Welcome back to another season of the Men’s Rugby Europe Trophy! The second division of the men’s Rugby Europe competitions kicks off this next Saturday when Lithuania hosts Poland in the opening match.
The Trophy will span throughout 15 games, granting fans several weekends of intense and passionate rivalries.
Poland, Czechia, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia, and Lithuania are the 2025/2026 contestants. Poland won the previous edition of the Trophy, with Sweden closing in second place, while Czechia took the podium’s last place.
With that in mind, what can we expect from a season that will decide who will win promotion to the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship?
FORMAT AND CALENDAR
The competition will consist of a round-robin format, with each team playing a total of five games. Bonus points will be awarded to teams that have scored three (3) or more tries than the opposition and that have lost by 7 points or fewer.
In the previous season, Poland were undefeated, although Sweden came close to bagging an upset in the closing game of the competition, as the Polish survived a last-minute attempt from the Swedish to hold a 29-25 win.
But that’s in the past, and with the dawn of a new season, the promotion is still possible for the likes of Poland, Sweden and Czechia.
Denmark is the newest member of the Trophy ensemble, having won promotion from the Conference, while Luxembourg dropped to the third tier of Rugby Europe’s men’s competitions.
As already stated, the competition goes live this Saturday with two games: Lithuania vs Poland and Sweden vs Croatia. The competition will continue until November 22nd, pause briefly until February, and resume on February 28th.
The closing round is scheduled for April 10th, when Poland and Denmark will welcome Sweden and Czechia to their turf, respectively.
A TROPHY PACKED WITH STAR POWER
For new Rugby Europe Trophy fans, if you are searching for some stellar players, there are more than a few names to satisfy your appetite.
For Poland, you can find the behemoth Mateusz Bartoszek, who has left a mark playing for his French club Bassin D’Arcachon. An enforcer of superior quality, Bartoszek encapsulates Poland’s best traits, with a fighting spirit and an insatiable hunger to deliver bone-shattering tackles.
Sweden has its fair share of flaming hot superstars, who range from Leicester Tigers prop Ale Loman to skipper and Trinity College’s flanker Philip Murphy. Loman is one of the very best props from the Rugby Europe universe due to his scrummaging excellence and unstoppable work rate.
Adam Koblic is one of Czechia’s greatest menaces, as the speedster can turn any strong defence into a rag in the blink of an eye, as shown in previous seasons. He isn’t the only stellar operator over the Czechian camp, but he is certainly the one to watch.
Croatia is on the rise, and Nik Jurisic is a perfect example of that growth, as the centre possesses a variety of skills that can unlock the glorious gates of try-land. Number eight Ivo Peric and centre Deon Mu’u are also on the same page as Jurisic, adding power and pace to the Croatian side.
Utility back Domantas Baguzis has the power to break through most defences, painting a colourful rugby canvas for his country of Lithuania.
And finally, Denmark, the newly promoted nation to the Trophy, isn’t deprived of star power, as utility forward and captain Mikkel Andresen and fullback Henry Coleman are two of their finest players.
WORDS FROM THE STARS
After going through the timetable and identifying some of the main stars, it’s time to give the word to the players. Poland’s captain Piotr Zeszutek, Sweden’s skipper Philip Murphy and wing Adam Koblic share here a few of their thoughts, and let’s start with the former.
Piotr, what can we expect from team Poland? Do you think you can win back promotion to the Championship?
Firstly, we already had a good season so far, won 5 games in 2024/25. Now we are starting with a new chapter and want to repeat our achievement. Our approach is to always focus on an upcoming game. Lithuania first. We will play away, so I’m sure it will be a tough game, and hopefully it will be a nice performance from both sides.
What it means to you to lead Poland?
I’ve been a captain since 2017, which was one of my biggest sports dreams which came true. I’m glad I can lead the team and do my best to win every single game as a pack. Individually, I really want to get a promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship again.
Three words to describe the Biało-czerwoni?
Determined, united and fearless.
Philip, your turn, what can fans expect from Sweden? Do you think you can win the competition and get promoted to the Championship?
We’re in a good place as a group. There’s been a lot of hard work since the Poland game, and we’ve learned a lot from last season. Our aim is to keep building on that — to be competitive in every detail in the game, stick to our structures, and play the kind of rugby that represents Sweden well. Promotion is obviously something every team wants, but our focus is on executing and consistency first. If we get those right, the results will come.
What does it mean to you to be Sweden’s captain? And can you share some individual goals?
It’s a real privilege to captain Sweden — something I don’t take lightly and will never be forgotten. We’re a group that’s growing together, and it means a lot to help guide that process. Personally, I just want to lead by example, do my job well, and make sure the lads around me feel supported, confident in their roles, and understand how every action feeds into the larger strategy.
Three words to describe this Swedish Men's team that is about to compete in another RE Men’s Trophy season.
Physical, Connected and proud.
Daniel Storch
Finally, Adam! Czechia finished 3rd last season, but can your team go the extra mile? What can fans expect from you?
The new season will bring a fresh start. There have been significant changes in the Czech national team setup — new coaches, players and most importantly, a new goal. Currently, most of the Czech national team is getting valuable game time and experience through the Rugby Europe Super Cup. So I reckon the team will finally be ready to challenge and bring down Sweden and Poland. I have never been too good at maths (jokingly), but unfortunately, given last year’s results, it will be challenging to get to the top of the table.
What it means to you to be perceived as Czechia’s biggest threat? And what are your personal goals? And how would you define yourself?
Obviously, it sounds very flattering; however, my being able to do my job as a finisher is mainly due to the whole team doing theirs perfectly. My personal goals are to be as valuable as possible. However, I cannot deny my love for scoring tries. I consider myself a player still learning and growing. I never sleep on an opportunity to get better. Currently, the environment I am in is nurturing the best out of me.
To finish, can you describe your team, Czechia, in three words?
Speed, aggression and intelligence
Travis Prior
The Rugby Europe Trophy will be broadcast on Rugby Europe TV, and you can access every fixture by just signing in our platform
