The concept for hosting this specific tournament has been developing within the Kaunas rugby academy for an extended period. Recently, coaches Simon Rašytis and Irmantas Urbaitis took the initiative to elevate the standard of Lithuanian rugby and offer valuable international match experience to promising Lithuanian players. In recent years, the development pathway for the nation’s athletes has seen the formation of a dedicated U18 team, which serves as a structured preparatory step toward the senior national men’s squad.
Previously, the Lithuanian rugby federation successfully organized an international “Crossborder” youth tournament in collaboration with “Rugby Europe.”
However, due to scheduling changes, the planned tournament for the current year did not materialize. To address this gap in high-level competition, the “Rising Nations” tournament was organized. This event aims to maintain the competitive momentum for the young athletes while continuing the development goals set by the academy and the federation.
The focus remains on providing consistent, high-quality exposure to international rugby standards, ensuring that the next generation of Lithuanian players continues to gain crucial experience necessary for sustained growth within the sport.
Topics: #rugby #lithuanian #took
