Malta team chalks up two wins in Germany
12 Euro sides in IRB trial
The Malta Sevens national team improved its position in the world rankings after finishing eighth in the first European Sevens Championship in Heidelberg, Germany, last weekend.
Graham Richards' men had two wins in the 12-team experimental competition, launched by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to introduce a tournament similar to the World Sevens Series but on a regional scale.
In Group B Malta finished fourth after beating the Czech Republic 24-12 and Holland 19-17. However, Georgia, Portugal and Ukraine were stronger propositions for the Maltese.
Georgia beat Malta 24-12, eventual tournament winners Portugal showed their true superiority, defeating Malta 32-0 and Ukraine won 24-5.
Group A was composed of France, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Germany.
Malta then qualified for the Plate Event, suffering two further upsets against Lithuania, 28-0, and Poland, 12-5.
The Malta Sevens national squad was composed of ten players skippered by Mark Cuschieri.
The best performer for Malta was Oliver Sacco who, incidentally, was making his Sevens debut.
The Malta Rugby Federation Union will again take part in the same tournament next season. The team was also invited to play in similar events in Spain, Poland and Holland.