1987–1989 FIRA Trophy
# 1987–1989 FIRA Trophy

The 1987–89 FIRA Trophy was the 27th edition of a European rugby union championship for national teams. It was played along two seasons (1987–1988 and 1988–89).

The tournament was won by France, with a single loss to Soviet Union (17–10) in Kutaisi. Despite facing strong opposition from both Italy and Soviet Union, the French only awarded caps in their games with Romania, who finished in 3rd place, while the Soviets reached the 2nd place. Spain lost all their matches and were relegated.

The winners of the Second division two pools were Poland and Belgium, who faced each other in a final, with the Poles winning (25–23).

## First division

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | diff. | Table points |
| 1 | France | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 241 | 92 | +149 | 22 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 129 | 92 | +37 | 20 |
| 3 | Romania | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 117 | 128 | -11 | 18 |
| 4 | Italy | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 95 | 148 | -53 | 12 |
| 5 | Spain | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 81 | 203 | -122 | 8 |

* Spain relegated to second division
* Point system: try 4 pt, conversion: 2 pt., penalty kick 3 pt. drop 3 pt Click "show" for more info about match (scorers, line-up etc.)
* 25 October 1987

| Romania | 18 - 10 | Soviet Union |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Toader Con: Dumitru Pen: Dumitru (4) | | Try: Hairulin Pen: Mironov, Sijussar |

* Iași Attendance: 8,000 Referee: N. Camaduro
* 7 November 1987

| Soviet Union | 12 - 9 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Mironov (3) Drop: Sijussar | | Pen: Bettarello (3) |

* Kishinev Attendance: 8,000 Referee: M. Lamoulie
* 11 November 1987

| France | 49 - 3 | Romania |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Andrieu (2), Berot, Lagisquet (2), Ondarts, penalty try Con: Berot (6) Pen: Berot (3) | | Drop: Alexandru |

* Stade Armandie, Agen Attendance: 10,417 Referee: Jim Fleming
* 5 December 1987

| Spain | 0 - 13 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| | | Try: de Biase, Gaetaniello Con: Bettarello Pen: Stefano Bettarello |

* Estadi Baldiri Aleu, Sant Boi de Llobregat Attendance: 3,000 Referee: J. Doulcet
* 7 February 1988

| France A1 | 19 - 9 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Bonneval, Deslandes, Gleyze (2) Drop: Trille | | Pen: Ambrosio (3) |

* Stade Louis II, Montecarlo, Monaco Attendance: 7,000 Referee: D. Roelands
* 2 April 1988

| Italy | 3 - 12 | Romania |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Bonomi | | Try: Radulescu Con: Ignat Drop: Ignat |

* San Siro, Milan Attendance: 9,000 Referee: P. Frantschi
* 17 April 1988

| Romania | 16 - 7 | Spain |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Caragea, Piti Con: Ignat Pen: Ignat (3) | | Try: Oller Rodriguez Pen: Díaz Lavilla |

* Focşani Referee: A. Grumbinas
* 23 April 1988

| Soviet Union | 12 - 7 | Spain |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Mironov (2) Drop: Mironov, Dzagnidze | | Try: Chocarro Huesa Pen: Díaz Paternain |

* Municipal Stadium, Kutaisi Attendance: 1,500
* 15 May 1988

| Spain | 16 - 32 | France XV |
| - | - | - |

* Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid Attendance: 9,000
* 22 May 1988

| Soviet Union | 17 - 10 | France XV |
| - | - | - |

* Municipal Stadium, Kutaisi
* 23 October 1988

| Soviet Union | 23 - 9 | Romania |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Molchanov, Tikhonov (2) Con: Dzagnidze Pen: Dzagnidze (3) | | Pen: Dumitru (3) |

* Alma Ata Attendance: 12,000
* 5 November 1988

| Italy | 12 - 18 | Soviet Union |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Bettarello (4) | | Try: Mironov Con: Dzagnidze Pen: Dzagnidze (2) Drop: Mironov |

* Stadio Comunale di Monigo, Treviso Attendance: 15,000 Referee: M. Lamoulie
* 20 November 1988

| Spain | 9-21 | Soviet Union |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Blanco Duelo (2) Drop: Díaz Paternain | | Try: Nechaev, Hairulin Con: Mironov Pen: Mironov (2), Dzagnidze |

* Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid Attendance: 5,000
* 26 November 1988

| Romania | 12 - 16 | France |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Neaga Con: Ignat Pen: Ignat (2) | | Try: Blanco, Lagisquet Con: Berot Pen: Berot (2) |

* Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Attendance: 5,000 Referee: C. Norling
* 19 February 1989

| Italy | 12 - 40 | France A1 |
| - | - | - |
| Pen: Capitani (3) Drop: Tebaldi (2) | | Try: Hondagne-Monge, Lecomte (2), Sallaber (2), Tremouille, Trille Con: Berot (3) Pen: Berot (2) |

* Stadio Mompiano, Brescia Referee: A. Grombinas
* 19 March 1989

| France XV | 57 - 7 | Spain |
| - | - | - |

* Parc des Sports d'Ondarraitz, Hendaye
* 15 April 1989

| Romania | 28 - 4 | Italy |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Boldor, Coman, Ignat, Murariu Con: Ignat (3) Pen: Ignat Drop: Ignat | | Try: Ceselin |

* Dinamo Stadion, Bucharest Referee: Y. Peyrelongue
* 20 May 1989

| France XV | 18 - 16 | Soviet Union |
| - | - | - |

* Valence
* 21 May 1989

| Spain | 16 - 19 | Romania |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Gutiérrez Merelles Pen: Díaz Paternain (4) | | Try: Neaga, Chirila Con: Ignat Pen: Ignat (3) |

* Polideportivo El Saler, Valencia Attendance: 5,000 Referee: A. Condorelli
* 2 June 1989

| Italy | 33 - 19 | Spain |
| - | - | - |
| Try: Ambrosio, Covi, Pietrosanti, Pivetta, Venturi Con: Troiani (3) Pen: Troiani (3) | | Try: Malo, Puertas Soto Con: Díaz Paternain Pen: Tejada Chacon |

* Stadio Tommaso Fattori, L'Aquila Referee: Vasilica

## Second division

### Pool A

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | diff. | Table points |
| 1 | Poland | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 49 | +77 | 18 |
| 2 | Morocco | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 47 | 66 | -19 | 11 |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 78 | 96 | -18 | 10 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 62 | 102 | -40 | 9 |

* 1987

| Tunisia | 6 - 11 | Morocco |
| - | - | - |

* Tunis
* 23 April 1988

| Czechoslovakia | 18 - 9 | Tunisia |
| - | - | - |

* Prague
* 13 May 1988

| Morocco | 7 - 13 | Poland |
| - | - | - |

* Casablanca
* 15 May 1988

| Poland | 18 - 9 | Czechoslovakia |
| - | - | - |

* Sochaczew
* 21 May 1988

| Czechoslovakia | 15 - 0 | Morocco |
| - | - | - |

* Prague
* 29 May 1988

| Poland | 18 - 6 | Morocco |
| - | - | - |

* Kraków
* 1988

| Poland | 21 - 6 | Tunisia |
| - | - | - |

* 25 March 1989

| Morocco | 17 - 8 | Czechoslovakia |
| - | - | - |

* Casablanca
* 5 May 1989

| Tunisia | 26 - 16 | Czechoslovakia |
| - | - | - |

* Tunis
* 20 May 1989

| Czechoslovakia | 12 - 26 | Poland |
| - | - | - |

* Prague
* 1989

| Tunisia | 9 - 30 | Poland |
| - | - | - |

* 1989

| Morocco | 6 - 6 | Tunisia |
| - | - | - |

* Casablanca

### Pool B

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | diff. | Table points |
| 1 | Belgium | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 155 | 103 | +52 | 21 |
| 2 | West Germany | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 139 | 95 | +44 | 18 |
| 3 | Portugal | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 118 | 117 | +1 | 17 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 111 | 115 | -4 | 14 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 66 | 159 | -93 | 10 |

* 25 October 1987

| Netherlands | 15 - 20 | Belgium |
| - | - | - |

* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 15 November 1987

| West Germany | 21 - 24 | Belgium |
| - | - | - |

* Berlin
* 29 November 1987

| Yugoslavia | 6 - 15 | West Germany |
| - | - | - |

* Split
* 13 December 1987

| Portugal | 7 - 13 | Belgium |
| - | - | - |

* Lisbon University Stadium, Lisbon
* 21 February 1988

| Portugal | 16 - 9 | Netherlands |
| - | - | - |

* Municipal Stadium, Lousã
* 20 March 1988

| West Germany | 6 - 3 | Netherlands |
| - | - | - |

* Fritz-Grunebaum-Sportpark, Heidelberg
* 14 April 1988

| Belgium | 18 - 11 | Yugoslavia |
| - | - | - |

* Liège
* 17 April 1988

| Netherlands | 31 - 10 | Yugoslavia |
| - | - | - |

* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 17 April 1988

| Portugal | 13 - 9 | West Germany |
| - | - | - |

* Estádio da Coutada, Arcos de Valdevez
* 8 May 1988

| Yugoslavia | 9 - 22 | Portugal |
| - | - | - |

* Split Attendance: 1,000
* 22 October 1988

| Belgium | 27 - 9 | Netherlands |
| - | - | - |

* 13 November 1988

| Yugoslavia | 9 - 31 | Belgium |
| - | - | - |

* Split
* 20 November 1988

| West Germany | 29 - 6 | Yugoslavia |
| - | - | - |

* Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover
* 27 November 1988

| Yugoslavia | 6 - 0 | Netherlands |
| - | - | - |

* Split
* 10 December 1988

| Belgium | 7 - 16 | West Germany |
| - | - | - |

* Brussels
* 5 April 1989

| Netherlands | 23 - 17 | Portugal |
| - | - | - |

* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 8 April 1989

| Belgium | 15 - 15 | Portugal |
| - | - | - |

* Brussels
* 16 April 1989

| Netherlands | 21 - 13 | West Germany |
| - | - | - |

* Sportpark Berestein, Hilversum
* 22 April 1989

| Portugal | 13 - 9 | Yugoslavia |
| - | - | - |

* Municipal Stadium, Lousã
* 30 April 1989

| West Germany | 30 - 15 | Portugal |
| - | - | - |

* Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadion, Hanover

### Final

* 29 October 1989

| Poland | 25 - 23 | Belgium |
| - | - | - |

* Madrid
* Poland promoted to Division 1

## Third division

| Place | Nation | Games | Games | Games | Games | Points | Points | Points | Table points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Nation | played | won | drawn | lost | for | against | difference | Table points |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 21 | +57 | 12 |
| 2 | Andorra | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 64 | -21 | 6 |
| 3 | Luxembourg | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 57 | -36 | 6 |

* Bulgaria promoted to division 2
* 8 October 1987

| Andorra | 24 - 3 | Luxembourg |
| - | - | - |

* Andorra la Vella
* 28 May 1988

| Bulgaria | 30 - 6 | Andorra |
| - | - | - |

* Sofia
* 1988

| Luxembourg | 4 - 14 | Bulgaria |
| - | - | - |

* Luxembourg
* 23 April 1989

| Luxembourg | 10 - 6 | Andorra |
| - | - | - |

* Luxembourg
* 28 May 1989

| Andorra | 7 - 21 | Bulgaria |
| - | - | - |

* Andorra la Vella
* 1989

| Bulgaria | 13 - 4 | Luxembourg |
| - | - | - |

* Sofia
