With the top four of the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship having sealed for the Men’s Rugby World Cup there’s still a chance for Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland to be in Australia when 2027 comes around.
To earn that last chance, it’s do-or-die in the next two games, they have to win the 5th-place playoff to qualify for the World Rugby Repechage Tournament, which will be played in November. The playoffs start this weekend.
After all that, it’s time to hear from Jens Torfs (Belgium), Tim Vögtli (Switzerland), Koen Bloemen (Netherlands), and Shawn Ingle (Germany) about their hopes and dreams.
Jens Torfs (Belgium)
Jens, you have been around for a long time, helping Belgium to become a ferocious challenger in the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship. What would it mean for you and your team to qualify for the next Men’s World Cup?
Qualifying for the Rugby World Cup would be a historic moment for Belgium. It would represent the culmination of years of hard work and development in Belgian rugby. We know it will be a tough challenge, but we are determined to take it on with ambition and commitment. A qualification would bring incredible visibility to the sport in Belgium and inspire the next generation of players to believe in their dreams.
Jens, there’s also a chance that things can end without the sweet taste of a World Cup qualification. If that happens, what’s next for Belgium?
If we don’t qualify, it won’t diminish our progress in recent years. Our goal will remain the same: to continue building and strengthening our team for the future. Every game and competition is an opportunity to learn and grow. We will focus on developing rugby in Belgium, nurturing players, and improving our level of play so that we come back even stronger for future international challenges.
Tim Vögtli (Switzerland)
Tim, Switzerland being the debutant team in the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship and getting that repechage slot would be big, wouldn’t it?
It would be something incredibly special, and it was something we always set out to achieve before we started the season. Obviously, being the new team in the competition made it an even harder challenge, but qualifying for the World Cup was always one of our targets. The first results didn’t go our way, but we did a lot of learning in the last few weeks, and if we manage to win the next two games it shows we deserve to be here and compete with the best.
But what will happen with the Edelweiss if that dream doesn’t come to fruition?
The plan is to carry on and keep knocking. If the results don’t go our way, it means we have to double our efforts next season, as it will be vital to avoid relegation and stay in the Championship. We want to keep our place in this competition and kick on from where we are. We don’t want to go back to the Trophy and restart everything from scratch. We want to cement our place in the REC and that is the most important thing for us. We want to make sure that after 2026 we are here, as we deserve and belong in the Championship.
You can buy your tickets for Belgium v Switzerland HERE
Koen Bloemen (Netherlands)
Koen, Netherlands came a long way, but there’s still much to accomplish! How big would it be for your country to reach Australia 2027?
I think it would be a massive step for us. It’s a confirmation of all the hard work that’s been put in, in the last couple of years, by the players and the coaches. But before that dream can become a reality, we’ve got some really tough games coming up where we’ve got to get the best out of the team.
Felix Lammers (Germany)
Felix, we know that even if there’s a mountain to climb, Germany will be looking forward to it to reach the next Men’s Rugby World Cup. How do you think that it could impact rugby in the country?
The World Cup is the biggest stage in world rugby and every player dreams about being a part of it. We know it’s going to be a massive challenge, but we’ll leave everything out there on the pitch and see what the result will be.
And in case things don't go as intended, what are the plans moving forward?
In the next two years, our main goal is to secure our place in the REC. From there, we want to build up good structures to develop the game in Germany.
The race to claim a spot in the World Rugby Repechage continues this Saturday and be sure to check our website to know where you can watch all the action!
Tickets for Netherlands v Germany are available HERE
By Francisco Isaac
Photos: Neil Dodd, Pedro Pinheiro
