Hungary national rugby union team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Hungary women's national rugby union team.

Hungary
Shirt badge/Association crest
UnionHungarian Rugby Union
Head coachRichard Roberts
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current66 (as of 16 January 2023)
Highest64 (23 November 2020)
First international
Hungary Hungary 3 – 7 East Germany 
(1990)
Biggest win
Hungary Hungary 56 – 8 Bosnia and Herz. Bosnia and Herzegovina
(24 September 2005)
Hungary Hungary 53 – 5 Estonia 
(1 October 2016)
Biggest defeat
Czech Republic Czech Republic 64 – 0 Hungary Hungary
(12 October 2019)

The Hungary national rugby union team is governed by the Hungarian Rugby Union. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup, although they have entered qualifiers for all the tournaments from the 1995 edition onwards. They compete annually in the European Nations Cup, currently in Division 2C.

The national side is ranked 68th in the world (as of 29 July 2019).[1]

History

Hungary played their first official match against East Germany in Érd in 1990, losing 3–7, but they played a number of unofficial matches prior to this, mainly against a likewise unofficial Austrian team, including a match in Győr on 1 May 1983.[2]

Hungary first entered the qualifiers for the 1995 World Cup in 1993, being at the wrong end of an 8–67 scoreline against Israel. Things went better in the 1999 qualifying rounds, where they beat Lithuania and Luxembourg, but lost to Andorra and Sweden.

In the 2003 qualifiers, they won against Andorra and Bulgaria, but lost to Bosnia, Yugoslavia (as Serbia was then still known), and Switzerland. The 2007 qualifying was their worst performance to date, losing all four matches played, including a 9–63 thumping by Spain.

Current squad

Squad for opening 2023-24 Rugby Europe Conference match against Austria.

  • Caps & age not updated.
  • Head coach: Richard Roberts

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

Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Tamás Szabó Prop {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Fit World Gorillák RC
Áron Erdélyi Hooker {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Budapest Exiles RFC
Dániel Stevens Prop {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Budapest Exiles RFC
Zsombor Kade Lock {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} France Rouen Normandie Rugby
Alex Hernádi Lock {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Budapest Exiles RFC
Hunor Vodicska Flanker {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Mózes Gyurcsik Flanker {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Battai Bulldogok RK
Thomas Ducrocq Number 8 {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} France FC Lourdes
Márton Sacaze Scrum-half (1997-03-10) 10 March 1997 (age 27) {{{caps}}} Switzerland Servette RC
Marc Koteczky Fly-half {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} England Shelford Rugby Club
Erik Csapó Wing {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Márk Stiglmayer Centre {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Erhard Sovány Centre {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Erik Szalma Wing {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Kornél Kiss Fullback {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
István Szabó Prop {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Honfoglalók Rugby
Sámuel Pataki Hooker {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Battai Bulldogok RK
Dávid Őrsi Prop {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Fehérvár RC
Szabolcs Szőke Lock {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Honfoglalók Rugby
Dániel Talpai Flanker {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Fit World Gorillák RC
Imre Szóda Wing {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Esztergomi Vitézek Rugby SE
Dániel Dragonya Scrum-half {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Battai Bulldogok RK
Bertalan Koltai Wing {{{age}}} {{{caps}}} Hungary Fit World Gorillák RC

Strip

The badge on the shirt derives from the Csodaszarvas, a mythological stag that led the ancient Hungarian people to the Pannonian Basin.

In the Austria match of 1983, they played in presumably white jerseys with either a black or dark green hoop, black shorts, and either black or dark green socks with white tops. After the MRgSz was established, the team reverted to the flag colors of red, white, and green, with the current strip consisting of red shirts and shorts and green socks.

Grounds

Hungary plays its home games at the Budapest Rugby Center in Kincsem Park. Most games, before the new stadium was built in 2019, used to be held in Esztergom.

Record

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by the Hungary national XV at test level up until 26 October 2024:

Against Played Won Lost Drawn Win percentage
 Andorra 4 1 3 0 25%
 Armenia 1 0 1 0 0%
 Austria 13 8 5 0 61.54%
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 4 1 0 80%
 Bulgaria 4 4 0 0 100%
 Croatia 4 0 4 0 0%
 Cyprus 4 0 4 0 0%
 Denmark 4 1 3 0 25%
 Finland 1 1 0 0 100%
 East Germany 1 0 1 0 0%
 Israel 4 1 3 0 25%
 Latvia 2 0 2 0 0%
 Lithuania 8 2 6 0 25%
 Luxembourg 4 2 2 0 50%
 Malta 1 0 1 0 0%
 Moldova 3 0 3 0 0%
 Monaco 1 1 0 0 100%
 Norway 6 6 0 0 100%
 Serbia 3 1 2 0 33.33%
 Slovakia 1 1 0 0 100%
 Slovenia 13 5 8 0 38.46%
 Spain 1 0 1 0 0%
 Sweden 4 0 4 0 0%
  Switzerland 1 0 1 0 0%
 Ukraine 3 0 2 1 0%
Total 95 36 58 1 37.89%

See also

References

  1. ^ "Men's Rankings". Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  2. ^ Team photo vs Austria in 1983 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Included in the photo are current MRgSz Honorary President Lajos Vida-Szűcs and current national team manager and president of Esztergomi Vitézek András Neuzer.