Denmark national rugby union team

Denmark
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameDanish Lions
UnionDansk Rugby Union
Head coachAndreas Robertson
CaptainMikkel Andresen
First colours
World Rugby ranking
Current71 (as of 17 January 2025)
Highest71 (17 January 2025)
Lowest77 (29 January 2024)
First international
Denmark Denmark 0 – 6 Sweden Sweden
(1949-10-23)
Biggest win
Denmark Denmark 127 – 5 Estonia Estonia
(2018-04-28)
Biggest defeat
Denmark Denmark 7 – 104 Russia Russia
(2000-05-13)

The Denmark national rugby union team is governed by Danish Rugby Union and has been playing international rugby since 1949.

DRU now has nearly 2,500 members in more than 30 clubs.[1]

The DRU Superliga is the highest tier of the national rugby union competition in Denmark. Most of the national team's players play in the local league, however a handful of them play in amateur clubs in England, Sweden and France. There are no professional players that play for Denmark.

The national side is ranked 71st in the world, as of 17th January 2025.[2]

The national side play in Rugby Europe's Conference division: https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/competitions/re-men-s-conference-2024-25 regularly playing sides like Finland and Norway.

History

Rugby Union had been played in Denmark since 1931, but the Danish Rugby Union (DRU) wasn't formed until 1950. The DRU joined the Sports Confederation of Denmark and Rugby Europe in 1971. In 1974, the DRU co-founded the Nordic Rugby Union (now Scandinavian Rugby Union), and in 1988, the DRU joined the International Rugby Board.[3]

The Danish First XV, known as Drusse, participates every year in the European Nation Tournament. In Europe, Denmark is ranked as a second-division side.

Championship tournaments determine seeding for World Cup qualifying pools. Denmark debuted in World Cup competition in October 1992, during qualification for the 1995 Rugby World Cup. They have never qualified for the World Cup, however.

Overall Record

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Denmark national XV at test level up until 15 November 2025, updated after match with  Lithuania.

AgainstPlayedWonLostDrawnWin percentage
 Andorra211050%
 Armenia20200%
 Austria651083.33%
 Belgium513120%
 Bulgaria10100%
 Croatia60510%
 Czech Republic20200%
 Estonia2200100%
 Finland1073070%
 Georgia10100%
 Germany918011.11%
 Gibraltar2200100%
 Hungary431075%
 Israel523040%
 Latvia431075%
 Lithuania3300100%
 Luxembourg523040%
 Malta211050%
 Moldova211050%
 Morocco10100%
 Netherlands100910%
 Norway21191190.48%
 Poland40400%
 Portugal20200%
 Russia30300%
 Serbia623133.33%
 Slovenia624033.33%
 Spain10100%
 Sweden531040318.87%
  Switzerland1053250%
 Ukraine312033.33%
 West Germany30300%
Total195741111037.95%

Current squad

Starting line-up for the 2023-24 Rugby Europe Conference match against Finland.

  • Caps & age not updated.
  • Head coach: Andreas Robertson
  • Managers: Palle Andersen & Ruben Garcia Pedersen
  • Assistant coaches: Chris Adby & Rich Groom
  • Head Physio: August Enevoldsen

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

PlayerPositionDate of birth (age)CapsClub/province
Bulela ButshekeProp7Denmark RK Speed
Marcus BorupHooker2England Chelmsford R.F.C.
Zak UnderwoodProp1England Hammersmith & Fulham RFC
Kenny Uddal CalmarLock20Denmark Aarhus RK
Hamish CoventryLock6Denmark Frederiksberg RK
Jeppe Maagaard HolmFlanker23Denmark RK Speed
Marius FricaultFlanker2Denmark RK Speed
Mikkel Andresen (c)Number 819England Kenilworth RFC
Thorbjorn VestergaardScrum-half23Denmark Aarhus RK
Oliver HvassFly-half4Denmark RK Speed
Victor HounouWing5Denmark RK Speed
Joshua JensenCentre41England Swindon RFC
Simon Maagaard HolmCentre6Denmark RK Speed
Rasmus MadumWing7Denmark Frederiksberg RK
Mads Søgaard JørgensenFullback2Denmark RK Speed
Ali KamilProp3Denmark RK Speed
Nicholas BertelsenProp1Denmark RK Speed
Rasmus Brofeldt??1Denmark RK Speed
Adam van Geyzel??1Denmark Aarhus RK
Nils Hagen??1Sweden Lugi Lions RFC
Axel Örn PeturssonFlanker4Denmark CSR-Nanok
Henry Miller??0Denmark Frederiksberg RK
Otto Käszner??4Denmark Frederiksberg RK

Recent call-ups

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

PlayerPosDate of birth (age)CapsClubLatest call-up
Emil Svinth AagaardHookerDenmark Frederiksberg RKv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Michael Friis LarsenPropDenmark Aalborg RKv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Federico HaedoFlankerArgentina San Isidro Clubv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Dan WigginsScrum HalfEngland Hitchin RFCv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Ben WigginsFly HalfEngland Hitchin RFCv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Gerard HounouWingDenmark RK Speedv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023
Alexandros MintsioulisHookerDenmark Frederiksberg RKv. Andorra Andorra, 30 September 2023

References

  1. ^ "IRB Denmark". IRB.com. Archived from the original on 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  2. ^ worldrugby.org. "Women's and Men's Rankings | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  3. ^ "DRU History". DRU. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
  • Danish Rugby Union – Official Site
  • Denmark Archived 2016-08-09 at the Wayback Machine on rugbydata.com
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