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Rugby Europe 2025 Calendar: Pathway To World Cup 2027
Rugby Europe has confirmed the European qualification process for Rugby World Cup 2027, which will take place in Australia in 2027.
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Rugby Europe has confirmed the European qualification process for Rugby World Cup 2027, which will take place in Australia in 2027.
This means 24 teams will take part in the next Rugby World Cup for which four teams will automatically qualify from the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship. The fifth place side will qualify to the World Rugby Repechage tournament, which has been scheduled for November 2025.
In 2025, the competition will be a one-off qualifier to the Rugby World Cup, unlike the two-year cycle used for previous World Cups.
The eight nations have been split into two pools, using a serpentine system based on the results of the previous two seasons.
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- Pool A
- #1 Georgia
- #4 Spain
- #5 Netherlands
- #8 Switzerland
- Pool B
- #2 Portugal
- #3 Romania
- #6 Germany
- #7 Belgium
These 20 games will be played throughout February and March 2025 and will consist of the following format.
While 2025 will be the sole year qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2027, the promotion / relegation system for REC will still run across two years, using the combined results of REC 2025 and 2026.
With Poland finishing in eighth place during the REC 23-24 cycle they have been relegated to Trophy division with Switzerland earning their spot in the top-flight after coming out on top overall during the Men’s Trophy 23-24 tournaments.
Rugby Europe 2025: Fixtures
Round 1 (Weekend of 1-2 February)
Georgia v Switzerland
Spain v Netherlands
Portugal v Belgium
Romania v Germany
Round 2 (Weekend of 8-9 February)
Georgia v Netherlands
Switzerland v Spain
Portugal v Germany
Belgium v Romania
Round 3 (Weekend of 15-16 February)
Spain v Georgia
Netherlands v Switzerland
Romania v Portugal
Germany v Belgium
The semi-finals will be staged on 1-2 March with the summit scheduled on 16 March for the four final games.
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After a successful 2024 edition, which saw Georgia crowned champions for a seventh time in a row after lifting the trophy in Paris, REC 2025 will continue with the same format of competition.
2025 will be the sole year qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2027 and the promotion / relegation system for REC will be held across two years, using the combined results of REC 2025 and 2026.
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