Host nation Spain Runner-up Spain | Champions England Matches played 16 | |
Date 30 April 2011–
7 May 2011 Countries England
Finland
France
Italy
Netherlands
Russia
Spain
Sweden | ||
The 2011 Women's European Trophy was the 16th rugby tournament organised by FIRA for the continent's national teams. The venues were in and around A Coruña in Spain, and the games have been played between 30 April and 7 May.
Following Jean-Claude Baqué's statement before the 2010 tournament regarding the aims of the European Trophy, all Six Nations teams were to be "A" teams, and their matches were therefore not "tests". However, though they were called "France A" the French team were their main squad, while Italy "A" teams included 17 of the 22 players from the squad that beat Scotland in the Six Nations a few weeks before. England "A" was also a stronger than normal selection - 11 players had full international caps, including six who had played in the 2011 Six Nations.
Some of the largest crowds ever to watch women's rugby in Spain attended the home team's games, rising from 1,500 for their opening fixture to a near capacity 2,500 for the final.
All games were 35 minutes each way.