Country Finland National team Finland First played 1978 | Governing body Suomen Rugbyliitto Nickname(s) SRL Registered players 577 | |
Rugby union in Finland is a minor but growing sport. They are currently ranked 92nd by World Rugby World Rugby.
Contents
Governing body
The governing body is the Finnish Rugby Federation (Suomen Rugbyliitto) ((English):
History
Finland was the last of the major Nordic countries to take up rugby. Both Denmark and Sweden started playing rugby in the 20th century, and more recently Norway in the 1980s and 1990s. Neighbouring Russia and to a lesser extent Estonia started playing within the Soviet Era, during the 1950s and 60s.
Finnish rugby started to grow during the 1990s, and early 21st century. There are now 577 players registered with the SRL.
In 2000, Helsinki RFC made Finnish rugby history, when they beat a team from HMS Sheffield, a vessel in the British Royal Navy
Teams
Currently Finland fields four national teams. Men 15s, Women 7s as well as the U20 and U17 age groups.
Domestic competition
Several competitions exist in Finland where climatic conditions dictate the main 15 a side season being played during the northern summer. Women play 7s on artificial grass from January to May.