2019 Rugby League European play-off tournament

The 2019 Rugby League European play-off tournament was the final phase of European qualifying to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, played in October and November 2019. It featured six nations, five of whom have come through the previous phases of European qualifying - 2018 European Championship, 2018 European Championship B and 2018–19 European Championship C. The competition was played in two groups of three with the winners and runners up in each group qualifying for the World Cup.

2019 (2019) European play-off tournament  ()
Number of teams6
Matches played6
Points scored357 (59.5 per match)
Tries scored64 (10.67 per match)
Top scorer Ryan Brierley (42)
Top try scorers Will Oakes (4)
David Scott (4)

Teams and pool draw
Team Qualified via Seeding for tournament
 Ireland 2018 European Championship 3rd place 1st
 Scotland 2018 European Championship 4th place 1st
 Italy Direct entry to play-off 2nd
 Russia 2018 European Championship B winner 2nd
 Spain 2018 European Championship B runner-up 3rd
 Greece 2018–19 European Championship C winner 3rd
 Serbia Replaced Russia –

The draw for the two groups was made on 12 December 2018. Teams with the same seeding will not play in the same group, each group will be a single round-robin with each team playing each other once.[1] Group A was drawn as Ireland, Italy, and Spain, and Group B as Scotland, Russia, and the winners of the Euro C play-off game.[2] Greece defeated Norway in May 2019 to take the position in Group B.

In August 2019, it was announced that Russia were withdrawing from the competition and would be replaced by Serbia, who finished third in the 2018 Euro B tournament. No specific reason was given for Russia's withdrawal,[3] though the decision was foreshadowed by allegations from the Serbian Rugby League that Russia's Association of Rugby League Clubs did not provide the necessary paperwork for VISA removal for their Australian-based players ahead of their Euro B match in Moscow in October 2018.[4]

Fixtures

Euro C play-off
Main article: 2018–19 Rugby League European Championship C
18 May 2019
Greece  56 – 26  Norway

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1  Ireland 2 2 0 0 67 12 +55 4 Qualified for World Cup
2  Italy 2 1 0 1 38 29 +9 2
3  Spain 2 0 0 2 12 76 −64 0
First match(es) will be played on 26 October 2019. Source:
26 October 2019
17:00 CEST (UTC+02)
Spain  8 – 42  Ireland
Try: R. Franco
Goal: Pallares (2/2)
 Report Try: McCarthy (2), Bentley, Keyes, McNally, Podesta, Roberts
Goal: Podesta (7/7)
Ciutat de l'Esport, Xàtiva[2][5]
Attendance: 1,013
Referee: Geoffrey Poumes (France)[6]

Notes:

  • This match was originally fixtured to be played at Estadio Matías Prats in Torredonjimeno.[7]
2 November 2019
16:00 CET (UTC+01)
Italy  34 – 4  Spain
Try: Passera (2), Campagnolo, King, Santi, Tramontana
Goal: Campagnolo (5/7)
 Report Try: L. Franco
Goal: Pallares (0/1)
9 November 2019
19:00 IST (UTC+01)
Ireland  25 – 4  Italy
Try: Moran (2), McNally, King
Goal: Podesta (4/4)
Drop: Keyes
 Try: Tramontana
Goal: Campagnolo (0/1)
Morton Stadium, Santry[2]
Referee: Liam Moore (England)[6]

Group B


Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1  Scotland 2 2 0 0 128 24 +104 4 Qualified for World Cup
2  Greece 2 1 0 1 106 48 +58 2
3  Serbia 2 0 0 2 6 168 −162 0
Source:
26 October 2019
15:00 BST (UTC+01)
Scotland  86 – 0  Serbia
Try: Oakes (3), Scott (3), Brierley (2), Alex Walker (2), Glohe, Hellewell, Kavanagh, McLelland, Turland
Goal: Brierley (13/15)
 Report
Lochinch Sports Pavilion, Glasgow[2][8]
Attendance: 300[9]
Referee: Tom Grant (England)[6]
1 November 2019
20:20 GMT (UTC+00)
Greece  24 – 42  Scotland
Try: Kambos, Mamouzelos, Tuliatu, Zampetides
Goal: Meads (4/4)
 Report Try: Kavanagh (2), McLelland (2), Brierley, Douglas, Oakes, Scott
Goal: Brierley (2/6), Thomas (2/2), Douglas (1/1)
9 November 2019
13:00 CET (UTC+01)
Serbia  6 – 82  Greece
Try: Mirčeski
Goal: Zogović (1/1)
 Report Try: Robinson (3), Bosmos (2), Meads (2), Mitsias (2), Constantinou, Dardamanis, Kambos, Magoulias, Mamouzelos, Mougios, G. Tsikrikas
Goal: Meads (9)
Makiš Stadium, Belgrade[2]
Attendance: 180[12]
Referee: Robert Hicks (England)[6][13]

References
  1. "International stars to make final Euro qualifying group draw for 2021 World Cup". Rugby Football League. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  2. "European play-off draw made". Rugby League World Cup. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  3. Caplan, Phil (25 August 2019). "Serbia replace Russia in Rugby League World Cup qualifiers" (Press release). Rugby League European Federation. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  4. "Srbija ruši Španiju za nastavak kvalifikacija" (in Serbian). srbijasport.net. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  5. "España vs Irlanda". Twitter (in Spanish). España Rugby League. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  6. "Match Officials and streaming details announced for World Cup Qualifiers". RLIF. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  7. "España vs Irlanda: RLWCQ Torredonjimeno". Twitter (in Spanish). España Rugby League. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  8. "Tweet". Twitter. Scotland Rugby League. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  9. https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/european-qualifiers-b-2019/game-1/scotland-vs-serbia.html
  10. "Greece forced to play World Cup qualifier in London". RLIF. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  11. https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/european-qualifiers-b-2019/game-2/greece-vs-scotland.html
  12. https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/european-qualifiers-b-2019/game-3/serbia-vs-greece.html
  13. "Srbija – Grčka 6-82" (in Serbian). Serbian RL. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
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