Rugby Europe has confirmed the date for the Rugby Europe Championship play-off, which will be contested between Belgium and Netherlands.
The game will take place on 29 May at 2pm in Belgium (venue TBC) with a place at the top table of Rugby Europe’s XV competitions at stake.
Belgium found themselves unfortunate to not complete their 2020 season, after their national authorities had not permitted the national team to travel to Romania for their final fixture.
On the confirmation, Netherlands Head Coach Zane Gardiner said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to play against a Championship side. We have a lot of respect for the Belgian team and what they have achieved over the last few years.
“To see them compete in the Championship is inspiring. They show they are a good team that has a strong identity. To play against Belgium in Belgium is a big challenge for us and we are excited by this challenge.”
The Belgium Head Coach Frederic Cocqu also added, “The REC 2021 is really wide open, we know we can compete there and have already won against Russia, Spain and Portugal in previous years.
It’s really important for us to win this play-off game because of what’s on the line for REC 2021 and REC 2022 - qualification for the World Cup 2023.
“We hope to be able to train soon as well as possible even if we know we won’t have the same possibilities the others.”
(Image: Montain Witters, photorugby.eu)
