Rugby Europe is delighted to announce that this year’s Rugby Europe Championship 2024 Finals will be held at the home of Stade Français, Stade Jean Bouin in Paris on Sunday 17 March 2024. In what promises to be a real European festival of international rugby, all eight national teams will travel to the French capital to determine their final ranking in the competition and, of course, decide the champion of this year’s competition. All four matches will be held on Sunday 17 March 2024, culminating in the Championship Final at 9pm with the ranking and bronze finals taking place from noon. It will allow those players that participated in Rugby World Cup 2023 to return to France and tap into the many new fans they acquired during the global event through September and October. The pool matches that have been confirmed are: 3/2/24 – Netherlands v Spain, Amsterdam, National Rugby Center, 1:15pm CET3/2/24 – Belgium v Portugal, venue TBC, 8pm CET4/2/24 – Germany v Georgia, Dessau, Paul Greifzu Stadium, 3pm CET4/2/24 – Poland v Romania, Gdynia, Narodowy Stadion 8:15pm CET10/2/24 – Georgia v Netherlands, Tbilisi, Avchala Stadium, 11am CET10/2/24 – Portugal v Poland, Lisbon, CAR Jamor, 8pm CET11/2/24 – Spain v Germany, Madrid, The Estadio Nacional Complutense 12:45pm CET17/2/24 – Georgia v Spain, Tbilisi, Avchala Stadium, 1pm CET17/2/24 – Romania v Portugal, Bucharest, Arcul de Triumf, 3:30pm CET17/2/24 – Belgium v Poland, venue TBC, 6pm CET18/2/24 – Netherlands v Germany, Amsterdam, National Rugby Center, 1:30pm CET The semifinals will then take place on the weekend of 2nd/3rd of March before the teams make their way to Paris. The competition is in the middle of a two-year cycle and the current pools remain identical to 2023, but with the home and away fixtures reversed. The event in Paris is in collaboration with La Fédération française de rugby (FFR), La Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), La Ligue Île-de-France de Rugby (LIFR) and La Délégation interministérielle aux grands événements sportifs (DIGES). Rugby Europe President, Mr Octavian Morariu said, “Rugby in France has never been stronger on the back of the Rugby World Cup, where we saw the visible appetite for the game in the country and impact of success Portugal and others gained with their performances. This event will really be a special one for us, as 2024 marks the 90th anniversary of Rugby Europe and its predecessor FIRA. To be able to have the support of our key partners in the FFR, the LNR, the Ligue Île-de-France de Rugby and the DIGES to back this project is testament to their commitment to growing the game in Europe. It will be a day where we can celebrate rugby and its values in our continent and see some of the best players in our continent showcasing their skills in a world class arena, we look forward to seeing you all there.” Mr Florian Grill President of the FFR “France is delighted to host the REC finals on its territory at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris. With Abdelatif Benazzi, vice president of the FFR in charge of international affairs, we believe that France, an important nation in the rugby world, also has a form of responsibility in Europe. This is the reason for the financial and logistical support for this event in connection with the Ligue Ile de France de Rugby, which join the recurring support of the FFR to Rugby Europe.” Mr René Bouscatel President of the LNR: “We are delighted to host the finals of the Rugby Europe Championship in a TOP 14 stadium in France. This will be an opportunity for the fans to meet many of the players who wear the colors of our teams every weekend, both in TOP 14 and PRO D2, and to discover many others, some of whom played in the Rugby World Cup a few weeks ago.” Mr Thierry Alliesse President of LIFR: “At the crossroads of Western Europe, Ile de France is a territory of sport and cultural sharing. As an extension of the magnificent Rugby World Cup which has just ended, during which several teams with strong local communities in our region met, Ile de France is a fantastic place to host for these International Finals! Many of Europe’s top teams will battle again during this event for which we are proud to support Rugby Europe, at a time when we are recording a strong increase of our registered players, the result of the daily commitment of those involved in the Ile-de-France rugby!” |