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The sequence beats the record first set by the All Blacks of the 1960s and then matched by the world champion Springboks of the 1990s. “It is a great achievement to win 18 games in a row, but reaching the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand remains our primary objective,” Lithuania captain Mindaugas Misevicius said. To claim the final qualifying spot for the World Cup in September next year, Lithuania must first beat Ukraine and Romania, then triumph in an intercontinental playoff. INTERVIEW-Rugby-Record-seeking Lithuania dreaming of World Cup By Mitch Phillips LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - The All Blacks of the 1960s and the world champion Springboks of the '90s are set to have their record for consecutive test wins eclipsed by a country that barely registers on the radar of most rugby fans -- Lithuania. If the Baltic nation beat Serbia in Belgrade on Saturday it will be their 18th successive victory, a remarkable achievement for a team of part-timers whose training facilities would be rejected by the Saturday Social XV of the most junior English club. "We are looking forward to the game but no, it's not big news in Lithuania," captain Mindaugas Misevicius told Reuters in a telephone interview on Friday. "A few more people are aware but for the media it is still all about basketball (in our country). "If we win on Saturday maybe a few more people will know about us but it will not be easy. We have three players out injured and are still waiting for two more to arrive from England after they were delayed by the flying ban." The record could have been in the bag already as Lithuania were due to play Switzerland last week only for the game to be postponed because of the volcano-related travel problems. Lithuania, who have climbed to the heady heights of 37th in the International Rugby Board's world rankings on the back of their run, last tasted defeat in May 2006 when they lost 22-0 to Slovenia. WORLD CUP Yet even this impressive run of victories could be dwarfed if, as is still possible, they defy the odds and qualify for the 2011 World Cup. To do so they need first to win a playoff next month against Ukraine. Victory there would send them into an even tougher two-legged playoff against Romania followed by an inter-continental playoff to determine the final qualifier for next year's showpiece in New Zealand. "Ukraine have been promoted to Europe's first division while we were in 3a so they have some good players," scrumhalf Misevicius said. "But we can beat them and then who knows? Why not the World Cup, why not dream?" New Zealand set their record over five years from 1965, ending with a defeat by South Africa in July 1970 in Pretoria, while the Springboks put 17 wins together from 1997-98 before coming unstuck against England at Twickenham. Rugby posts adorn most playing fields in New Zealand but in Lithuania, which has only 1,650 registered players in a population of 3.3 million, it remains the most minority of sports. "It's never going to match basketball or football but things are improving," said Misevicius. "There is a programme now to get the kids involved and if we keep winning it can only help."
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April 25 [Reuters] Lithuania’s team of part-timers set a world record of 18 successive wins after thrashing Serbia 77-5 in its European Nations Cup Division 3a rugby union match on Saturday.
