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2023 Rugby League European Championships

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The 2023 Rugby League European Championships was intended to be the 34th edition of the first division, Euro A, and 11th edition of the second division, Euro B, as well as the inaugural edition of the promotion and relegation era of the tournament after the cancellation of the planned first edition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament is officially postponed until an undefined date as a result of France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, due to the tournament acting as the European qualifiers. However, with a new format European qualifications tournament for the replacement 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup, the 2023 European Championships is informally cancelled.

Euro A

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2023 (2023) European Championship  ()
Number of teams8
Matches played13
Tournaments
 < 2020

The 2023 Rugby League European Championship was intended to be the 34th edition of the Rugby League European Championship, and the inaugural edition of the promotion and relegation era of the tournament after the cancellation of the planned first edition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2]

On 25 May 2023, the European Rugby League (ERL) announced that the tournament would be postponed due to France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, this was as the competition acted as a World Cup qualification tournament for Europe.[3] The tournament was scheduled October and November 2023.[4]

Format

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The tournament was to act as qualification for 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

The eight teams of the tournament will be split into two groups of four and each play a single round robin. The top team from each group of Euro A will contest the final and were to automatically qualify for the World Cup. Group runners-up were to contest a playoff with the winners of the Euro B group winners for the final two European World Cup places.

France (as hosts) and England (as 2021 knock-out stage participants) had qualified for the World Cup so if either of these teams had finished in a qualification spot, the next highest team in the group would gain qualification rights.[5][6]

England schedule clash

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After the fixture list was released, the Rugby Football League (RFL) announced that England would play Tonga in a three-match home test series, the dates of which coincide with the European fixtures.[7] The RFL had already decided that the England team for the European Championships would be led by England Knights head coach, Paul Anderson, and not England head coach, Shaun Wane.[8] As the Championships are an international tournament, sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation, England's matches are classed as full England internationals, not Knights' fixtures.[9]

Teams

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Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament (last)[a]
  England Tournament Return 22 November 2022 29 (2004)
  France Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 31 (2018)
  Ireland Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 8 (2018)
  Italy Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 1 (2009)
  Scotland Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 8 (2018)
  Serbia Promoted from 2021 Euro B 22 November 2022 1 (2009)
  Spain Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 0 (debut)
  Wales Original 2020 Team 22 November 2022 31 (2018)

Group stage

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The draw for the tournament was made on 22 February 2023 in Huddersfield by Lisa McIntosh and Michelle Hargreaves.[10][11] The tournament scheduled was confirmed on 31 March.[12][13]

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   England[b] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Final
2   Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualify for 2025 World Cup
3   Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualify for 2024 European Repêchage
4   Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegated to Euro B
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   France[b] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Final
2   Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualify for 2025 World Cup
3   Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualify for 2024 European Repêchage
4   Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Relegated to Euro B
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Spain   v   Wales
Source
Italy   v   Wales
Source
Wales   v   France
Source
Italy   v   Spain
Source

Final

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Group A Winner v Group B Winner
Source

Euro B

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2023 (2023) European Championship B  ()
Number of teams6
Matches played7
Tournaments
 < 2021

The 2023 European Championship B was intended to be the 11th edition of the second tier of the Rugby League European Championship.[6][14]

On 25 May 2023, the European Rugby League (ERL) announced that the tournament would be postponed due to France withdrawing as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, this was as the competition acted as a World Cup qualification tournament for Europe.[15][16] The tournament was scheduled October and November 2023.[4]

Format

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The tournament was to act as qualification for 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

The six teams of the tournament will be split into two groups of three and each play a single round robin. The top team from each group of Euro B will contest the final, and would originally enter a playoff with one of the group runners up from Euro A groups for a spot in the World Cup.[17][6]

Teams

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The tournament will consist of the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Ukraine.[6][18]

Russia was originally part of the competition, but as they remained suspended due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. Czech Republic, who were the runners-up from 2021 Euro D Championship, replaced them in the tournament.[6][18]

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament[c]
  Czech Republic Invited 22 November 2022 4 (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  Germany Invited 22 November 2022 7 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012–13)
  Greece Invited 22 November 2022 0 (debut)
  Netherlands Invited 22 November 2022 0 (debut)
  Norway Invited 22 November 2022 1 (2011)
  Ukraine Invited 22 November 2022 3 (2010, 2014–15, 2021)

Group stage

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Fixtures were announced on 28 October 2022.[19][20][21][22]

Group A

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Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, both their group stage matches will be played away.[23]

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Final, qualify for 2024 European Repêchage, and promoted to Euro A
2   Norway 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3   Ukraine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ERL

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to Final, qualify for 2024 European Repêchage, and promoted to Euro A
2   Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3   Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ERL

Final

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Group A Winner v Group B Winner
Source

Notes

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  1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year.
  2. ^ a b As England and France have already qualified for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup they are ineligible to take tournament qualification spots.
  3. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year.
  4. ^ Despite the Ukraine vs Norway match being a home game for Ukraine, it will be played in Norway due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "ERL Congratulates World Cup Organizers & Outlines International Fixture Schedule". europeanrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  2. ^ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  3. ^ "European Championships cancelled as international calendar left in tatters". LoveRugbyLeague. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Schedule announced for European Championship, including England". LoveRugbyLeague. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Draws to be Made for Euro Men's and Women's Competitions". 25 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Road to France 2025: Rugby League World Cup Qualifying Process Announced". Rugby League International Federation. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  7. ^ "England to host Tonga in maiden Test series". BBC Sport. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  8. ^ Ibbetson, Stephen (26 February 2023). "England Knights penned in for European Championship as home nations react to draw". TotalRL.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  9. ^ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Draws Made for Men's and Women's Euros".
  11. ^ "England set to find out European Championship opponents". LoveRugbyLeague. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Euro a Fixtures Release".
  13. ^ "Dates Revealed For Men's 2023 European Rugby League Championship". The Sportsman. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  14. ^ Willacy, Gavin (23 February 2023). "The European Championship offers rugby league fans quirky delights". The Guardian.
  15. ^ "ERL Announcement About Planned World Cup Qualifiers".
  16. ^ "European Championships cancelled as international calendar left in tatters". 25 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Draws to be Made for Euro Men's and Women's Competitions".
  18. ^ a b "Road to 2025 World Cup confirmed". 30 November 2022.
  19. ^ a b "2023 EURO B MEN'S DRAW & FIXTURES ANNOUNCED". europeanrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  20. ^ "Intrl - Euro B Draw & Fixtures Announced".
  21. ^ "Greece find out what they need to do to repeat World Cup history". 28 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Schedule announced for European Championship, including England". 31 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Heritage order: Cleary gets behind Ukraine's World Cup bid". 15 March 2023.
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