Sweden national rugby union team

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sweden[1]
Shirt badge/Association crest
UnionSvenska Rugbyförbundet
Head coachEngland Alex Laybourne
CaptainAxel Kalling-Smith
Top scorerAndreas Bruhn (18)
First
colours
World Rugby ranking
Current34 (as of March 23 2024)
Highest34 (2024)
Lowest62 (2016)
First international
Sweden Sweden 6–0 Denmark Denmark
(23 October 1949)
Biggest win
Luxembourg 3–116 Sweden
(5 May 2001)
Biggest defeat
Soviet Union Soviet Union 72–0 Sweden Sweden
(1 July 1976)
World Cup
Appearances0
Sami Paulsson rolls into the picture after Sweden beat Czechia 28–18 at Stockholm's Stadion on May 14th 2022, winning Conference 1 North

The Sweden national rugby union team (Swedish: Sveriges herrlandslag i rugby union) represents Sweden in rugby union.

Rugby has been played in Sweden since 1933, the first full international being played in 1949 against Denmark. The country celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008.

Sweden has been a member union of World Rugby since 1988 and is one of the 48 members of Rugby Europe.

Sweden won Rugby Europe Division 2 in 2012 and Conference 1 North in 2022, beating the Czech Republic in the final league game of the season at Stockholm's Stadion, in front of more than 1,500 spectators, promoting them to the Rugby Europe Trophy, a league level consolidated in 22/23 with a third-placed finish.

The national side is ranked 34th in the world (as of March 23, 2024).[2]

Current squad

This is the Sweden team that beat Lithuania in Šiauliai on April 1, 2023:[3]

Name Club Caps Tries
15 Hannes Nylén Enköpings RK Sweden 7
14 Samuel Ekfeldt Lugi Lions RFC Sweden 2
13 Axel Kalling-Smith RAMS RFC England 16 10
12 Philip Murphy Watsonians FC Scotland 17 4
11 Alfred Nordgren Malmö RC Sweden 13 3
10 Tim Johansson Enköpings RK Sweden 16 6
9 Philip Axelsson Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 4
1 Ale Loman Lugi Lions RFC Sweden 7
2 Casper Forsberg Stockholm Exiles RFC Sweden 4
3 Henrik Ek Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 10
4 Elias Granath Newcastle University RFC England 7
5 Christopher Sidgwick Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 2
6 Arthur Marini Paris Université Club France 19 3
7 Terry Vaa luta Fryxell Stockholm Exiles RFC Sweden 7 3
8 Theodor Karlsson Stockholm Exiles RFC Sweden 11 4
Adam Christersson Kalmar Södra IFR Sweden 5
Christopher Nilserius Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 11 1
Alexander Nahas Erikslund Rugby Sweden 4
Raymond Kanyasa Coventry Rugby England 2
Sebastian Nockmar Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 4
Christopher Vannerberg Enköpings RK Sweden 2
Jack Duffy Monkstown FC Republic of Ireland 15 2
Mattieu Spens-Cossin Norrköpings RK Trojan Sweden 8

Leading Try Scorers

Name tries
Andreas Bruhn 18
Kari Tapper 16
Kanogo Njuru 14
Ian Gowland 13
Bobby Nave 13
Alan Letele 12
Johan Andersson 11
Axel Kalling-Smith 12
Thomas Arvidsson 10

Rugby Europe Conference 1 North Champions 2021/22

2019 promoted side ↑ 2019 relegated side ↓ WR = World Ranking May 2022

Conference 1 North WR Pl W D L B F A DIFF Pts
 Sweden 38 4 4 0 0 3 154 81 71 19
 Czech Republic 37 4 3 0 1 3 142 70 72 15
 Latvia 63 3 1 0 2 1 74 109 -35 5
 Luxembourg 61 4 1 0 3 0 56 145 -89 4
 Hungary 64 3 0 0 3 2 61 90 -29 2

Rugby Europe Trophy Fixtures and Results 2022/23

DATE
 Croatia 22 - 27  Ukraine 22/10/2022
 Sweden 37 - 17  Croatia 29/10/2022
 Lithuania 39 v 20  Ukraine 05/11/2022
 Sweden 12 v 69   Switzerland 05/11/2022
  Switzerland 45 v 6  Lithuania 12/11/2022
 Ukraine 32 v 59   Switzerland 12/03/2023
 Ukraine 38 v 15  Sweden 18/03/2023
 Lithuania 37 v 39  Croatia 25/03/2023
 Lithuania 15 v 18  Sweden 01/04/2023
 Croatia 22 v 32   Switzerland 01/04/2023

Final League Table 2022/23

2022 promoted sides ↑ WR = current World Ranking (Apr 6 2023)

Trophy WR Pl W D L B F A DIFF Pts
  Switzerland 27 4 4 0 0 3 205 72 133 19
 Ukraine 36 4 2 0 2 1 117 135 -18 9
 Sweden 39 4 2 0 2 1 82 139 -57 9
 Lithuania 52 4 1 0 3 3 97 122 -25 7
 Croatia 42 4 1 0 3 1 100 133 -33 5

Results and Fixtures

The following is a list of test matches since 2018, as well as any future test matches that have been officially scheduled. [4]

Date Opponent Venue Competition Result
14 October 2017  Hungary Norrkōping, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 12 - 10
28 October 2017  Ukraine Odesa, Ukraine Rugby Europe Conference 1 North L 29 - 8
28 April 2018  Lithuania Kaunas, Lithuania Rugby Europe Conference 1 North L 43 - 22
12 May 2018  Latvia Enköping, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 50 - 27
20 October 2018  Moldova Norrkōping, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 80 - 6
3 November 2018  Luxembourg Luxembourg Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 9 - 10
11 May 2019  Hungary Norrkōping, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 36 - 27
19 May 2019  Ukraine Odesa, Ukraine Rugby Europe Conference 1 North L 23 - 14
26 October 2019  Latvia Jurmala, Latvia International W 22 - 26
2 November 2019  Luxembourg Malmö, Sweden International L 0 - 13
23 October 2021  Luxembourg Norrköping, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 51 - 5
23 April 2022  Latvia Baldone, Latvia Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 25 - 46
7 May 2022  Hungary Budapest, Hungary Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 25 - 29
14 May 2022  Czech Republic Stockholm, Sweden Rugby Europe Conference 1 North W 28 - 18
October 29, 2022  Croatia Stockholm, Sweden Rugby Europe Trophy W 37 - 17
November 5, 2022   Switzerland Malmö, Sweden Rugby Europe Trophy L 12 - 69
March 18, 2023  Ukraine Split, Croatia Rugby Europe Trophy L 38 - 15
April 1, 2023  Lithuania Siauliai, Lithuania Rugby Europe Trophy W 15 - 18
28 October 2023  Czech Republic Stockholm, Sweden Rugby Europe Trophy W 48 - 37
4 November 2023   Switzerland Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland Rugby Europe Trophy L 23 - 12
18 November 2023  Croatia Makarska, Croatia Rugby Europe Trophy W 20 - 22
23 March 2024  Lithuania Siauliai, Lithuania Rugby Europe Trophy W 8 - 27
6 April 2024  Ukraine Trelleborg, Sweden Rugby Europe Trophy

Record

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Sweden national XV at test level up until 23 March 2024:

Against Played Won Lost Drawn % Won
 Andorra 5 2 3 0 40%
 Armenia 1 1 0 0 100%
 Austria 2 2 0 0 100%
 Belgium 12 4 8 0 33.33%
 Croatia 6 5 1 0 83.33%
 Czech Republic 8 4 4 0 50%
 Czechoslovakia 8 0 7 1 0%
 Denmark 49 36 10 3 73.47%
 East Germany 3 0 3 0 0%
 Finland 3 3 0 0 100%
 Gibraltar 1 0 1 0 0%
 Germany 4 1 3 0 25%
 Hungary 4 4 0 0 100%
 Israel 3 3 0 0 100%
 Latvia 13 9 4 0 69.23%
 Lithuania 10 7 2 1 60%
 Luxembourg 7 6 1 0 85.71%
 Malta 4 1 3 0 25%
 Moldova 3 2 1 0 66.67%
 Netherlands 19 1 18 0 5.26%
 Norway 7 7 0 0 100%
 Poland 14 1 12 1 7.14%
 Portugal 2 0 2 0 0%
 
Serbia and Montenegro
5 3 2 0 60%
 Soviet Union 2 0 2 0 0%
 Spain 2 0 2 0 0%
  Switzerland 8 6 2 0 75%
 Tunisia 1 0 1 0 0%
 Ukraine 7 0 7 0 0%
 West Germany 5 2 3 0 40%
Total 213 106 101 6 49.77%

Honours

  • 2012 Champions European Nations Cup Division 2
  • 2022 Champions Rugby Europe Conference 1 North

References

  1. ^ "Sweden – World Rugby – Hall of Fame".
  2. ^ "Men's Rankings | World Rugby".
  3. ^ http://iof3.idrottonline.se/SvenskaRugbyforbundet/Nyheter/Senastenytt/HerrXVSkrallmotPolen/[dead link]
  4. ^ https://www.scorespro.com/rugby-union/europe/teams/sweden-MTAwNTAz/[bare URL]

External links