The Bulgarian national rugby team lost 23:26 to Moldova as hosts at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Sofia. The match was part of Group C of the European Conference – the third level of continental rugby for men.
After this defeat, the Bulgarians are third in the standings with an asset of 5 points (one win and two losses), behind the leader Ukraine with 14 and Moldova with 8. Turkey remains in last position with one point.
The match did not start well for the hosts, who were 11:20 behind at the break after defensive lapses, despite the try by Tsvetostin Tsvetkov and the two accurate free kicks by captain Petar Nikolov.
After the break, the “lions“ showed character and scored two tries, but the opponent responded with accurate free kicks. In the final seconds, Nikolov added a difficult addition after a Kostadin Debrenliev essay, but this was not enough to turn the tables.
Thus, Moldova made up for the defeat in Sofia last year. The Bulgarians' only success so far in the group remains the victory over Turkey in the autumn, in the debut match of the coach Ivaylo Ivanov.
The Bulgarian Rugby Federation thanked the players and fans, emphasizing that the team showed heart and will move forward with confidence and unity.