Poland national rugby union team

Poland

Nicknames	Biało-czerwoni (The White and Reds)
Emblem	Eagle
Union	Polish Rugby Union
Head coach	Kamil Bobryk
Captain	Grzegorz Buczek
Most caps	Stanislaw Więciorek (65)
Top scorer	Janusz Urbanowicz (205)
Home stadium	Narodowy Stadion Rugby Stadion ŁKS Stadion Widzewa
First colours Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current	34 (as of 20 March 2023)
Highest	25 (2012, 2013)
Lowest	42 (2010)
First international
Poland 9–8 East Germany (Łódź, Poland 24 August 1958)
Biggest win
Poland 74–0 Norway (Riga, Latvia 24 September 1994)
Biggest defeat
Portugal 65–3 Poland (Gdansk, Poland 11 February 2023)
Website	www.pzrugby.pl

Men's World Rugby Rankings

Top 30 as of 4 November 2024

Rank	Change	Team	Points
1		Ireland	092.12
2		South Africa	091.77
3		New Zealand	089.67
4		France	086.96
5		England	084.43
6		Argentina	084.30
7		Scotland	083.39
8		Italy	079.98
9	1	Australia	079.32
10	1	Fiji	079.07
11		Wales	076.04
12		Georgia	074.10
13		Samoa	072.68
14		Japan	072.31
15		Portugal	070.61
16		Tonga	068.12
17		Uruguay	067.39
18		Spain	066.29
19		United States	065.70
20		Romania	062.62
21		Chile	061.60
22		Canada	060.81
23		Hong Kong	060.40
24		Russia	058.06
25		Namibia	057.87
26	1	Netherlands	057.29
27	3	Belgium	056.51
28	2	Switzerland	056.04
29	1	Zimbabwe	056.03
30	1	Brazil	055.62

Poland's historical rankings

See or edit source data.

Source: World Rugby
Graph updated to 4 November 2024

The Poland national rugby union team (Polish: Reprezentacja Polski w rugby) represents Poland in men's international rugby union competitions. Nicknamed The White and Reds (Biało-czerwoni), is considered one of the stronger tier 3 teams in European rugby and currently compete in the second division of the Rugby Europe International Championships in the Rugby Europe Trophy, a competition which is just below the Rugby Europe Championship where the top 6 countries in Europe (apart from the teams in the 6 nations) compete. They are yet to participate in any Rugby World Cup and often play in white with red shorts as well as in red with white shorts.

History

Main article: Rugby union in Poland

Poland made their international debut against East Germany in 1958 in Łódź, which they won by just one point, 9–8. Later that year they played West Germany in Krasnoyarsk, who defeated them 11–3. The following year they played two matches at Dinamo Stadion in Bucharest, defeating Czechoslovakia and then losing to Romania. Poland continued to contest internationals with these nations over the coming years.

They defeated East Germany in Grimma the 1971, this was followed by strong form from the Polish, winning matches against the Netherlands, Morocco, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. In 1975 Poland played Italy in Treviso, and lost 13–28. In 1977 Poland played a France XV again, and lost 9–26; also that year they played Italy, and lost by only six points, with the final score being 6–12. They played a France XV again in 1978, losing 24–35. They also defeated Spain that year.

Poland played Italy in 1979, losing 3–13, and then played a France XV the following year, though they did not perform as well as previous meetings, losing 42–0. A subsequent match against a France XV in 1981 saw the France XV defeat Poland 49–6. A match between the two sides in 1984 produced a good result for the Polish, losing 19–3. A match against the Italian Barbarians the following year produced the same scoreline.

In 1987 Poland played two Italian teams, the Italian Barbarians and Italy under-21, although they lost to the Barbarians, they won against the under-21 team. Poland did not play at the 1987 World Cup. In 1990 they played the full Italy team in Naples, losing 34–3. Poland did not play in the 1991 World Cup in England. From 1992 to 1993 Poland won six matches in a row. Russia won five to 41 in a following match.

Poland played Italy A, but lost 19–107. Poland also played Romania in 1998, losing 74–13. Poland were grouped in Pool D of round two of the 2007 Rugby World Cup European qualify tournament. Poland performed very well in the pool, winning all four of their games, and finishing at the top of the pool. This saw them through to Pool A of Round three, but they were knocked out here, finishing fourth in the pool.

In the 2021/2022 season, the Polish team secured 2nd place in the Trophy(2nd Division), trailing behind Belgium. This achievement earned Poland a spot in the Championship (1st Division, for the 2023 and 2024 editions.

During the first edition, unfortunately, Poland suffered its largest defeat in history, losing 65-3 against Portugal. In a subsequent game, Poland secured its first historic victory in the Championship by defeating Belgium in Gdansk, Poland. Despite this milestone, Poland finished 8th, placing last in this edition of the Championship.

Between the two editions, a commemorative friendly match was organized in honor of the Armistice and the Polish National Independence Day, featuring the Polish rugby team and the British Armed Forces team. Held at the National Stadium in Gdansk, the match concluded with a narrow victory for Poland, 17-14, marking a moment of pride and shared remembrance between the two nations.

In the 2024 edition, they lost all their games and finished 8th once again, which resulted in their relegation to the Trophy (2nd division). This marked the last match for the iconic player of the team, Grzegorz Buczek (as a captain), which took place at the Jean Bouin Stadium of the Stade Français club in Paris, in a ranking match against Belgium.

Record

World Cup

World Cup record									World Cup Qualification record
Year	Round	P	W	D	L	F	A		P	W	D	L	F	A
1987	Not Invited								Not Invited
1991	did not qualify								3	1	0	2	61	79
1995									2	1	0	1	28	47
1999									4	1	0	3	58	152
2003									6	5	0	1	177	109
2007									8	5	0	3	188	180
2011									7	3	0	4	94	118
2015									10	5	0	5	208	183
2019									5	3	0	2	73	73
2023									Automatically eliminated
Total	0/9	0	0	0	0	0	0		45	24	0	21	941	862

European Competitions Since 2000

Season	Division	G	W	D	L	PF	PA	+/−	Pts	Pos
2000	European Nations Cup Third Division	4	3	0	1	112	69	+43	10	2nd
2000-01	European Nations Cup Second Division	5	4	0	1	105	53	+52	13	1st
2002-04	European Nations Cup Second Division Pool A	8	2	1	5	130	164	-34	13	4th
2006-08	European Nations Cup Second Division 2B	8	7	0	1	266	67	+199	22	1st
2008-10	European Nations Cup Second Division 2A	7	3	0	4	94	118	-24	13	4th
2010-12	European Nations Cup First Division 1B	10	6	1	3	238	189	+49	31	2nd
2012-14	European Nations Cup First Division 1B	10	5	0	5	208	183	+25	22	4th
2014-16	European Nations Cup First Division 1B	10	4	0	6	191	262	-71	18	5th
2016-17	Rugby Europe Trophy	5	3	0	2	73	73	0	12	4th
2017-18	Rugby Europe Trophy	5	1	0	4	106	147	-41	7	5th
2018-19	Rugby Europe Trophy	5	2	0	3	104	164	-60	10	4th
2019-20	Rugby Europe Trophy	5	1	0	4	44	112	-68	5	6th
2021-22*	Rugby Europe Trophy	3	3	0	0	85	65	+20	12	1st

Overall

Updated on 2 March 2024, after match with Netherlands.

Opponent	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	% Won
Andorra	5	5	0	0	100%
Belgium	17	9	7	1	52.94%
Bulgaria	1	1	0	0	100%
Croatia	3	2	1	0	66.67%
Czechoslovakia	22	11	10	1	50%
Czech Republic	14	7	6	1	50%
Denmark	3	3	0	0	100%
East Germany	2	1	1	0	50%
France	1	0	1	0	0%
France A1	2	0	2	0	0%
France XV	6	0	6	0	0%
Georgia	2	2	0	0	100%
Germany	13	6	7	0	46.15%
Italy	9	1	7	1	11.11%
Italy A	1	0	1	0	0%
Latvia	4	4	0	0	100%
Lithuania	2	2	0	0	100%
Madagascar	1	0	1	0	0%
Malta	3	3	0	0	100%
Moldova	10	4	5	1	40%
Morocco	13	11	2	0	84.62%
Netherlands	22	12	9	1	54.55%
Norway	1	1	0	0	100%
Portugal	13	3	10	0	23.08%
Romania	18	0	18	0	0%
Romania A	1	0	1	0	0%
Russia	4	0	4	0	0%
Serbia and Montenegro	1	1	0	0	100%
Spain	16	6	10	0	37.5%
Sri Lanka	1	0	1	0	0%
Sweden	15	13	1	1	86.67%
Switzerland	7	4	3	0	57.14%
Tunisia	6	4	2	0	66.67%
Ukraine	14	3	11	0	21.43%
Soviet Union	21	1	20	0	4.76%
West Germany	7	4	3	0	57.14%
Yugoslavia	2	0	2	0	0%
Total	282	124	151	7	43.97%

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2021–22 Rugby Europe Trophy match against Switzerland on 20th November 2021.

Head Coach: Christian Hitt

Caps updated: 22nd November 2021, after match with Switzerland.

Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.

Player	Position	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club/province
Kamil Bobryk	Hooker	(1984-02-09) 9 February 1984	48	CS Vienne
Grzegorz Buczek	Hooker	(1986-05-17) 17 May 1986	22	RC Lechia Gdańsk
Thomas Fidler	Prop	(1986-10-22) 22 October 1986	7	Ogniwo Sopot
Radosław Bysewski	Prop	(1993-12-03) 3 December 1993	25	Ogniwo Sopot
Quentin Cieslinski	Prop	(1997-06-28) 28 June 1997	2	ASV Lavaur
Sylwester Gąska	Prop	(2002-02-22) 22 February 2002	4	Ogniwo Sopot
Edward Krawiecki	Lock	(1995-01-01) 1 January 1995	7	Bromsgrove RFC
Mateusz Bartoszek	Lock	(1990-01-20) 20 January 1990	38	RC Bassin d'Arcachon
Krystian Olejek	Lock	(1995-11-28) 28 November 1995	3	Pogoń Siedlce
Michał Krużycki	Lock	(2000-11-28) 28 November 2000	33	RC Lechia Gdańsk
Jan Cal	Back row	(1995-11-08) 8 November 1995	6	Skra Warsaw
Dawid Rubaśniak	Back row	(2000-09-03) 3 September 2000	5	Ebbw Vale
Piotr Zeszutek (c)	Back row	(1991-01-31) 31 January 1991	27	Ogniwo Sopot
Dawid Plichta	Scrum-half	(1992-01-26) 26 January 1992	20	Orkan Sochaczew
Mateusz Plichta	Scrum-half	(1997-09-04) 4 September 1997	16	Ogniwo Sopot
Wojciech Piotrowicz	Fly-half	(1990-03-23) 23 March 1990	18	Ogniwo Sopot
Daniel Gdula	Centre	(2001-01-08) 8 January 2001	18	RC Posnania
Michal Haznar	Centre	(1994-01-17) 17 January 1994	2	Griquas
Siokivaha Taufui Halaifuana	Centre	(2000-11-28) 28 November 2000	3	Skra Warsaw
Ross Cooke	Wing	(2000-01-01) 1 January 2000	7	Tynedale RFC
Stasio Maltby	Wing	(1998-11-28) 28 November 1998	4	Brighton Blues
Krystian Pogorzelski	Fullback	(1996-10-03) 3 October 1996	10	Master Pharm Rugby Łódź
Patryk Reksulak	Fullback	(1998-02-25) 25 February 1998	15	Master Pharm Rugby Łódź

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last 12 months.

Player	Pos	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Club	Latest call-up
Michał Gadomski	Prop	(1995-11-28) 28 November 1995	2	Orkan Sochaczew	v. Germany, 13 November 2021
Marcin Siemaszko	Prop	(1997-11-28) 28 November 1997	2	Juvenia Kraków	v. Germany, 13 November 2021
Adam Piotrowski	Lock	(1997-04-22) 22 April 1997		Ogniwo Sopot	v. Ukraine, 9 October 2021
Jakub Małecki	Lock	(1995-10-29) 29 October 1995	1	Burry Port RFC	v. Germany, 13 November 2021
Jędrek Nowicki	Fly half	(1999-06-04) 4 June 1999		CA Pontarlier	v. Ukraine, 9 October 2021
Szymon Sirocki	Wing	(2000-04-04) 4 April 2000	16	RC Arka Gdynia	v. Germany, 13 November 2021
Artur Fursenko		(2001-01-08) 8 January 2001		Orkan Sochaczew	v. Ukraine, 9 October 2021

Current coaching staff

The current coaching staff of the Polish national team:

Name	Nationality	Role
Maja Lindner	POL	Manager
Kamil Bobryk	POL	Head coach
Tomasz Stępień	POL	Assistant coach
Dr Bartosz Chudzik	POL	Team doctor
Karol Turlo	POL	Physiotherapist

Former coaches

• Marian Bondarowicz (1958–1969)
• Eugeniusz Rogatka (1959–1960)
• Marian Bondarowicz (1960–1961)
• Jan Frankowski (1961)
• Marian Bondarowicz (1962)
• Józef Koter (1963)
• Józef Grochowski (1964)
• Franciszek Nowak (1965)
• Józef Sokołowski (1965–1968)
• Zbigniew Janus (1969–1970)
• Józef Sokołowski (1970)
• Józef Grochowski (1971–1975)
• Józef Sokołowski (1975)
• Ryszard Wiejski (1976–1989)
• Andrzej Kopyt (1990)
• Zdzisław Szczybelski (1990–1991)
• Andrzej Kopyt (1991–1994)
• Ryszard Wiejski & Maciej Powała-Niedźwiecki (1994–1995)
• Maciej Powała-Niedźwiecki (1995–2000)
• Jerzy Jumas (2000–2006)
• Tomasz Putra (2006–2013)
• Marek Płonka (2013–2016)
• Blikkies Groenewald (2016–2017)
• Stanislaw Więciorek (2017–2018)
• Duaine Lindsay (2018–2020)
• Christian Hitt (2021–2024)
• Kamil Bobryk (2021–)

See also

• Rugby union in Poland
• Polski Związek Rugby
• Poland national rugby sevens team
• Poland women's national rugby sevens team
• Sport in Poland

External links

• Polski Związek Rugby - Official Site (in Polish)
• Polish Rugby Portal (in Polish)