Rugby union in Belgium
Rugby union in Belgium is a growing sport. They are currently ranked twenty-eighth in the International Rugby Board's world rankings.[1] The national governing body for rugby union in Belgium is the Belgian Rugby Federation (FBRB - Fédération Belge de Rugby in French and Belgische Rugby Bond in Dutch) which is headquartered in Brussels.
History
Rugby union in Belgium has not been popular historically, but due to its recent international successes, it is a quickly growing sport. As of the December 2007, more than half of the nearly seven thousand registered players are pre-teens or teenagers.[2] In addition, there are currently forty-eight domestic clubs that compete against each other on various levels.
Governance
Belgium itself is governed by two regional governments, as well as a national government. As such, rugby union is also governed by two regional bodies that answer to FBRB, the national governing body. Most of the clubs in the northern region of Belgium are governed by the Vlaamse Rugby Bond (VRB). The remaining clubs are governed by the Ligue Belge Francophone de Rugby (LBFR).[3]
Rugby union in Belgium is also structured into four districts for competition purposes. These districts are; Brabant, Hainaut, Liége/Namur/Luxemburg, and Vlaanderen.
Within these districts, there are also several leagues and divisions that are structured based on the skill level of the clubs.
National team
The national team, nicknamed the Black Devils ([Zwarte Duivels] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), has been competing in international tests since 1930.
2006-08 European Nations Cup
The national team is currently engaged in competition in the Second Division at the 2006-2008 European Nations Cup. They have put forth a good showing so far, and if they win the competition, they will advance to the First Division in 2009.
Results
The Black Devils currently own a record of four wins and two losses.
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2006 | Belgium - Ukraine | 24 - 11 | Brussels (Belgium) |
| 18-Nov-2006 | Germany - Belgium | 32 - 13 | Heidelberg (Germany) |
| 21-Apr-2007 | Belgium - Moldova | 27 - 29 | Brussels (Belgium) |
| 05-May-2007 | Netherlands - Belgium | 20 - 27 | Amsterdam (Netherlands) |
| 10-Nov-2007 | Belgium - Germany | 32 - 18 | Brussels (Belgium) |
| 24-Nov-2007 | Ukraine - Belgium | 15 - 18 | Feodosia (Ukraine) |
| 12-Apr-2008 | Moldova - Belgium | Chisinau (Moldova) | |
| 3-May-2008 | Belgium - Netherlands | Brussels (Belgium) |
See also
References
External links
- Official website of the Fédération Belge de Rugby (in Dutch)
- Official website of the Belgian Rugby Federation (in English)
- Official website of the the Vlaamse Rugby Bond (in Dutch)
- Official website of the the Ligue Belge Francophone (in Dutch)