Following their silver medal performance in Croatia in the first stage of the European Championship, Monaco’s national rugby sevens team continued their impressive performance at the second stage in Chișinău, Moldova, finishing fifth overall. The result secured Monaco a fourth-place finish in the overall standings, a significant achievement for a team competing in its first season back in the Trophy division.
Monaco made a strong start to the tournament, opening with a 47-7 victory over Malta, before a 12-12 draw against Croatia. In their final pool match, Monaco fell 27-0 to a strong Swedish side, but still secured qualification for the quarterfinals, where David Bolgashvili’s team faced Sweden once again.
This battle proved to be a much closer contest. After trailing then taking the lead, Monaco was level with Sweden at the end of regulation time. Sweden eventually found the points in extra time, claiming a 24-19 victory and ending Monaco’s hopes of a semifinal appearance.
Despite the disappointment from a tough loss, Monaco bounced back quickly in the classification matches. Monaco defeated Hungary 14-12 before overcoming Croatia 26-14 to secure fifth place in the second stage of the European Trophy Championship.
After the two stages, Monaco finished level with Turkey in the race for a podium position. However, points difference ultimately separated the two, with Turkey taking the final place in the top three.
Nevertheless, Monaco’s fourth-place finish in their return season to the Trophy division marks the best campaign in the nation’s history at this level. The results highlight the progress made by the programme and confirms Monaco’s growing status, as they are currently ranked as the 16th rugby sevens nation in Europe.
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Photo credit: ©Travis Prior – Rugby Europe