Belgium
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Diables Noirs / Zwarte Duivels (Black Devils)
UnionBelgian Rugby Federation
Head coachLaurent Dossat
CaptainJens Torfs
Most capsAlan Williams (69)
Top scorerAlan Williams (733)
Top try scorerBaptiste Lescarboura (11)
Julien Berger (11)
Home stadiumStade Communal Fallon
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current29 (as of 13 March 2023)
Highest21 (2012, 2013)
Lowest55 (2004)
First international
 Netherlands 0–6 Belgium 
(Amsterdam, Netherlands; 1 July 1930)
Biggest win
 United Arab Emirates 3-94 Belgium 
(Dubai, UAE; 8 December 2012)
Biggest defeat
 Romania A 83-5 Belgium 
(Bucharest, Romania; 19 April 1996)
Biggest defeat by full international
 Spain 77–0 Belgium 
(Madrid, Spain; 8 December 1996)
Websitewww.rugby.be

The Belgium national rugby union team (French: Équipe nationale de Belgique de Rugby de XV) (German: Belgische Rugby-Nationalmannschaft) represents Belgium in men's international rugby union competitions, nicknamed Diables Noirs / Zwarte Duivels (Black Devils). They are yet to participate in a Rugby World Cup and currently compete in the first division of the Rugby Europe International Championships, which they have been playing in since 2023. Rugby union in Belgium is administered by the Belgian Rugby Federation.

History

The Belgium rugby team played their first match on 13 March 1932 against the Netherlands. They contested annual games against the Netherlands for half a decade starting in 1932. They drew the 1932 game, but lost subsequent matches during the 1930s. They also played Italy and Germany in 1937, losing both games.

During the 1950s, Belgium continued playing the Netherlands, as well as teams like Spain. They managed to obtain a draw in the 1960s against Portugal. In the 1970s they won the majority of their games, as well as playing a broader range of European nations. This trend continued throughout the 1980s. Belgium had a six-game winning streak in the late 1980s. They began playing more games against their regular European opponents as they entered the 1990s. A Belgium side played the Argentina national rugby union team prior to the 2007 Rugby World Cup. A Belgium XV played the Barbarians on 24 May 2008.

Belgium has been steadily improving, ranked number 55th in 2004, the 'Black Devils' improved a whole lot on the following years, obtaining good results against other European Nations, gaining entry to the IRB Ranking's Top 30 in 2010. Since their induction to the first 30 rugby nations in the international ranking, they have managed to maintain their place.

Belgium had a very successful campaign during the 2010-2012 European Nations Cup, with a 10 match winning streak from March 2011 to December 2012. Currently, Belgium plays in the top division of the Rugby Europe International Championships.

Jacques Rogge, the former International Olympic Committee president, was a member of the Belgium national team.

Rugby World Cup qualification

  • 1987 - Not invited
  • 1991 - Did not qualify
  • 1995 - Did not qualify
  • 1999 - Did not qualify
  • 2003 - Did not qualify
  • 2007 - Did not qualify
  • 2011 - Did not qualify
  • 2015 - Did not qualify
  • 2019 - Did not qualify
  • 2023 - Did not qualify

Current squad

Belgium's 23-man squad for their November international match against Canada on 13 November 2021.

  • Head Coach: England Mike Ford
  • Note - Players in Italics denotes uncapped players.

Record

Men's World Rugby Rankings
Top 30 as of 25 December 2023[1]
RankChange*TeamPoints
1 Steady South Africa094.54
2 Steady Ireland090.57
3 Steady New Zealand089.80
4 Steady France087.81
5 Steady England085.46
6 Steady Scotland083.43
7 Steady Argentina080.68
8 Steady Wales080.64
9 Steady Australia077.48
10 Steady Fiji076.38
11 Steady Italy075.93
12 Steady Japan074.27
13 Steady Portugal072.78
14 Steady Georgia072.68
15 Steady Samoa072.23
16 Steady Tonga071.57
17 Steady United States067.94
18 Steady Uruguay067.39
19 Steady Romania063.28
20 Steady Spain062.86
21 Steady Canada060.90
22 Steady Namibia060.56
23 Steady Chile060.49
24 Steady Hong Kong059.80
25 Steady Russia058.06
26 Steady  Switzerland056.29
27 Steady Netherlands055.84
28 Steady Brazil055.37
29 Steady Belgium054.58
30 Steady South Korea053.46
* Change from the previous week
Belgium's historical rankings
See or edit source data.
Source: World Rugby[1]
Graph updated to 25 December 2023

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Belgium national XV at test level up until 19 March 2023.

Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn Win %
 Armenia10100.0%
 Barbarians10100.0%
 Brazil10100.0%
 Canada30300.0%
 Croatia422050%
 Czech Republic742157.14%
 Czechoslovakia615016.67%
 Denmark531160%
 Fiji10100.0%
 Georgia70700.0%
 Germany1265154.55%
 Hong Kong413025%
 Italy20200.0%
 Latvia211050%
 Lithuania3300100%
 Luxembourg4400100%
 Malta2200100%
 Moldova752071.43%
 Monaco1100100%
 Morocco413025%
 Netherlands472320448.94%
 Poland1239025%
 Portugal16311218.75%
 Romania1001000.0%
 Russia716014.29%
 Samoa10100.0%
 Serbia and Montenegro871087.5%
 Slovenia321066.67%
 Spain17214111.76%
 Sweden1284066.67%
  Switzerland954055.56%
 Tunisia513120%
 Ukraine633050%
 United Arab Emirates1100100%
 Uruguay10100.0%
 West Germany641166.67%
 Zimbabwe1100100.0%
Total236981261241.53%
Germany playing Belgium in Qualifiers for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
Poland playing Belgium in Qualifiers for the 2011 Rugby World Cup

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Men's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
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