Baltic TOP League Rugby Final Comes to Latvia for the First Time: Livonia Face Sweden's Exiles in Riga

This Saturday, Daugava Stadium in Riga will host the final of the Baltic TOP League, a regional rugby club championship. Latvian club Baltic XL-Livonia, the current Baltic and Latvian champion, will face Exiles, the strongest club in Sweden, based in Stockholm. Kick-off is at 3 p.m. It is the first time the final is being played in Latvia, and the first time that none of the strong Lithuanian clubs is fighting for the title.

The road to the final

Last Saturday, 10 October, Baltic XL-Livonia beat Lithuania's Baltrex-Šiauliai 31-16 in the semifinal at home in Upesciems. The visitors led 13-8 at halftime, but the hosts turned the game around. The win extended the club's winning streak, which has lasted two years, and put Livonia into the Baltic TOP League final for the third time in its history.

Exiles beat Lithuanian side Geležinis Vilkas 24-12 in their semifinal. The Swedish club is making its debut in the league.

Previous meeting

The two teams already met in the regular season, in Stockholm. Baltic XL-Livonia won 38-13, leading 19-13 at the break. The match was reportedly much closer than the scoreboard suggests.