The ball's gone dead - restart!

First up, a quick look at what the new season has in store in the aftermath of the National Team's campaign.

 

So that’s it. Another cycle of the European Nations Cup has come to an end and the result is that Finland will drop down to Division 3, leaving Suomi at the bottom of the IRB rankings. Of the 8 ENC matches played since the cycle started in 2010, we took just one win – the memorable victory over Greece in Helsinki last June. Many will dwell on the near misses, particularly both matches against the Bulgarians, and to the casual observer it would seem that Finnish rugby has now hit rock bottom. Maybe not.

I have had the privilege of being involved in Finnish rugby for around 18 months now; a mere instant compared to some guys on the domestic scene, but long enough to notice the rapid evolution. The 2011 season has been described by many as the most exciting and competitive season in the history of Finnish rugby. In contrast to previous seasons, it was a competition where no team could be called an easy match, with every club earning at least one victory. Not one match was forfeited and there was no sign of the 50-point walkovers that had been abundant in the past.

The offseason was a time of expansion with Division 1 (previously the Finnish Cup) making big progress. Thanks to the work of some truly dedicated individuals in each club, rugby is gaining serious momentum in the Land of 1,000 Lakes – so much so that new sub-divisions have had to be created to accommodate all the teams! 2012 sees the arrival of brand new clubs including Pori, Kotka, Porvoo, Joensuu and Hämeenlinna. Pori and Rauma have so many players this year that they all but bit my head off when I informed them that 15s would be unlikely in our Division 1 tournaments! Turku Eagles and Jyväskylä are also fielding Division 1 teams for the first time which reflects the success of well-placed advertising and friendly badgering.

Ladies rugby is certainly not just an afterthought either, with Pori and Helsinki now providing a great opportunity for more women to get involved in our sport. Finland’s ladies have battled admirably on the international circuit and the arrival of new players can do nothing but strengthen their future prospects.

 

(photo by Rod McCracken: Eagles' centre Pieter Le Roux takes down Warriors' Erik Pekkola) 

The SM-sarja has kicked off in revolutionary fashion, with Eagles taking their first win since 2004 over the reigning champions of the past 4 years, Helsinki Warriors, which will surely put other teams on alert. Tampere also started strongly against Jyväskylä in tough weather conditions to reaffirm their status as contenders. Helsinki Rugby Club's 2nd XV have won consecutive rounds of Division 1 East, while in the Western Division Rauma continued their dominant form, overcoming impressive newcomers Pori as well as Eagles' 2nd team. Finally in the Northern Division Jyväskylä's 2nd team and Oulu have both claimed victories so far.  With the first Helsinki SM derby coming up on 30^th June, the 2012 competition promises to be a thriller!

(photo by Rod McCracken: newcomers Pori made an impressive entrance to Finnish rugby)