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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 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.

Andorra	76–3	Norway

Andorra La Vella Referee: André Watson

Norway	9–23	Andorra

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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina	10–29	Austria

Austria	12–7	Bosnia and Herzegovina

Austria won 41–17 on aggregate

Finland	3–42	Bulgaria

Bulgaria	50–3	Finland

Bulgaria won 92–6 on aggregate

Israel	0–53	Lithuania

Lithuania	60–7	Israel

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			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Spain	4	3	1	0	201	55	+146	11
2	Croatia	4	3	1	0	115	54	+61	11
3	Andorra	4	2	0	2	88	75	+13	8
4	Slovenia	4	1	0	3	58	141	−83	6
5	Hungary	4	0	0	4	40	177	−137	4

Match Schedule

Hungary	16–29	Andorra

Croatia	27–6	Slovenia

Slovenia	41–0	Hungary

Croatia	18–7	Andorra

Spain	63–9	Hungary

Andorra	14–36	Spain

Slovenia	6–76	Spain

Spain	26–26	Croatia

Hungary	15–44	Croatia

Andorra	38–5	Slovenia

Pool B

Germany and Moldova qualified for Round 3. Denmark entered the playoffs.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Germany	4	4	0	0	248	27	+221	12
2	Moldova	4	2	0	2	100	63	+37	8
3	Denmark	4	2	0	2	33	84	−51	8
4	Austria	4	2	0	2	42	101	−56	8
5	Luxembourg	4	0	0	4	20	168	−148	4

Match Schedule

Denmark	11–20	Moldova

Moldova	18–27	Germany

Luxembourg	5–6	Denmark

Germany	96–0	Luxembourg

Germany	56–0	Denmark

Denmark	16–3	Austria

Moldova	55–6	Luxembourg

Austria	9–69	Germany

Austria	19–7	Moldova

Luxembourg	9–11	Austria

Pool C

Belgium and the Netherlands qualified for Round 3. Sweden entered the playoffs.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Belgium	4	4	0	0	95	46	+49	12
2	Netherlands	4	3	0	1	133	53	+80	10
3	Sweden	4	2	0	2	76	98	−22	8
4	Latvia	4	1	0	3	63	103	−40	6
5	Lithuania	4	0	0	4	56	123	−67	4

Match Schedule

Latvia	18–20	Sweden

Belgium	23–16	Latvia

Sweden	32–20	Lithuania

Lithuania	13–21	Belgium

Belgium	15–10	Netherlands

Netherlands	24–17	Sweden

Sweden	7–36	Belgium

Latvia	19–12	Lithuania

Netherlands	48–10	Latvia

Lithuania	11–51	Netherlands

Pool D

Poland and Serbia and Montenegro qualified for round 3. Malta entered the playoffs.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Poland	4	4	0	0	125	49	+76	12
2	Serbia and Montenegro	4	2	1	1	79	52	+27	9
3	Malta	4	2	0	2	66	85	−19	8
4	Switzerland	4	1	1	2	77	51	+26	7
5	Bulgaria	4	0	0	4	38	148	−110	4

Match Schedule

Poland	20–15	Switzerland

Switzerland	8–17	Malta

Malta	13–38	Poland

Serbia and Montenegro	33–10	Bulgaria

Switzerland	43–3	Bulgaria

Serbia and Montenegro	11–11	Switzerland

Malta	13–24	Serbia and Montenegro

Bulgaria	15–23	Malta

Bulgaria	10–49	Poland

Poland	18–11	Serbia and Montenegro

Playoffs

Andorra and Malta qualified for Round 3.

Denmark	12–3	Malta

Malta	28–18	Denmark

Malta win 31–30 on aggregate

Andorra	30–20	Sweden

Sweden	14–10	Andorra

Andorra won 40–34 on aggregate

Round 3

Pool A

Spain entered playoff.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Spain	4	4	0	0	163	32	+131	12
2	Moldova	4	3	0	1	87	96	−9	10
3	Netherlands	4	2	0	2	113	74	+39	8
4	Poland	4	1	0	3	63	131	−68	6
5	Andorra	4	0	0	4	30	123	−93	4

Match Schedule

Poland	18–14	Andorra

Spain	68–12	Poland

Moldova	30–27	Netherlands

Moldova	7–40	Spain

Netherlands	51–0	Andorra

Andorra	0–31	Spain

Poland	13–27	Moldova

Netherlands	22–20	Poland

Spain	24–13	Netherlands

Andorra	16–23	Moldova

Pool B

Germany entered playoff.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Germany	4	4	0	0	209	30	+179	12
2	Belgium	4	3	0	1	101	68	+33	10
3	Malta	4	2	0	2	42	85	−43	8
4	Croatia	4	1	0	3	76	86	−10	6
5	Serbia and Montenegro	4	0	0	4	27	186	−159	4

Match Schedule

Croatia	26–9	Serbia and Montenegro

Belgium	26–20	Croatia

Malta	0–43	Germany

Serbia and Montenegro	3–16	Malta

Germany	108–0	Serbia and Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro	15–36	Belgium

Malta	26–15	Croatia

Croatia	15–25	Germany

Belgium	24–0	Malta

Germany	33–15	Belgium

Playoff

Spain qualified for Round 4.

Germany	18–6	Spain

Spain	36–10	Germany

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			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Romania	10	8	0	2	389	94	+295	26
2	Georgia	10	8	0	2	353	125	+228	26
3	Portugal	10	6	1	3	193	183	+10	23
4	Russia	10	4	1	5	290	202	+88	19
5	Czech Republic	10	3	0	7	164	306	−142	16
6	Ukraine	10	0	0	10	77	556	−479	10

Round 4 – September 2006

Spain and Russia qualified for Round 5.

Czech Republic	12–33	Spain

Spain	46–17	Czech Republic

Spain won 79–29 on aggregate

Ukraine	11–25	Russia

Russia	37–17	Ukraine

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			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Italy	2	2	0	0	150	7	+143	6
2	Portugal	2	1	0	1	26	106	−80	4
3	Russia	2	0	0	2	30	93	−63	2

Match Schedule

Italy	83–0	Portugal
Try: M Bergamasco Bortolami Canavosio Dellape Festuccia Masi (2) Robertson (3) Stanojevic (3) Con: Bortolussi (8) Peens

Stadio T.Fattori, L'Aquila Referee: Donal Courtney

Russia	7–67	Italy

Portugal	26–23	Russia

Pool B

Romania qualified for World Cup as Europe 2. Georgia entered Round 6.

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Table points
		played	won	drawn	lost	for	against	difference
1	Romania	2	2	0	0	63	28	+35	6
2	Georgia	2	1	0	1	45	43	+2	4
3	Spain	2	0	0	2	43	80	−37	2

Match Schedule

Romania	20–8	Georgia

Spain	20–43	Romania

Georgia	37–23	Spain

Round 6 – November 2006

Georgia qualified for World Cup as Europe 3. Portugal entered repechage as Europe 4.

Georgia	17–3	Portugal

Portugal	11–11	Georgia

Georgia won 28–14 on aggregate

References

1. "Italy (40) 83 – 0 (0) Portugal (FT)". en.espn.co.uk. 7 October 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
2. "Donal Courtney Retires As International Referee". www.irishrugby.ie. 26 April 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2018.

External links

• World Cup website

• Rugby World Cup European qualifiers
• 2007 Rugby World Cup qualification
• 2004–05 in European rugby union
• 2005–06 in European rugby union