View source for Rugby League European Championship B

{{More citations needed|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title           = European Championship B
| current_season  = 2025 Rugby League European Championships
| logo = 
| logo_size = 250px
| sport          = Rugby league
| organiser  =  [[European Rugby League]]
| country    = [[Europe]]
| founded    = {{Start date and age|2006}}
| teams      = 6
| promotion  = [[Rugby League European Championship|European Championship A]]
| relegation = [[Rugby League European Championship C|European Championship C]]
| related_comps   = 
| founder         = 
| levels     = 2
| domestic_cup = 
| confed_cup = 
| champions  = {{rl|Serbia}} (4th title)
| most_champs = {{rl|Serbia}} (4 titles)
| tv         = 
| website    =  
}}

The '''European Championship B''' (formerly the '''European Shield'''), is a [[rugby league]] football competition. The competition is organised by the [[European Rugby League]] and is the second tier of the European Championship competition. It was first held in 2006 as the '''Central Europe Development Tri-Nations'''.

==History==
The competition was first held in 2006 under the name of Central Europe Development Tri Nations, with the aim of developing teams in central and eastern Europe. Up until 2009 the competition was made up of only three teams, until  it was expanded in 2010 to six teams split into two conferences - East and West. In 2011 the competition was reverted back to three teams with Norway and Malta making their debuts. The competition was expanded again the year after though with four teams playing in winter between 2012–13. This was repeated again in the 2014–15 edition of the competition and was used for qualification for the [[2017 Rugby League World Cup|2017 World Cup]]. The 2018 competition was the last year of its current incarnation after a two-year hiatus. In 2020, it was announced promotion and relegation would be introduced with three teams in each division, expanding to six for 2023, with the top team being promoted and the bottom relegated.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/2020/01/29/men-s-european-rugby-league-championships-expanded-in-2020/ | title=Men's European Rugby League Championships expanded in 2020 |website=Rugby League Planet }}</ref>

In March 2025, the [[European Rugby League]] (ERL) announced the return of the tournament for Euro B, C, and D, with the competition returning to a three team per division competition. Competing nations were reseaded based off [[IRL Men's World Rankings|Rank]], with the 2025 and 2026 tournaments confirmed. The ERL stated its aim to restart Euro A in 2027 following the [[2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup]], with the top European teams unable to join earlier due to commitments in the qualification tournament for the World Cup.<ref>https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/2510/three-tier-mens-european-rugby-league-ch</ref>

==Team appearances==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!Team
!Appearances
!Debut
!Most recent
!Best result
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Germany}}
| 7 || 2006 || 2013
| bgcolor=gold| {{sort|1.1|Champions}} (2006, 2011)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Serbia}}
| 5 || 2010 || 2020
| bgcolor=gold| {{sort|1.1|Champions}} (2007, 2010 West, 2014–15, 2020)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Russia}}
| 5 || 2010 || 2020
| bgcolor=gold| {{sort|1.1|Champions}} (2010 East, 2012–13, 2018)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Czech Republic}}
| 4 || 2007 || 2010
| bgcolor=silver| {{sort|1.1|Runners-up}} (2009)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Italy}}
| 4 || 2008 || 2013
| bgcolor=gold| {{sort|1.1|Champions}} (2008, 2009)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Ukraine}}
| 3 || 2010 || 2020
| bgcolor=silver| {{sort|1.1|Runners-up}} (2014–15, 2020)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Austria}}
| 1 || 2006 || 2006
| bgcolor=silver| {{sort|1.1|Runners-up}} (2006)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Estonia}}
| 1 || 2006 || 2006
| style="background:#a67d3d;"| {{sort|1.1|Third place}} (2006)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Latvia}}
| 1 || 2010|| 2010
| style="background:#a67d3d;"| {{sort|1.1|Third place}} (2010 East)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Malta}}
| 1 || 2011 || 2011
| bgcolor=silver| {{sort|1.1|Runners-up}} (2011)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Norway}}
| 1 || 2011 || 2011
| style="background:#a67d3d;"| {{sort|1.1|Third place}} (2006)
|-
| align=left| {{rl|Spain}}
| 1 || 2018|| 2018
| bgcolor=silver| {{sort|1.1|Runners-up}} (2018)
|}

==Results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
|-
!colspan=2 width=5%|Year
!rowspan="25" style="width:1%;background:#fff"|
!width=14%|Champions
!width=14%|Runners-up
!width=14%|Third place
!width=14%|Fourth place
|width="1%" rowspan=19 style="background-color:#ffffff;border-top-style:hidden;border-bottom-style:hidden;"|
!rowspan="1" width="4%"|Number of teams
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|colspan=2|2006<br /><small>''[[2006 European Shield|Details]]''</small> ||'''{{rl-big|GER}}''' ||  {{rl-big|Austria}} || {{rl-big|EST}} || – || 3
|-style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|colspan=2|2007<br /><small>''[[2007 European Shield|Details]]''</small>|| '''{{rl-big|SER}}''' || {{rl-big|GER}} || {{rl-big|Czech Republic}} || – || 3
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|colspan=2|2008<br /><small>''[[2008 European Shield|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|ITA}}''' || {{rl-big|GER}} || {{rl-big|Czech Republic}} || – || 3 
|-style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|colspan=2|2009<br /><small>''[[2009 European Shield|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|ITA}}''' || {{rl-big|Czech Republic}} ||{{rl-big|GER}}|| – || 3
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
| rowspan=2|2010<br /><small>''[[2010 European Shield|Details]]''</small>  || West ||'''{{rl-big|SER}}''' ||  {{rl-big|GER}} || {{rl-big|Czech Republic}} || – || 3
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
| East ||'''{{rl-big|Russia}}''' || {{rl-big|Ukraine}} || {{rl-big|Latvia}}|| – || 3
|-style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|colspan=2|2011<br /><small>''[[2011 European Shield|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|GER}}''' ||  {{rl-big|Malta}} || {{rl-big|Norway}} || –  || 3
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|colspan=2|2012–13<br /><small>''[[2012/13 European Shield|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|Russia}}''' || {{rl-big|Italy}} || {{rl-big|Serbia}} || {{rl-big|GER}} || 4
|-style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|colspan=2|2014–15<br /><small>''[[2014/15 European Shield|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|Serbia}}''' || {{rl-big|Russia}} || {{rl-big|Italy}} || {{rl-big|Ukraine}}  || 4
|- style="background:#F5FAFF;"
|colspan=2|2018<br /><small>''[[2018 Rugby League European Championship B|Details]]''</small> || '''{{rl-big|Russia}}'''|| {{rl-big|Spain}}|| {{rl-big|Serbia}} || – || 3
|-style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|colspan=2|2021<br /><small>''[[2021 Rugby League European Championship B|Details]]''</small> ||'''{{rl-big|Serbia}}'''||{{rl-big|Ukraine}}||{{rl-big|Russia}}|| – || 3
|}

==Summary==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Champions
!Runners-up
!Third place
!Fourth place
|-
| style="background:#fff68f" ;" |{{rl|Serbia}}
| style="background:#fff68f" ;" |4 (2007, 2010 West, 2014–15, 2020)
| align="center" | —
| style="background:#a67d3d;" |1 (2018)
| align="center" | —
|-
| style="background:#fff68f" ;" |{{rl|Russia}}
| style="background:#fff68f" ;" |3 (2010 East, 2012–13, 2018)
| style="background:silver;" |1 (2014–15)
| style="background:#a67d3d"| 1 (2020)
| align="center" | —
|-
| style="background:#fff68f";"|{{rl|Italy}}
| style="background:#fff68f";"|2 (2008, 2009)
| style="background:silver"|1 (2012–13)
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|1 (2014–15)
|align=center| —
|-
| style="background:#fff68f";"|{{rl|Germany}}
| style="background:#fff68f";"|2 (2006, 2011)
| style="background:silver;"|3 (2007, 2008, 2010 West)
| style="background:#a67d3d"|1 (2009)
| style="background:#9acdff"|1 (2012–13)
|-
|style="background:silver;"|{{rl|Czech Republic}}
|align=center| —
| style="background:silver;"|1 (2009)
| style="background:#a67d3d"|3 (2007, 2008, 2010 West)
|align=center| —
|-
|style="background:silver;"|{{rl|Ukraine}}
|align=center| —
| style="background:silver;"|2 (2010 East, 2020)
|align=center| —
| style="background:#9acdff"|1 (2012–13)
|-
|style="background:silver;"|{{rl|Austria}}
|align=center| —
| style="background:silver;"|1 (2006)
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
|-
|style="background:silver;"|{{rl|Malta}}
|align=center| —
| style="background:silver;"|1 (2011)
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
|-
|style="background:silver;"|{{rl|Spain}}
|align=center| —
| style="background:silver;"|1 (2018)
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
|-
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|{{rl|Estonia}}
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|1 (2006)
|-
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|{{rl|Latvia}}
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|1 (2010 East)
|align=center| —
|-
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|{{rl|Norway}}
|align=center| —
|align=center| —
| style="background:#a67d3d;"|1 (2011)
|align=center| —
|-
|}

<!--==Overall performances by season==
{{Rugby League European Championship results}}-->

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports}}
* [[Rugby League European Championship|Rugby League European Championship A]]
* [[Rugby League European Championship C]]
* [[Rugby League European Championship D]]
* [[Women's Rugby League European Championship]]
* [[Wheelchair Rugby League European Championship]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{Rugby League European Cup seasons}}
{{Rugby League in Europe}}
{{International rugby league}}

[[Category:Rugby League European Championship|*]]