Estonia fell to a 34-3 defeat against Finland in Vantaa. In May 2025 Estonia lost to the same opponents by 115 points. In October 2025, also in Vantaa, the deficit was 62. Today it was 31. Six players made their senior international debut. The programme is moving.
THE SCORELINE IN CONTEXT
Three meetings with Finland in 13 months. Three results: 5-120, 0-62, 3-34. Each one a step forward for a squad that is being rebuilt from the ground up. Today’s 31-point margin is Estonia’s closest result against Finland in a sanctioned international.
FROM U18 BUDAPEST TO CONFERENCE DEBUT SCORER – IN THREE MONTHS
Alexis Besnard arrived in Finland having made his mark at the Rugby Europe U18 Boys 7s Trophy 2 in Budapest in July – part of Estonia’s historic first appearance at a European youth championship. Three months later the Marlow RFC fly-half was lining up in a senior Conference match, and he did not just play – he scored. Besnard slotted a penalty to put Estonia on the board, becoming one of the youngest players ever to score for the senior national side.
SIX SENIOR DEBUTS
Alexis Besnard, Otto Gustavson, Michael Angelo Mason, Markus Zuhhovtski, Mihkel Troost and Sten Uuskar all made their senior international debuts in Vantaa. Six debutants in a single Conference match is unusual at any level. That all six completed the game against an established Conference nation is a statement of what is being built.
ESTONIA’S FIRST SECOND-GENERATION INTERNATIONAL
Markus Zuhhovtski’s debut carried particular weight. At 17, the Sohni Ragbiklubi centre became not only the first player to represent Estonia at senior level whose parent also played for the national side, but also the youngest player ever to represent Estonia’s senior men’s national team. His father Mark Zuhhovtski was a central figure in the Estonian national programme and is a member of the Estonian Rugby Hall of Fame.
A YOUNG CLUB ON THE BIG STAGE
Sohni Ragbiklubi was founded within the last two years. On Saturday two of their players – Tanner Saar and Markus Zuhhovtski – started a Rugby Europe Conference match for Estonia. For a club that did not exist at the time of Estonia’s last Finland fixture, that is a notable step. Sohni is the newest club to have players represent Estonia at senior level.
THE CLASS OF 2019
Six players in today’s squad – Tanner Saar, Roland Kalso, Ott Krusell, Raimond Voigas, Georgi Dzaniasvili and Arseni Voropajev – were part of the Estonia squad that faced Turkey in the Rugby Europe Development competition in 2019. Seven years on, the same players helped hold a Conference nation to 31 points, this time alongside six players who were not yet playing senior rugby when that Turkey match took place.
HEAD COACH
Tanner Saar: “I am incredibly proud of this group. Our defence was organised and physical, Finland had to work hard for every point they got. In attack we played with structure and creativity and there were moments where we could have scored more. This result shows we are moving in the right direction, and there is a lot of work still ahead of us to beat the bigger rugby nations.”
GENERAL SECRETARY
Paul Davidson: “This squad is Estonian rugby in three chapters. A third were winning their first cap today, a third were already in the squad when we lost 120-5 to Finland in 2025, and a third were in the team when we faced Turkey in 2019. What struck me was how many of our more experienced players have moved to new positions to work with the next generation, and they have loved every minute of it. That attitude is what builds a programme.”
MATCH DETAILS
Rugby Europe Men’s XV Conference 2026/27 – Pool A
Finland 34-3 Estonia | Ruutisavu Areena, Vantaa | 10 October 2026
Next fixture: Estonia vs Luxembourg (home), 17 October, KO 12:00, Tiskre.
MEDIA
Photos: https://laura.pic.fi/kuvat/2026/REC+Men+26-27+Finland+vs+Estonia/
Photo credit: Laura Helminen
Broadcast: rugbyeurope.eu