The Netherlands’ under-20 rugby team became the European champion by beating Belgium 26-16 in the European Youth Championship final. Thanks to winning the European Championship, the Netherlands U20 team is in the top 20 in the world. And that offers a lot of perspective.
The Netherlands’ best youth team rises from third to second at international level and participates in the World Champions Cup. The Dutch team is competing with much larger rugby nations such as England, Scotland, Tonga and Samoa, leaving behind countries such as Romania, Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
Also in 2021, the men of the “big” orange managed to level up. This gave the Netherlands “developing country” status, which resulted in significant “development money” flowing from international rugby union. This European Championship victory also brings money.
“This was the first milestone, the second in two years,” says Rugby Netherlands coach Kristof Vanhout. “This puts us in the second tier of international youth rugby. It wasn’t a big surprise that we won the European championship, that was our goal. But this is a big step.”
World Cup is coming soon
The group of youngsters who won the European Championship final against Belgium today should form the future foundations of the Dutch team. Opportunities for next year already exist in this respect, says Vanhout.
“Four more countries will take part in the 2024 Rugby World Cup compared to the previous one. We have a good chance of being there. “And then the kids who won the European Championship today will undoubtedly join the race.”
Recently, the Dutch association included a number of players with dual nationality (for example, from England or South Africa) in the selection of the major Dutch team.
Vanhout does not believe these rugby players will stand in the way of the Dutch under-20 talent. “Our courses are only ten years old. New generations are now being formed. These naturalized kids in the ‘big’ orange make time for it.
In the Czech Republic, the Netherlands took a step towards future success. “We are no longer ‘little Netherlands’, we are a real rugby country followed by sports fans. “The Netherlands is becoming an increasingly good environment for young talent.”
South African Rugby captain Siya Kolisi wished success to the Netherlands in the final of the Dutch O20 European Championship.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
