History of the European University Championships

The idea to organise Championships for University Students originated with Lode Lambeets, of the University of Antwerpen, after he had seen the organisation of the University Chess World Championship in Antwerpen in 1992. He contacted Paul Magerman, then president of the European Community Bridge League, and together they put together the first European Union Bridge Championships.

Support was sought and received from FISU, the International Federation for University Sports, and from the University of Antwerpen. Both of these continue their support for these championships until this very day.

Since a student's career is hopefully a short one, The European Community Bridge League decided to make this an annual event.

The ECBL, renamed European Union Bridge League in 1995, was dissolved in 1998. Among the assets it transferred to the European Bridge League were these championships and the EBL needed no persuasion to continue the University Championships under its banner.

Last year it was decided to turn the European Championships into World Championships in even-numbered years and the WBF decided to incorporate the first such championships into the Olympiad.

The University Championships
and the European Capital of Culture

As Antwerp was also European Capital of Culture for 1993, the Portuguese delegation asked to host the second staging of the event in 1994, when Lisboa would be the Cultural Capital.

At that time it was suggested to hold the championships each year in the Capital of Culture, but it proved impossible to host the championships in 1995, when Luxembourg was the European Capital, because the country sadly has no university of its own.

The Danish Bridge Union agreed to stage the third event, but decided to move the venue away from the European Cultural Capital for 1996, København, to Århus and a venue very well suited for the event.

The fourth championships were held in 1997 in Palermo, Italy, at the request of Primo Nebiolo, president of FISU, to coincide with the World Universiad.

Stockholm was the European Capital for 1998, and the Swedish Federation hosted the event, but again held it away from the capital in Skövde.

Last year the organisers were pleased to see the event return to the European Capital of Culture for 1999, Weimar.

Too many cities applied to be European Capital in the symbolic year 2000, and so the European Union decided to award them all the title (for those interested, the list is at the back of this bulletin).

Also in 2001 there will be more than one Cultural Capital, Rotterdam, and Porto and it is almost certain that the Erasmus University of Rotterdam will host the seventh European University Championships. The Mayor of Brugge has already given the go-ahead for the second University World Cup, in Brugge, one of the Capitals of Culture in 2002.

The competitors and their results

11 nations sent teams to the first championships in 1993. Not bad considering that the Community had only 12 members back then. Only Ireland and Luxembourg could not manage a team, but Israel, a regular invitee to Community Championships, was there. Israel won the round robin, but lost the semi-final to the eventual winners, Germany. Great Britain won the other semi-final from the Netherlands. There was no match for third place, and two bronze medals were awarded.

In 1994, only 9 countries were present, with Greece and Israel being absent. Denmark beat Germany in the final. The Netherlands kept Portugal from the bronze medal.

In 1996, the organisers accepted a team from Norway, even if their country was not a member from the European Union. Sadly this only brought the participation up to 8. The Netherlands defeated Norway in the final, with Denmark beating Germany for the Bronze.

The Netherlands won again in 1997, again with a field of 8 nations, beating the Italians in the final. Germany beat Great Britain for the Bronze. Even winning two years in a row was not enough to have any players that can say they won this championship twice.

Denmark won their second title in 1998, beating Italy in the final. Great Britain beat Germany for the bronze. Despite the enlargement of the European Union, the only newcomer was Sweden, and the field was only 7 strong.

And the Netherlands became the first country to win the event for a third time, when they won in 1999. Now at last we had a double winner in Simon De Wijs, who had participated in all 6 championships except the one that the Netherlands had won in 1996.

Expansion outside the European Union was witnessed by the initial participation of Poland and Romania

The medal table after 6 championships:
(G-S-B)(other placings)

The European Capitals of Culture

Initiative of Melina Mercouri, then Greek minister for Culture

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