The Rugby Europe women’s 2025Championship Series overall winners are Great Britain with France being the men’s champions for a second year in a row.
Both sides had won the first legs in Makarska in Croatia earlier this month and, over the weekend, Great Britain finished runners-up in the second leg in Hamburg, Germany, and France won again to finish out on top.
In the women’s event, Great Britain finished on top overall with 38 points, the Hamburg tournament winners Poland finished second on 36 points and France finished third on 34 points.
In Hamburg, Great Britain and Poland won their pools with three wins from three in the 12-team event with Spain winning two from three to top Pool B.
Great Britain, France, Poland and Spain won their quarter-finals an that meant that Great Britain and France would meet in a repeat of the Makarska final, but this time in the semis.
It was another cracker of an encounter between these two sides with Great Britain again just coming out on top 19-17.
Poland then beat Spain 19-5 and went on to put in one of the displays of the tournament to defeat Great Britain and lift the second leg silverware, but just miss out on the overall title.
France defeated Spain 17-7 to finish in third with Ireland fifth, Germany sixth, Belgium seventh, Portugal eighth, Czechia ninth, Sweden 10th, Italy 11th and Georgia 12th, these two teams are relegated to Trophy division.
In terms of the men overall, France finished first on 40 out of a possible 40 points, Spain finished second on 34 points and Italy were third on 28 points.
In the men’s event in Hamburg, France, Spain and Great Britain all won three from three to top their pools.
The hosts Germany then pushed Spain close in the first quarter-final, but the latter held on to win 14-12 and Italy, France and Great Britain also won their last eight ties.
Italy got the better of Spain in the first semi-final before France really turned on the style to see off Great Britain 41-5.
Having finished sixth in the Makarska leg, Italy had been the surprise package in Hamburg and they nearly caused a surprise in the final, but France battled hard to win 14-7.
Spain, after finishing second in the first leg, beat Great Britain 31-12 to finish third, Germany were fifth, Belgium were sixth, Portugal were seventh, Czechia were eighth, Lithuania were ninth, Georgia were 10th, Sweden were 11th. The nordic country will return to Trophy division. Ireland who withdrew from the series are ranked at the bottom with no points.
Thanks to these results in the Series, Italy and Belgium Men, Poland and Czechia Women are qualified for World Rugby Challenger Series 2026.
Results and videos available on competitions pages
By Gary Heatly
Photos by Jan Perlich and Jurgen Kessler
