Switzerland national rugby union team

Switzerland

Union	Swiss Rugby Union
Coach(es)	Philippe Filiatre Andrew Mackenzie Carter Croft
Team kit Change kit
First international
Switzerland 4 - 23 Portugal (11 April 1973)
Largest win
Bulgaria 9 - 90 Switzerland (14 October 2000)
Largest defeat
Spain 40 - 0 Switzerland (11 May 1993)

The Swiss national rugby union team is a member of the FIRA - Association of European Rugby and plays in the 3A division of the European Nations Cup. Thus far Switzerland have not qualified for a Rugby World Cup.

History

Switzerland played their first ever international rugby match on April 11, 1973 in Neuchatel against Portugal, losing 23 points to 4. The following year they lost 10-18 to Belgium, and were then defeated by them 33-3 in 1975. After the second lost to Belgium, Switzerland won their first international rugby match; defeating Serbia-Montenegro 12 points to 3 in Geneva. The only other win for Switzerland during the 1970s was a 7-4 victory over Luxembourg in 1977. In 1979 they were defeated 43 to nil by Monaco and 31 to nil by Portugal.

They however bounced back in 1980, defeating Luxembourg 10-7 in Berne, though they then lost close matches against Sweden and Belgium, and were again held to nil by Portugal in 1981, but got a victory over Denmark later that year. After losing to Belgium and Sweden in 1982, they then scored 60 unanswered points against Finland. They then lost nine games in a row from 1982-1986, then defeating Serbia-Montenegro 5 points to nil in May 1986.

In 1989 Switzerland attempted to qualify for the 1991 Rugby World Cup in England, playing in the European tournament - Round 2a. They finished third in the final standings of the round, winning one of their three fixtures. Switzerland also participated in the qualifying tournaments for the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, making it past the preliminary round from the west group, but not advancing past Round 1.

Switzerland finished third (out of six nations) in Pool 1 of Round 1 of the European qualification tournaments for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales, winning and drawing one game out of four fixtures. Switzerland had more success in the qualifying tournaments for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia, finishing at the top of Pool B in Round 1 and advancing to Round 2, but were unable to advance to Round 3. In attempting to qualify for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, Switzerland finished fourth in Pool D of Round 2 of the European qualification process.

In the IRB classification, 01.02.2010, Switzerland is 63rd/95. In the European organisation (FIRA-AER), Switzerland plays in the 3A division, and she is 26th in Europe out of 42.

Current players

• Schelte Betten (GC Zürich)
• Olivier Gerber (GC Zürich)
• David Smith (RC Genève PLO)
• Frédéric Rossier (Stade Lausanne RC)
• Alfredo Burgener (RC Nyon)
• Gaby Fox (RC Fribourg)
• Josh Bjornson (GC Zürich)
• Nicolas Guyou (RC Châteaurenard/FRA)
• Didier Richard (Stade Lausanne RC)
• Sergio Hösel (GC Zürich)
• Ludovic Keller (CA Pontarlier/FRA)
• Ali Nouri (Hermance RRC)
• Loïc Verreman (RC Nyon)
• Pedro Dubois (RC Nyon)
• Ismael Meyer (Stade Lausanne RC)
• Geoff Johnson (Hermance RRC)
• Jonathan Hudson (Hermance RRC - Oxford University)
• Iain Wise (Hermance RRC)
• Mathieu Guyou-Kreis (RCA Cergy-Pontoise/FRA)
• Jacky Dervey (Stade Lausanne RC)
• Thomas Douvegheant (Hermance RRC)
• Christophe Guillet (RC Genève PLO)
• Thomas Brossard (RC Annemasse/FRA)
• Florian Dillet (Hermance RRC)

External links

• Fédération Suisse de Rugby - Official Site
• Swiss U20 team - Swiss U20 Page
• Switzerland on IRB.com
• Switzerland on rugbydata.com
• Switzerland - About Swiss Rugby