Switzerland. The new entrants of the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship. What can they add to the tournament? What kind of spices can we expect from the champions of the 2023/2024 Trophy?
Having never played at the top level of the Rugby Europe men’s competitions; Switzerland will have the chance to play for the most desirable prize of them all in their debut year: a Rugby World Cup 2027 berth.
But are they up to the challenge? 30-year-old lock Tim Vögtli, casts aside any doubts about Switzerland being ready or not.
“If we didn’t really want that feeling and the challenge of going against such great opposition, then we don’t deserve to be part of this competition. That’s not the attitude we have in the team. We are not going to come in as tourists and just enjoy the ride, we are here to make a statement and make our rivals sweat. It’s crazy that the teams we have been watching in the Autumn Nations Series, will come to our own turf and play against us. I am proud that we will play against this stalwart Georgia, but at the same time I want to be sure that they will also remember the day they faced Switzerland.”
Switzerland won promotion to the top after back-to-back successful seasons, making it one of the proudest moments in Swiss rugby.
“I mean, it was an amazing feeling to accomplish that goal. We knew we had in our arsenal to win the promotion to the Championship, but once you finally achieve it, you have to pinch yourself. It isn’t something everyone will get to experience it, and especially for Switzerland, few were expecting for us to achieve it so quickly, as rugby still is a fringe sport in our country.”
Vögtli’s life with the Swiss national team began in 2016, a year seen by many as the start of the journey to the top,
“I think at the time we viewed our participation in the Trophy level as being a small fish in a very big pond. It was all about survival and to show that you belonged to that level. The first two/three years was all about settling in, and building a core team, whilst adding the new blood and finding a way into the next chapter.
In the subsequent seasons we defeated Belgium and Germany when they were relegated to the Trophy, and we had a sense that we could compete with the top teams of our tier. Then there was that non-match against Netherlands, cancelled due to COVID. If we had won it, we would’ve got the shot to reach the Championship a few years earlier.”
But the bitter end of the 2020 Trophy campaign wasn’t the final stop,
“The silver lining was that it allowed us to develop the younger generation and prepped us better for the future. At the same time, the growth of Servette helped to raise the awareness in the French-Swiss part of the country, which is a bit more rugby oriented than the rest of Switzerland. We have seen a lot of young Swiss talents coming from the Servette academy, showing the raw potential of the new generations. With that crop of talents coming through and having a consistent group from the last two campaigns, was and has been an opportunity to build a stronger team chemistry. It has meant allowing us to have the best possible team week in week out. Nowadays, the national team is playing club rugby, as we interact more with each other on and off the field, and its become a core brotherhood of players, a bond very difficult to break.”
Under Olivier Nier, Switzerland has played an enjoyable type of rugby, creating a series of combinations between the pack and the backs, and pushing to show a more flamboyant style,
“It’s something we really focus on training. Our staff pushes us to play that stand-up quick rugby rather than go to the ground or just go directly to contact without looking for other options. I would say Switzerland has a mobile pack, which benefits our gameplay style. I think it gives us an edge, and looking back to our Trophy rivals, we needed that more quick and slick edge to come out as a victor. If we opted to just go for that physical and crash-and-bash strategy, we wouldn’t have done so well against Ukraine, and Sweden for example. Our head coach, Olivier [Nier] has benefited us with that vision, pressing us to trust the fundamentals of a quick and agile type of rugby. It is nice to know it can be applied to all levels of the game, and I hope we can continue to progress in it in the Championship.”
Nier has been the teacher and a stern leader, as Vögtli states,
“Olivier is a great coach, no doubt about it. He is always focused on helping players to develop and grow, listening to us and caring with our needs. He doesn’t treat us as automatons, as he believes in the spirit, culture and identity of a player, and what that said player can bring to the team. He is careful in how he builds the team, as he is looking for players who can connect emotionally with each other, because if we don’t trust each other it will reflect in our performance. At the same time, he demands of us the best, and doesn’t let us to lower the level. It can be a bit daunting at times, but on the other hand it means we must take this seriously and live up to Olivier’s expectations.”
Having been around for almost ten years, does the lock think Switzerland mindset has undergone any adjustments?
“The mindset hasn’t changed from when we started this journey in 2016. It is about proving ourselves, and giving our best to the fans, representing our nation with the highest of standards. The main thing for us is to achieve greatness, remain true to ourselves and fight for the unachievable.”
We head now into the rabbit’s hole… how did Tim Vögtli found rugby?
“I would like to like to say my rugby origins were the classic tale, but it wasn’t. My family moved from Switzerland to China when I was one and half years-old. I was educated in a British School, and like most kids, I mostly played with the round ball. Because of my height and lack of feet coordination, I wasn’t doing so well, but thankfully something happened when I was twelve. A teacher, who had just joined our school, wanted to start a rugby team and I had no idea of what it was. As some of my best friends joined the team, I tagged along. I went back home and told my parents that I had just joined a rugby club, and to my surprise, my father said he also played rugby when he was younger and played as a lock as well! As me and my brothers were taller than most our teammates, we faired quite well and stayed put.”
Having played in two continents, and three different countries, Vögtli has collected a fair share of rugby memories, and we challenge him to tell us his favourite,
“My best rugby memory was in 2019, when Zurich, my club, won the league. It was the first time in a while for the club, and my first time ever winning a title since coming back to Switzerland. It was a great feeling, as I won with friends who are like family to me, and it was also special because we are the only German-Swiss representative at the top Swiss division. There’s a lot of great memories.”
And what about his fondest outing as a Swiss international?
“Oh… my favourite cap… that’s also a hard one! I am going to answer with two: my second cap and the first game I played alongside my brother for Switzerland. In the former, it was a game against Ukraine at home, and it was my first cap as a starter. My parents came to watch, and I remember looking for my parents in the crowd when the national anthems were being sung. It’s a moment that fills me with joy. The second one was just a few years ago, we went to Sweden and my brother was called to join the national team. We got to play together again, and it was a special occasion for us and our family.”
Now, the important questions for the rugby tourist. What should he try out when heading for the Switzerland-Spain on the 9th of February?
“Raclette, I would say. It’s that time of the year, it’s cold, so it will fit perfectly with the mood!”
And what’s Vögtli’s favourite Swiss-German word?
“The word has to be "sympathisch". It translates as "friendly" but it's much more than that! It can also mean humble, down to earth. It’s that type of word that you can’t really find the right translation in English.”
And the best teammate to have around?
“Donovan O’Grady. He is sympathisch and a great character. He is proper fun, unites the team and can fabricate the best team games that I can remember”
Games? What games do they play when in camp?
“Mario Kart. I can’t play it because I get a bit too competitive. Donovan likes to bring a pocket version of Monopoly, which I try to avoid it, as I don’t want to cause any ‘fights’ before the night of a game.”
And a last message for fans at home.
“If we don’t achieve this year, I hope we can make that step of qualifying to a Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031. I am thirty now, so I don’t know if I am going to be around at that time, but I want to inspire the new generations and to show them what is expected when you are part of the squad.
“For me it’s vital we conserve the culture we have been building in the last decade, of respecting yourself, teammates, staff, fans, and opposition. I also want us to make that transition from the level we are now to become a more professional side, even if it means that players like me won’t fit into the mould. But I want my country to progress, and if someone gets ahead of me based on merit and performance, it will mean that we have taken the next step.”
All games of Swiss National team will be broadcast in Switzerland on Play RTS and RSI Digital platforms and RT2 linear channel.
By Francisco Isaac
Photos: Neil Dodd
