SECOND CHANCE SALOON

Against the odds, Belgium are within touching distance of a first Rugby World Cup appearance

- Words FRANCISCO ISAAC

UNEXPECTED, DRAMATIC, astonishing. That was Belgium's 31-10 Rugby Europe Championship win in Amsterdam last March that booked them a spot in the World Rugby Repêchage tournament in November, with Laurent Dossat's men now three games away from a first-ever Rugby World Cup qualification.

Most said it was an impossible goal to achieve, not only because Georgia, Romania, Spain and Portugal all stood in their way but also the Netherlands, who had ascended as the fifth power in Europe's second tier. However, the devil was in the details and Belgium put an end to all theories to outplay the Dutch and claim fifth place in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe tournament.

But how was it possible? How did a nation go from competing at Trophy level to become a force to be taken seriously in under three years? Skipper Jens Torfs breaks down Belgium's journey since 2018. "Seven years ago, we defeated Spain and it seemed we were on our way up," he says.

"But then we struggled at all levels and had to go back to the drawing board. We had to undergo changes. We dropped to the Rugby Europe Trophy but slowly got back to our feet.