Malmö Rugby Club's men won the Allsvenskan

Malmö Rugby Club's men won the Allsvenskan

On Saturday, October 11, 2025, it was clear that Malmö's men's team had won the Allsvenskan. The scenes of joy were wild and wonderful. But how did we get here?

On September 7, 2024, we played semi-final 2 of 2 against Erikslund in that year's edition of Allsvenskan. We had secured a narrow victory with a one-point margin at home at Lindängen the week before. In the semi-final in Stockholm, we were better in all set pieces throughout the match, but during a period of 12 minutes we conceded three intercept tries. We never managed to make up for those points. Darkness. The 2024 season ended in an incredibly bitter way and local rivals LUGI ultimately won last year's edition of Allsvenskan. The bitterness after the loss in Täby can be read in the faces in the picture.

Caption: Heavy faces after last year's semi-finals

Ahead of the 2025 season, several changes took place in the men's team. The biggest was that coach Lindsay Armstrong, who had served the MRC with distinction for several years, moved home to Australia. Ahead of the 2025 season, a coaching troika was installed with Jan Sjöholm, Nicholas Gabery Adams and Graeme Brown. Early on, they began implementing their vision for the upcoming season and set a structure for our game that we would all know and be able to play by. Some players disappeared to other places while others were added. Malmö native Oscar Larsson returned from several seasons playing in Trelleborg and Alfred Nordgren returned from playing in the Baltics. From last year's P18 team, both Jonathan Löfvendahl and Viggo Rossander Strand were added, both of whom distinguished themselves with distinction. Early on, we knew what the goal for the 2025 season was and we knew that we had both quality, breadth and a game idea to be able to go all the way.

During the winter, there was proper training on the artificial turf in the Kombihallen, where our forwards were already starting to put the idea for throw-ins and mauls, while the defenders practiced several different variations. We also practiced on a detailed level, especially very well during a weekend training camp with Tamara Taylor and Phil Kearns. When the season was finally here, we had a large squad that was very eager to put all the pre-season training into practice.

Caption: Training camp in the Kombihallen with Tamara Taylor and Phil Kearns

Before the season started, we had time for two training matches on Danish soil, first against Frederiksbergs RK and a few weeks later against CSR Nanok. Both of these matches ended in a loss for MRC, but many players had time to play and get to know the game system. The majority of good intentions and nice both attacking and defensive play occurred in the matches. Some even had time to play their first matches in the MRC shirt and in a couple of cases some even played their first rugby matches. Despite the losses, we learned a lot from the matches and had a great time with our Danish friends in Copenhagen.

Caption: Fraternization across club boundaries with CSR Nanok

The season premiere was away against Vänersborg, a team that has made great strides in recent years. We quickly took a big lead, but Vänersborg did not give up and were almost catching up to us at halftime. In the second half we took the opportunities that were given to us and eventually managed to win 35-27, but it was not a convincing victory with which we started the season.

It was more convincing in the next round when we played at home against Gothenburg. The match was played at Limhamnsfältet, as Malmö City could not give us access to Lindängens IP. It was a battle mainly between our and their forwards, where we were ultimately the strongest and secured a victory with 26-5. A clinically executed match against an opposition that, just like us, likes the physical part of the game.

The first loss of the year came in the away match against LUGI, where we were short of forwards. After the first half we had a solid lead, but the longer the match went on, the more our tired legs affected the match. And with LUGI's last try and goal kick, they secured a narrow victory at Centrala IP with 33-31. The positive thing was that we were able to count two bonus points for the narrow margin of loss and our four tries, but the faces were anything but happy after the derby loss. Halfway through the regular season, we, LUGI and Göteborg had two wins and one loss each, where we had secured the most bonus points and the best goal difference. We were in first place in the series, but it was anything but safe ground.

Over the summer, training decreased in intensity and the focus shifted more towards sevens, as both the Swedish Championship and Copenhagen Sevens were on the schedule. The results in the sevens tournaments were nothing to write home about, but for those representing the men's team they were fun occasions. A certain setback from Copenhagen were three more serious injuries that affected the selection of players available for the fall. A broken shoulder, a concussion and a torn hamstring were not what was needed for the fall.

Caption: Happy faces from Martin and Brandon during Copenhagen Sevens

When the series started again, it did so with the next derby against LUGI. We were back at Lindängen for this match and quickly ran away to a bigger lead. At halftime we led 19-7 and in the second half we continued to press the gas. When the match was summed up, the numbers were written as 45-12, including after four tries by our American center Chase Riemer. A solid home victory against one of the biggest rivals in the series. In the same round, Vänersborg beat Gothenburg at home and the series was suddenly very nice to read with Malmö eyes.

Caption: After the home game against LUGI

The next match was also at home and once again Malmö Stad had relegated us to Limhamnsfältet. Luckily it had rained heavily the day before, so the pitch was softer than usual. Vänersborg came down and had a proper game, when we unapologetically ran away to a convincing victory with 64-12. When Gothenburg and LUGI played a draw at the same time in Lund, the series victory was secured for Malmö.

Caption: Teva Kaplan scores one of Malmö's ten tries at home against Vänersborg

Before the two decisive finals, which at this point in the season had begun to appear as against Stockholm Exiles B from Allsvenskan Norr, we had one last away match to play against Gothenburg. Both we and Gothenburg were missing some first-team players before the match, so a funny situation arose where two first-team players from Spartacus played for us and two others from the same club played for Gothenburg. As always against Gothenburg, it was a tough and close match and with four minutes left we led by twelve points. How Gothenburg secured the victory from that position with 41-39 can be considered a major criticism of our defensive play. Gothenburg went through the whole year undefeated at home at Välens IP, a fine performance by our friends from West Sweden. The result had no bearing on the standings in the table for Allsvenskan Syd/Väst, but it was a good lesson for us that nothing is 100 percent finished.

The last training sessions before the two final matches were intense. We worked very hard on the structure, the set pieces and the details surrounding them. We didn’t want to come unprepared for either of these two crucial matches. Ahead of the first final, at home at Lindängen, the weather forecast was anything but positive. Storm Amy moved across southern Sweden and Malmö received half the usual amount of rain for the month of October on October 4. Malmö city called us a few hours before kick-off and asked if we would really play. But as coach Graeme Brown said: “It’s perfect Scottish rugby weather!” When the team gathered in the dressing room before the match, team captain Samuel Ahlbäck started the song “Walking On Sunshine” and thus set the standard with which we would approach the match.

The home match against Exiles was a cold and wet affair, with us being the ones most eager to play in the difficult conditions. Both we and they quickly started kicking the ball more, as the rain made it harder to handle long kicks. When we kicked, we did it to gain territory, while Exiles kicked more to get out of the tight spots we put them in. After just over twenty minutes, captain Samuel Ahlbäck led from the front and scored the first try and goal kick of the match. Five minutes later, he kicked winger Carmine Urti for a beautiful try and we were able to go into half-time with a 12-0 lead. As soon as the referee blew for half-time, all the players ran to the changing rooms to warm up. We had a thermos of hot tea to warm ourselves up with and that tea tasted better than any other cup.

Caption: Cluster in tough conditions at home against Exiles

In the second half we continued to press and after five minutes the stopper Gustav Lindberg fought his way over the line directly under the posts. When Samuel took the goal kick we were up 19-0. Exiles were definitely not harmless and were dangerously close to our penalty area twice during the second half. But a knock-on and a penalty stopped them from scoring. A penalty kick made the score 22-0. A much nicer margin than the only point we had with us to Erikslund the year before.

Saturday, October 11th started early, with a gathering at the clubhouse at 05:30 in the morning. We traveled up to Gubbängen's rugby fields together with P18 who were to play their Allsvenskan final against Stockholm Exiles before we were to play ours. Once we arrived in Stockholm we had plenty of time to prepare. The men's team's manager Robert Lekström acted as a linesman in the Allsvenskan final for P18 and the men's team had time to sit in the stands and support P18 during the first half. P18 played well, but got stressed when they found themselves behind in the second half and Exiles P18 eventually secured the victory with 22-8. However, Malmö's P18 can be very proud of a good season and most of them are knocking on the door of the A-team for next season.

We knew we were going to face a strong Exiles team and several players from their A-squad and players with national team experience faced us. It was a tough team we had to play against. Early on, they made attempts down the wing with a heavy player and went up to a 5-0 lead. It was therefore almost poetic that the smallest player on the field, our number nine Francois Kraft, scored our first try when he dummy-did three big forwards aside and created a highway for himself under the posts. Shortly afterwards, it was time again, when Chase stole a pass from Exiles and ran in the next try. Those points plus the goal kicks and a penalty kick put us in the lead 17-5. But Exiles were far from done. They managed to catch up to 17-17 at halftime.

Early in the second half, there was a major setback when Joel and Samuel accidentally hit their heads together. Samuel came back on the field after a blood transfusion, but Joel was completely gone and was sent to the emergency room. After that, our group lost its power and we started giving away many penalties in the groups. While Samuel was off, Martin came in as number ten and managed to get a kick that bounced right for us, so Chase had time to get through to score another try. Exiles kept steaming and continued to score and after a while were up 34-22. Samuel, who had come back on the field, managed a penalty kick well to 34-25. Right then and there, we led by 13 points in total. At one of Exile's throw-ins far down our half of the field, we managed to steal the ball, but no better than that it bounced right into the arms of an Exiles player who had to make the easiest try of the day. Aware that the next sequence of play was probably the last, a lot depended on the kick that followed. If the goal kick had been successful, the total margin would have been 6 points in our favor. If the goal kick had been unsuccessful, 8 points. To our great relief, the kick went wide. With the score 39-25 to Exiles, we could breathe a sigh of relief. In the last sequence of the match, our defense was attacked vigorously, but at a ruck we managed to tear the ball away from them, pass it home to Samuel who kicked the ball out and ended the match and thus the season. Loss 39-25, but over two games victory with 47-39. All-Swedish gold 2025!

No one in our team has ever been so happy after a loss and a couple of bottles of bubbly were opened immediately. The long bus ride home to Malmö through the autumn darkness of southern and central Sweden felt like it was quickly over with singing, celebrating and festivities. It was a fantastic end to a season with highs and lows. And for the first time in a long time, Malmö's men have managed to win something. Big thanks to all the players, coaches, supporters, team managers, board, ball callers and more who helped us make this season as good as it was. We couldn't have done this without the support of everyone involved.

Caption: Champions of Allsvenskan 2025

The Allsvenskan as a series was very good this year. With four teams in the South/West and six in the North, it has seen good competitions. The return of both Attila and IKSU in the northern series was also fun to watch. And in the South/West it was more even than in a long time. And despite all these challenges, we managed to emerge victorious in the end.