Walferdange Rugby Ladies and Rugby Mechelen;
Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu
On Saturday 28 March 2026, Luxembourg’s Walferdange Rugby Ladies played their final home match of the season in the Belgian Third Division, “LAD D3 Gold”, suffering a defeat against Rugby Mechelen.
The Luxembourg team went into the match following four consecutive defeats, which players attributed in part to a lack of available squad members. “In several games, we were playing with eleven or twelve players against fifteen or more,” explained Corrine Brewer, one of the team’s most experienced players.
Against Mechelen, however, Walferdange fielded a full squad and even had one substitute available. Played in rainy conditions, the match was characterised by physical contests, with the wet surface making it difficult for both teams to maintain high speed and fluid play.
The visitors opened the scoring with a try, while midway through the first half the Belgian side lost one of their players due to a knee injury. The closing minutes before the break were dominated by Walferdange, who created several attacking opportunities but were unable to convert them into points. The teams went into the break with the score at 0-5.
“The coaches said the motivation was there, but we lacked structure in the first half. We managed to improve that after the break, and overall the second half was better,” said Corrine Brewer.
Early in the second half, the hosts managed to break through the opposition defence. A quick move down the right wing was finished by Corrine Brewer, bringing the score level at 5-5.
Walferdange came close to adding more points in the following attack, but Mechelen defended well. Midway through the half, the visitors restored their lead with a try to make it 10-5 and added a further five points towards the end of the match, which ultimately finished 5-15.
“The score, honestly, is not that bad. We were playing the top-ranked team in our division, and to come away with a 5-15 result for them, I’m very happy. It’s only three tries,” said team captain Francesca Black. She added: “Of course, it’s a bit frustrating as I think we could have done more. But it was a good game and I’m happy with the energy everyone put in. We are reaching the end of the season, we’ve had a lot of games with not enough players, and everyone is tired. Overall, I’m happy with the performance.”
Walferdange Rugby Ladies are set to play their final match of the season away against RC Mons on Saturday 25 April 2026.
In the meantime, the team plans to focus on maintaining fitness and developing individual skills ahead of the next season, rather than preparing for competitive fixtures. Training sessions will continue in a more relaxed setting, with an emphasis on gradual improvement and recovery after a demanding schedule.
Francesca Black also noted that this period offers an opportunity for newcomers to get involved: “Once we’ve played our last game, there will be less pressure and trainings are open to everyone. It’s a great time for people to come and try the sport in a relaxed environment.” She added: “Everybody can play rugby. We will teach you the sport. Even if you don’t know it, you just need to have the interest. If you want to play, we’ll do the rest.”
