2004 FIN 3–42 BGR Helsinki 30 October 2004 BGR 50–3 FIN Sofia Bulgaria won 92–6 on aggregate 16 October 2004 ISR 0–53 LTU Raanana 23 October 2004 LTU 60–7 ISR Vilnius Lithuania won 113–7 on aggregate Round 2 Pool A Spain and Croatia qualified for Round 3. Andorra entered the playoffs. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1ESP431020155+146112CRO431011554+61113AND42028875+1384SLO410358141−8365HUN400440177−1374 Match Schedule 23 October 2004 HUN 16–29 AND Stardom 23 October 2004 CRO 27–6 SLO Split 6 November 2004 SLO 41–0 HUN Ljubljana 21 November 2004 CRO 18–7 AND Sisak 21 November 2004 ESP 63–9 HUN Madrid 13 February 2005 AND 14–36 ESP Andorra La Vella 27 March 2005 SLO 6–76 ESP Ljubljana 10 April 2005 ESP 26–26 CRO Sevilla 23 April 2005 HUN 15–44 CRO Budapest 30 April 2005 AND 38–5 SLO Andorra La Vella Pool B Germany and Moldova qualified for Round 3. Denmark entered the playoffs. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1DEU440024827+221122MDA420210063+3783DEN42023384−5184AUT420242101−5685LUX400420168−1484 Match Schedule 30 October 2004 DNK 11–20 MDA Odense 13 November 2004 MDA 18–27 DEU Chișinău 13 November 2004 LUX 5–6 DNK Cessange 27 November 2004 DEU 96–0 LUX Heidelberg 2 April 2005 DEU 56–0 DNK Heidelberg 9 April 2005 DNK 16–3 AUT Fredericia 16 April 2005 MDA 55–6 LUX Chișinău 23 April 2005 AUT 9–69 DEU Vienna 30 April 2005 AUT 19–7 MDA Vienna 7 May 2005 LUX 9–11 AUT Cessange Pool C Belgium and the Netherlands qualified for Round 3. Sweden entered the playoffs. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1BEL44009546+49122NED430113353+80103SWE42027698−2284LAT410363103−4065LTU400456123−674 Match Schedule 23 October 2004 LAT 18–20 SWE Valmiera 30 October 2004 BEL 23–16 LAT Boitsfort 31 October 2004 SWE 32–20 LTU Helsingborg 9 April 2005 LTU 13–21 BEL Jurbarkas 16 April 2005 BEL 15–10 NLD Vise 23 April 2005 NLD 24–17 SWE Amsterdam 30 April 2005 SWE 7–36 BEL Stockholm 30 April 2005 LAT 19–12 LTU Riga 7 May 2005 NLD 48–10 LAT Amsterdam 14 May 2005 LTU 11–51 NLD Klaipėda Pool D Poland and Serbia and Montenegro qualified for round 3. Malta entered the playoffs. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1POL440012549+76122SCG42117952+2793MLT42026685−1984SUI41127751+2675BGR400438148−1104 Match Schedule 2 October 2004 POL 20–15 CHE Gdynia 16 October 2004 CHE 8–17 MLT Avusy 6 November 2004 MLT 13–38 POL Marsa 13 November 2004 SCG 33–10 BGR Belgrade 12 March 2005 CHE 43–3 BGR Geneva 19 March 2005 SCG 11–11 CHE Belgrade 9 April 2005 MLT 13–24 SCG Marsa 16 April 2005 BGR 15–23 MLT Sofia 23 April 2005 BGR 10–49 POL Sofia 7 May 2005 POL 18–11 SCG Łódź Playoffs Andorra and Malta qualified for Round 3. 21 May 2005 DNK 12–3 MLT Copenhagen 29 May 2005 MLT 28–18 DNK Marsa Malta win 31–30 on aggregate 28 May 2005 AND 30–20 SWE Foix (France) 4 June 2005 SWE 14–10 AND Vanersborg Andorra won 40–34 on aggregate Round 3 Pool A Spain entered playoff. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1ESP440016332+131122MDA43018796−9103NED420211374+3984POL410363131−6865AND400430123−934 Match Schedule 29 October 2005 POL 18–14 AND Sopot 12 November 2005 ESP 68–12 POL Madrid 12 November 2005 MDA 30–27 NLD Chișinău 19 November 2005 MDA 7–40 ESP Chișinău 26 November 2005 NLD 51–0 AND Amsterdam 11 March 2006 AND 0–31 ESP Andorra La Vella 8 April 2006 POL 13–27 MDA Sochaczew 22 April 2006 NLD 22–20 POL Amsterdam 29 April 2006 ESP 24–13 NLD Madrid 6 May 2006 AND 16–23 MDA Andorra La Vella Pool B Germany entered playoff. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1DEU440020930+179122BEL430110168+33103MLT42024285−4384HRV41037686−1065SCG400427186−1594 Match Schedule 8 October 2005 HRV 26–9 SCG Split 29 October 2005 BEL 26–20 HRV Brussels 29 October 2005 MLT 0–43 DEU Marsa 5 November 2005 SCG 3–16 MLT Pancevo 11 November 2005 DEU 108–0 SCG Heidelberg 8 April 2006 SCG 15–36 BEL Belgrade 15 April 2006 MLT 26–15 HRV Marsa 22 April 2006 HRV 15–25 DEU Zagreb 22 April 2006 BEL 24–0 MLT Brussels 29 April 2006 DEU 33–15 BEL Hanover Playoff Spain qualified for Round 4. 14 May 2006 DEU 18–6 ESP Heidelberg 28 May 2006 ESP 36–10 DEU Madrid Spain win 42–28 on aggregate European Nations Cup Division 1 2004/06 See 2004–2006_European_Nations_Cup_First_Division Romania, Georgia, and Portugal qualified for Round 5. Russia, Czech Republic, and Ukraine qualified for Round 4. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1ROU 10802389 94+295262GEO 10802353125+228263PRT 10613193183 +10234RUS 10415290202 +88195CZE 10307164306−142166UKR 10001077556−47910 Round 4 – September 2006 Spain and Russia qualified for Round 5. 16 September 2006 CZE 12–33 ESP Říčany 30 September 2006 ESP 46–17 CZE Madrid Spain won 79–29 on aggregate 23 September 2006 UKR 11–25 RUS Odesa 30 September 2006 RUS 37–17 UKR Moscow Russia won 62–28 on aggregate Round 5 – October 2006 Pool A Italy qualified for World Cup as Europe 1. Portugal entered Round 6. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1ITA22001507+14362PRT210126106−8043RUS20023093−632 Match Schedule 7 October 2006 ITA 83–0 PRT Stadio T.Fattori, L'Aquila Donal Courtney Ireland rugby union http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/match/25289.html Italy (40) 83 – 0 (0) Portugal (FT) en.espn.co.uk 10 February 2018 7 October 2006http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/12553.php#.Wny5pKhl_IU Donal Courtney Retires As International Referee www.irishrugby.ie 8 February 2018 26 April 2007 M BergamascoBortolamiCanavosioDellapeFestucciaMasi (2)Robertson (3)Stanojevic (3) Bortolussi (8)Peens 14 October 2006 RUS 7–67 ITA Moscow 28 October 2006 PRT 26–23 RUS Lisbon Pool B Romania qualified for World Cup as Europe 2. Georgia entered Round 6. Place Nation Games Points Tablepoints played won drawn lost for against difference1ROU22006328+3562GEO21014543+243ESP20024380−372 Match Schedule 7 October 2006 ROU 20–8 GEO Bucharest 14 October 2006 ESP 20–43 ROU Madrid 28 October 2006 GEO 37–23 ESP Tbilisi Round 6 – November 2006 Georgia qualified for World Cup as Europe 3. Portugal entered repechage as Europe 4. 11 November 2006 GEO 17–3 PRT Tbilisi 25 November 2006 PRT 11–11 GEO Lisbon Georgia won 28–14 on aggregate References External links World Cup website 2007 Europe Category:2004–05 in European rugby union Category:2005–06 in European rugby union