This means that seven teams will participate in the tournament. The champion title will be defended by the “Baltic XL-Livonia” (Latvia) team, and the Šiauliai teams “Vairas-Kalvis-Jupoja”, “Baltrex-Šiauliai”, Vilnius “Geležinis vilkas”, Kaunas “Ąžuolas” and “Šiauliai-Exto” will test their strength in the league again.
Read more August 8 Horoscope: One Zodiac Sign Awaits a True Surge of Happiness
“We are glad that the Stockholm club has joined the Baltic rugby ‘Top’ league. This will not only strengthen the championship but also give it even more international prestige. We are confident that the Swedes will be a very serious opponent for all teams, so this season will be full of intriguing and unpredictable duels, and predicting results will be very difficult. Such matches will provide invaluable experience for all league participants. We are eager to start the season and see top-level battles on the field,” said league manager Justinas Vasiliauskas.
The regular season will start on Saturday and finish on October 3, with teams playing a single round system. Later, the four strongest teams will continue in the semifinals, while the rest will compete for 5th-7th places.
The semifinal matches are planned for October 10, and the final will take place on October 17.
Stockholm “Exiles” will debut in the league on August 16 with a match in Šiauliai against “Šiauliai-Exto”. The other teams will start this weekend.
On Saturday at 12 p.m., the vice-champion Šiauliai “Vairas-Kalvis-Jupoja” club will meet Vilnius “Geležinis vilkas” at home, and at 5 p.m. in the same Šiauliai rugby stadium, “Baltrex-Šiauliai” will play against Kaunas “Ąžuolas”. On Sunday at 2 p.m., “Baltic XL-Livonia” will host “Šiauliai-Exto”.
Read more US Senate passed a bill on wide-ranging sanctions against Russia
Another innovation is the Baltic “Top” league First Division tournament established this year. It features the reserve teams of Lithuanian and Latvian teams.
In the first round matches, Vilnius “Geležinis vilkas 2” crushed the “Latvian Rugby Academy-Livonia” team away 55:0, and Šiauliai “Citma-Domo baldai” defeated “Baltrex reserves” at home 54:12.
In the second round, “Citma-Domo baldai” beat the “Latvian Rugby Academy-Livonia” rugby players away 39:19.
Read more A major turning point in Russia: Putin will not like it
