After precursor competitions in the 1930s and 1950s FIRA
launched its annual Nations Cup in 1965. The teams were divided into a top tier A
Division and a second tier B Division playing round robin matches with
promotion and relegation between them (later a C Division was added and
the label of the divisions changed several times). Beginning with
1973/74 the competition was renamed to FIRA Trophy.
Since 2000 onwards, the competition was reorganized
as the European Nations Cup for all those nations not playing in the Six Nations.
So sometimes it is also referred as European amateur championship. There
is still promotion and relegation between the up to seven divisions.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unofficial European Championship | |||||
1935, Apr 22 | Roma ITA | FRA | 44:6 | ITA | --- |
1936, May 14-17 | Berlin GER | FRA | 19:14 | GER | ITA |
1937, Oct 10-17 | Paris FRA | FRA | 43:5 | ITA | GER |
1938, May 15-22 | București ROU | FRA | --- | GER | ROU |
European Cup | |||||
1952, May 17 | Milano ITA | FRA | 17:8 | ITA | --- |
1954, Apr 11-24 | Roma ITA | FRA | 39:12 | ITA | --- |
FIRA Nations Cup | |||||
1965, Oct 17 - 1966, Nov 06 | --- | FRA b | --- | ITA | ROU |
1966, Nov 27 - 1967, May 28 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ITA |
1967, Oct 29 - 1968, Jun 02 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | TCH |
1968, Oct 27 - 1969, Nov 09 | --- | ROU | --- | FRA b | TCH |
1969, Nov 09 - 1970, Oct 25 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ITA |
1970, Nov 29 - 1971, May 09 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | MAR |
1971, Dec 11 - 1972, May 21 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | MAR |
1972, Nov 27 - 1973, Jun 03 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ESP |
FIRA Trophy | |||||
1973, Nov 11 - 1974, May 19 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ESP |
1974, Oct 13 - 1975, May 10 | --- | ROU | --- | FRA b | ITA |
1975, Oct 25 - 1976, May 15 | --- | FRA b | --- | ITA | ROU |
1976, Oct 17 - 1977, Jul 01 | --- | ROU | --- | FRA b | ITA |
1977, Oct 02 - 1978, May 28 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ESP |
1978, Nov 18 - 1979, May 20 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | URS |
1979, Sep 30 - 1980, May 18 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ITA |
1980, Oct 01 - 1981, May 17 | --- | ROU | --- | FRA b | ITA |
1981, Oct 25 - 1982, May 22 | --- | FRA b | --- | ITA | ROU |
1982, Oct 24 - 1983, May 22 | --- | ROU | --- | ITA | URS |
1983, Oct 30 - 1984, May 27 | --- | FRA b | --- | ROU | ITA |
1984, Oct 06 - 1985, May 31 | --- | FRA b | --- | URS | ITA |
1985, Oct 20 - 1987, May 09 | --- | FRA b | --- | URS | ROU |
1987, Oct 25 - 1989, Jun 02 | --- | FRA b | --- | URS | ROU |
1989, Oct 22 - 1990, May 27 | --- | FRA b | --- | URS | ROU |
1990, Sep 30 - 1992, May 28 | --- | FRA b | --- | ITA | ROU |
1992, Oct 01 - 1994, May 28 | --- | FRA b | --- | ITA | ROU |
1994, Oct 15 - 1996, May 25 | Grenoble FRA | ITA | 40:32 | FRA | --- |
1996, Sep 22 - 1997, May 17 | Madrid ESP | ESP | 25:18 | POR | POL |
1997, Oct 25 - 1998, Jun 02 | --- | LAT | --- | LTU | SUI |
1998, Sep 26 - 1999, May 29 | --- | RUS | --- | UKR | CZE |
European Nations Cup | |||||
2000, Feb 06 - Apr 02 | --- | ROU | --- | GEO | MAR |
2001, Feb 04 - Apr 08 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | RUS |
2002, Feb 03 - Apr 07 | --- | ROU | --- | GEO | RUS |
2003, Feb 16 - 2004, Mar 27 | --- | POR | --- | ROU | GEO |
2004, Nov 20 - 2006, Jun 10 | --- | ROU | --- | GEO | POR |
2007, Feb 03 - 2008, May 10 | --- | GEO | --- | RUS | ROU |
2008, Nov 08 - 2009, May 02 | --- | GEO | --- | RUS | POR |
2010, Feb 06 - Mar 27 | --- | ROU | --- | GEO | RUS |
2011, Feb 05 - Aug 20 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | POR |
2012, Feb 04 - Jun 09 | --- | GEO | --- | ESP | ROU |
2013, Feb 02 - Mar 16 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | RUS |
2014, Feb 01 - Mar 15 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | RUS |
2015, Feb 07 - Mar 21 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | ESP |
2016, Feb 06 - Mar 19 | --- | GEO | --- | ROU | RUS |
2017, Feb 11 - Mar 18 | --- | GEO | --- | RUS | GER |
2018, Feb 10 - Mar 18 | --- | GEO | --- | RUS | GER |
1935: This single match is not recognized as official test match by the French Rugby Union.
1936: Olympic Four Nations Tournament
1937: Tournament at the World Exposition
1938: Three Nations Tournament
1952, 1954: Knockout Tournaments
1994/96: Due to preparation for the 1995 World Cup the format in the top division was changed into a preliminary round without FRA, ITA and ROU, following by a pool round (two groups) of the best ten teams including FRA, ITA and ROU and ending with a final match of the both group winners on Mar 22, 1997.
1996/97: The tournament consisted of pool round followed by a knockout stage. FRA, ITA and ROU did not participate.
1997/98: Only weaker nations took part, because the strongest 15 member nations played the World Cup qualifiers.
1998/99: As the World Cup qualifiers were still in progress only weaker nations took part.
2017, 2018: Ranking was changed as BEL, ESP and ROU fielded one or more ineligible players on several games.
The competition has its origins in a four nation European
Cup held in 1988 but did not become an official FIRA competition
until 1995.
Since 2000, only the winners of the tournament held in between the World
Cups (every four years, shown in bold) is officially recognized as
European Champions.
From 2009 onwards, it was announced that the non-Championship
tournaments would be known as the European Trophy.
Most times without any Six Nations team involved.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988, May 21-23 | Bourg-en-Bresse FRA | FRA | --- | GBR | NED |
1995, Apr 12+16 | Treviso ITA | ESP | 22:6 | FRA | ITA |
1996, Apr 10-14 | Madrid ESP | FRA | 15:10 | ESP | ITA |
1997, Apr 02-06 | Nice FRA | ENG | 24:8 | SCO | ESP |
1999, Apr 19-24 | Belluno ITA | FRA | 13:5 | ESP | SCO |
2000, May 08-13 | Almeria ESP | FRA | 31:0 | ESP | ENG |
2001, May 06-12 | Lille FRA | SCO | 15:3 | ESP | ENG „A” |
2002, Mar 20+23 | Treviso ITA | ITA | 35:24 | SWE | GER |
2003, May 01+03 | Malmö SWE | ESP „A” | 16:10 | FRA „A” | SWE |
2004, May 01-08 | Toulouse FRA | FRA | 8:6 | ENG | SCO |
2005, Apr 07+09 | Hamburg GER | ITA | 22:3 | NED | SWE |
2006, Apr 23-30 | San Donà di Piave ITA | ITA | 28:7 | NED | RUS |
2007, Apr 28 - May 05 | Madrid ESP | ENG „A” | 27:17 | FRA „A” | ESP |
2008, May 17-24 | Amsterdam NED | ENG | 12:6 | WAL | IRL |
2009, May 17-23 | Stockholm, Uppsala SWE | SCO, SWE | |
--- | NED, ESP |
2010, May 08-15 | Strasbourg FRA | ESP | 31:13 | ITA | NED |
2011, Apr 30 - May 07 | La Coruña ESP | ENG „A” | 5:3 | ESP | FRA „A” |
2012, May 13-19 | Rovereto ITA | ENG | --- | FRA | ITA |
2014, Oct 30 - Nov 02 | Bruxelles BEL | NED | 12:3 | BEL | RUS |
2015, Oct 29 - Nov 01 | Unterägeri SUI | BEL | 50:20 | SUI | RUS |
2016, Oct 06-15 | Madrid ESP | ESP | 35:7 | NED | RUS |
2018, Feb 27 - Mar 03 | Bruxelles BEL | ESP | 40:7 | NED | GER |
2009: No placement matches were played. Both pool winners qualified to the World Cup.
2011, the FIRA European Sevens were converted to the Sevens
Grand Prix Series.
Following the model of the IRB Sevens World Series the FIRA organizes several tournaments. Depending on their finishing position the teams earn points accumulating over the complete series.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002, Aug 17-18 | Heidelberg GER | POR | 24:14 | GEO | GER |
2003, Aug 16-17 | Heidelberg GER | POR | 26:21 | FRA | GEO |
2004, Jul 16-17 | Palma de Mallorca ESP | POR | 21:14 | ITA | IRL |
2005, Jul 16-17 | Moskva RUS | POR | 28:26 | RUS | ITA |
2006, Jul 15-16 | Moskva RUS | POR | 19:7 | RUS | ITA |
2007, Jul 07-08 | Moskva RUS | RUS | 35:10 | FRA | MDA |
2008, Jul 05-06 | Heidelberg GER | POR | 26:21 | WAL | GEO |
2009, Jul 11-12 | Hannover GER | RUS | 26:17 | FRA | ITA |
2010, Jul 10-11 | Moskva RUS | POR | 12:5 | FRA | RUS |
Champions | Pts. | Runners-up | Pts. | Third place | Pts. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | POR | 63 | ENG | 62 | ESP | 59 |
2012 | ENG | 50 | POR | 48 | FRA | 45 |
2013 | ENG | 40 | FRA | 33 | RUS | 33 |
2014 | FRA | 64 | SCO | 54 | ENG | 53 |
2015 | FRA | 60 | ESP | 50 | ENG | 44 |
2016 | GBR Royals | 52 | RUS | 50 | GBR Lions | 46 |
2017 | RUS | 74 | IRL | 72 | ESP | 58 |
2018 | IRL | 76 | GER | 60 | RUS | 56 |
2013, the Sevens Series were converted into the Sevens Grand Prix Series.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003, May 24 | Lunel FRA | ESP | 21:12 | FRA | SUI |
2005, Jun 25-26 | Lunel FRA | ENG | 14:0 | ESP | NED |
2006, May 25-27 | Limoges FRA | WAL | 10:7 | ENG | NED |
2007, Jun 02-03 | Lunel FRA | FRA | 19:5 | ENG | ESP |
2008, Jun 14-15 | Limoges FRA | ENG | 52:0 | NED | RUS |
2009, Jul 11-12 | Hannover GER | ENG | 20:12 | ESP | NED |
2010, Jul 10-11 | Moskva RUS | ESP | 28:12 | NED | FRA |
2011, Jul 16-17 | București ROU | ENG | 17:7 | ESP | NED |
Champions | Pts. | Runners-up | Pts. | Third place | Pts. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | ENG | 40 | ESP | 36 | FRA | 28 |
2013 | RUS | 38 | ENG | 32 | FRA | 32 |
2014 | RUS | 36 | FRA | 32 | ENG | 32 |
2015 | FRA | 38 | RUS | 36 | ESP | 32 |
2016 | RUS | 38 | FRA | 38 | GBR Lions | 36 |
2017 | RUS | 40 | IRL | 32 | FRA | 32 |
2018 | RUS | 38 | FRA | 38 | IRL | 28 |
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008, Oct 12-18 | Heidelberg GER | ROU | 32:8 | RUS | POR |
2009, May 03-09 | Madrid ESP | ROU | 27:20 | GEO | POR |
2004 and 2005, this competition doubled as qualification to
the Under 21 World Championship. The top nations already qualified for
the World Championship did not participate.
2007 - 2015, the U20 European Championship was a third tier
competition, because the better teams played at the IRB Junior World
Championship or IRB Junior World Trophy annually. Since 2017 onwards, this competition doubled as qualification to the IRB Junior World Trophy, instead of the U19 European Championship.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004, May 16-22 | Constanţa ROU | ROU | 21:6 | GEO | RUS |
2005, May 22-28 | Valladolid ESP | GEO | 15:10 | ROU | ESP |
2006, Sep 23 - Oct 01 | Sopot POL | ROU | --- | GEO | RUS |
2007, Aug 29 - Sep 02 | Klaipėda LTU | UKR | --- | LTU | MDA |
2008 | not played | ||||
2009, Nov 18-21 | Chișinău MDA | POL | 16:15 | MDA | SUI |
2010, Nov 10-13 | Esztergom HUN | LTU | 15:11 | HUN | SUI |
2011, Nov 15-18 | Siedlce POL | POL | 70:5 | MDA | LTU |
2012, Sep 01-09 | Praha CZE | POL | 44:8 | CZE | UKR |
2013, Aug 25-31 | Praha CZE | NED | 27:15 | CZE | UKR |
2014, Aug 22-31 | Brno CZE | CZE | 25:21 | SUI | UKR |
2015, Aug 23-29 | Praha CZE | SUI | 38:0 | CZE | LUX |
2016 | not played | ||||
2017, Mar 26 - Apr 01 | Bucureşti ROU | POR | 12:7 | ESP | RUS |
2018, Apr 08-14 | Coimbra POR | POR | 25:3 | ESP | RUS |
Until 2015 this competition doubled as qualification to the IRB Junior World Trophy, and so not featuring the already qualified nations.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009, Oct 25 - 31 | Coimbra POR | ITA | 16:3 | GEO | ESP |
2010, Oct 24 - 30 | Bruxelles BEL | GEO | 38:7 | RUS | ROU |
2011, Oct 30 - Nov 05 | București ROU | GEO | 20:12 | RUS | ROU |
2012, Oct 27 - Nov 03 | Lisboa POR | POR | 23:10 | GEO | BEL |
2013, Oct 27 - Nov 02 | Lisboa POR | GEO | 32:6 | BEL | ESP |
2014, Oct 26 - Nov 02 | Lisboa POR | GEO | 44:14 | POR | ESP |
2015, Oct 25 - 31 | Lisboa POR | ESP | 24:3 | ROU | POR |
Precursor was the U19 Sevens Grand Prix Series replaced by the U18 Sevens European Championship in 2016.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
U19 Sevens Grand Prix Series | |||||
2013, Apr 13-14 | Palma de Mallorca ESP | FRA | 55:12 | RUS | ESP |
2014, May 10-11 | Lisboa POR | FRA | 38:19 | RUS | POR |
2015, Apr 25-26 | Vichy FRA | FRA | 40:0 | POR | IRL |
U18 Sevens European Championship | |||||
2016, Sep 17-18 | București ROU | IRL | 31:5 | FRA | POR |
2017, Sep 09-10 | Heidelberg GER | IRL | 21:19 | FRA | ENG |
2018, May 05-06 | Panevėžys LTU | FRA | 26:17 | IRL | ESP |
Precursor was the Emergent Nations Championship
established in the course of reorganization of the Under 19 World
Championship.
The top nations compete at the U18 European Championship from 2011
onwards, playing an „Under 18 Six Nations” in 2008 - 2010.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004, Apr 03-10 | Treviso ITA | FRA | 32:0 | ENG | ITA |
2005, Mar 20-26 | Lille FRA | ENG | 16:9 | FRA | SCO |
2006, Apr 09-15 | Treviso ITA | ENG | 15:7 | FRA | ITA |
2007, Apr 01-07 | Biarritz FRA | FRA | 8:8 4:3p | IRL | ENG |
2008, Mar 16-22 | Treviso ITA | FRA | 12:5 | IRL | ENG |
2009, Apr 04-11 | Toulon FRA | FRA | 20:19 | ENG | IRL |
2010, Mar 28 - Apr 03 | Treviso ITA | FRA | 27:3 | IRL | GEO |
2011, Apr 17-23 | Tarbes FRA | IRL | 17:8 | ENG | WAL |
2012, Mar 30 - Apr 07 | Madrid ESP | ENG | 25:13 | IRL | FRA |
2013, Mar 22-30 | Grenoble FRA | ENG | 27:22 | FRA | IRL |
2014, Apr 11-19 | Poznań POL | ENG | 30:14 | IRL | WAL |
2015, Mar 27 - Apr 04 | Toulouse FRA | FRA | 57:0 | GEO | ENG |
2016, Mar 18-26 | Lisboa POR | FRA | 42:0 | GEO | POR |
2017, Apr 06-16 | Quimper FRA | FRA | 36:18 | GEO | JPN |
2018, Mar 24-31 | Grodzisk Wielkopolski POL | GEO | 8:3 | FRA | ESP |
2017: “open” competition
2014 and 2015 there was a U18 Sevens Grand Prix Series instead.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
U18 Sevens Grand Prix Series Women | |||||
2014, Sep 13-14 | Enköping SWE | ENG | 54:0 | WAL | NED |
2015, Sep 12-13 | Liège BEL | ENG | 27:10 | ESP | GER |
U18 Sevens European Championship Women | |||||
2016, Sep 10-11 | Vichy FRA | FRA | 34:24 | USA | CAN |
2017, Sep 16-17 | Vichy FRA | ENG | 31:0 | WAL | FRA |
2018, Apr 28-29 | Vichy FRA | FRA | 22:0 | GBR | IRL |
Champions | Final | Runners-up | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2001, Dec 22 | |
Comité de Côte d′Argent FRA | 33:24 | Comité de Midi-Pyrénées FRA |
2002, Dec 22 | Pézenas FRA | Comité de Roussillon FRA | 15:9aet | Comité de Provence FRA |
2003, Dec 21 | Lunel FRA | Comité de Roussillon FRA | 25:23 | Comité de Provence FRA |
2004 | |
Comité de Provence FRA | 24:18 | Comité de Bourgogne FRA |
2005, Dec 18 | Cahors FRA | Comité de Midi-Pyrénées FRA | 8:7 | Comité de Provence FRA |
Defunct for financial reasons
Organized only three times: 1961/62, 1963/64, 1965/66
A new attempt establishing a European Clubs Cup was
started by FIRA-AER in 2005. This third tier club competition (below
Heineken Cup and Challenge Cup) was already defunct two years later.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962, Jun 24 | Bucureşti ROU | AS Béziers FRA | 11:3 | RC Griviţa Roşie Bucureşti ROU | --- |
1964, Jun 14 | Bucureşti ROU | RC Griviţa Roşie Bucureşti ROU | 10:0 | Stade Montois FRA | --- |
1966, Jun 15 | Bucureşti ROU | CS Dinamo Bucureşti ROU | 18:0 | SU Agen FRA | --- |
2005, Nov 18-20 | Split CRO | RC Arka Gdynia POL | --- | SC Neuenheim 02 GER | RK Nada Split CRO |
2006, Dec 02 | Split CRO | RK Slavia Zenit Moskva RUS | 24:21 | RK Nada Split CRO | --- |
Remark: In 1964 the final match was abandoned by the referee with the score of 10:0 at the beginning of the second half. The skipper of Montois refused to leave the field despite demanding twice by the referee.
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015, May 30-31 | Zelenogorod RUS | VVA Podmoskovye RUS | 31:26 | Slava CSP RUS | BalTrex LTU |
Champions | Final | Runners-up | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2007, Dec 22 + 2008, Apr 19 | Montpellier + Barcelona | Montpellier RC FRA | 31:8 + 22:3 | INEF Barcelona ESP |
2009, Feb 01 + 22 | Gexto + Toulouges | USA Toulouges XV FRA | 19:11 + 82:3 | Gexto R.T. ESP |
Champions | Final | Runners-up | Third place | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011, Jul 24 | Anglet FRA | FRA | 4:1 | ROU | ITA |
2012, Jul 22-24 | Anglet FRA | FRA | 3:2 | RUS | ITA |
2013, Jul 19-21 | Anglet FRA | FRA | 6:0 | ITA | GEO |
1. | 2017, Jul 22-23 | Moskva RUS |
2. | 2018, Aug 04-05 | Moskva RUS |
Champions | Final | Runners-Up | Third place | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | ITA | 6:5 | RUS | GEO |
2018 | RUS | 4:3 | GEO | ITA |
Champions | Final | Runners-Up | Third place | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | RUS | 5:0 | GEO | BLR |
2018 | RUS | 6:3 | ITA | LAT |
Last modified: 08.12.2018