Czechia win in Zagreb

After over a year away, and with teams withdrawing and being promoted to the Championship to cover the withdrawals, only eight teams gathered for the first leg of the European Trophy in Zagreb.

The effect of over a year without competitive rugby showed, especially at the start when some teams hit the ground running, while others took at least one game to warm up. Turkey in particular – prompted from the Conference after 2019 - started slowly but eventually finished a very creditable fifth.

On the other hand, Czechia and Ukraine impressed from the outset, sweeping through their pool games and quarter-finals. Their semi-finals opponents – Sweden and Finland – also had good weekends, but were just edged out of the final.

In this leg it was Czechia who edged the final against Ukraine and will have the edge moving into a second leg, but any of the top four could still take the title.

Pool A: Ukraine 57-0 Moldova; Sweden 10-5 Georgia; Ukraine 38-0 Georgia; Sweden 22-0 Moldova; Georgia 24-10 Moldova; Ukraine 38-7 Sweden

Pool B: Czechia 55-0 Turkey; Finland 26-0 Hungary; Czechia 38-5 Hungary; Finland 22-14 Turkey; Hungary 26-21 Turkey; Czechia 24-0 Finland

Quarter-Final: Ukraine 37-0 Turkey; Czechia 34-0 Moldova; Hungary 7-33 Sweden; Georgia 0-22 Finland

5th-8th Place Semi Final: Moldova 5-19 Hungary; Georgia 0-17 Turkey

Semi-Final Czechia 24-0 Sweden; Ukraine 12-10 Finland

7th Place Match Moldova 5-31 Georgia

5th Place Match Hungary 17-14 Turkey

3rd Place Match Sweden 17-12 Finland

Final Czechia 12-7 Ukraine