diff --git a/packages/router/src/directives/router_link.ts b/packages/router/src/directives/router_link.ts
index 5fb80cb66af..6f6740ab872 100644
--- a/packages/router/src/directives/router_link.ts
+++ b/packages/router/src/directives/router_link.ts
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ export class RouterLink implements OnChanges, OnDestroy {
       @Attribute('tabindex') private readonly tabIndexAttribute: string|null|undefined,
       private readonly renderer: Renderer2, private readonly el: ElementRef,
       private locationStrategy?: LocationStrategy) {
-    const tagName = el.nativeElement.tagName;
-    this.isAnchorElement = tagName === 'A' || tagName === 'AREA';
+    const tagName = el.nativeElement.tagName?.toLowerCase();
+    this.isAnchorElement = tagName === 'a' || tagName === 'area';
 
     if (this.isAnchorElement) {
       this.subscription = router.events.subscribe((s: Event) => {
diff --git a/packages/router/test/router_link_spec.ts b/packages/router/test/router_link_spec.ts
index f529e0ae657..a14e2d6011a 100644
--- a/packages/router/test/router_link_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/router/test/router_link_spec.ts
@@ -39,8 +39,10 @@ describe('RouterLink', () => {
     let router: Router;
 
     beforeEach(() => {
-      TestBed.configureTestingModule(
-          {imports: [RouterTestingModule], declarations: [LinkComponent]});
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+        imports: [RouterTestingModule],
+        declarations: [LinkComponent],
+      });
       fixture = TestBed.createComponent(LinkComponent);
       fixture.detectChanges();
       link = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('div')).nativeElement;
@@ -93,56 +95,76 @@ describe('RouterLink', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('RouterLink for elements with `href` attributes', () => {
-    @Component({template: `<a [routerLink]="link"></a>`})
-    class LinkComponent {
-      link: string|null|undefined = '/';
-    }
-    let fixture: ComponentFixture<LinkComponent>;
-    let link: HTMLAnchorElement;
+  describe('on an anchor', () => {
+    describe('RouterLink for elements with `href` attributes', () => {
+      @Component({template: `<a [routerLink]="link"></a>`})
+      class LinkComponent {
+        link: string|null|undefined = '/';
+      }
+      let fixture: ComponentFixture<LinkComponent>;
+      let link: HTMLAnchorElement;
 
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      TestBed.configureTestingModule(
-          {imports: [RouterTestingModule], declarations: [LinkComponent]});
-      fixture = TestBed.createComponent(LinkComponent);
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-      link = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a')).nativeElement;
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+          imports: [RouterTestingModule],
+          declarations: [LinkComponent],
+        });
+        fixture = TestBed.createComponent(LinkComponent);
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        link = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a')).nativeElement;
+      });
+
+      it('null, removes href', () => {
+        expect(link.outerHTML).toContain('href');
+        fixture.componentInstance.link = null;
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        expect(link.outerHTML).not.toContain('href');
+      });
+
+      it('undefined, removes href', () => {
+        expect(link.outerHTML).toContain('href');
+        fixture.componentInstance.link = undefined;
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        expect(link.outerHTML).not.toContain('href');
+      });
+
+      it('should coerce boolean input values', () => {
+        const dir = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(RouterLink)).injector.get(RouterLink);
+
+        for (const truthy of [true, '', 'true', 'anything']) {
+          dir.preserveFragment = truthy;
+          dir.skipLocationChange = truthy;
+          dir.replaceUrl = truthy;
+          expect(dir.preserveFragment).toBeTrue();
+          expect(dir.skipLocationChange).toBeTrue();
+          expect(dir.replaceUrl).toBeTrue();
+        }
+
+        for (const falsy of [false, null, undefined, 'false']) {
+          dir.preserveFragment = falsy;
+          dir.skipLocationChange = falsy;
+          dir.replaceUrl = falsy;
+          expect(dir.preserveFragment).toBeFalse();
+          expect(dir.skipLocationChange).toBeFalse();
+          expect(dir.replaceUrl).toBeFalse();
+        }
+      });
     });
 
-    it('null, removes href', () => {
-      expect(link.outerHTML).toContain('href');
-      fixture.componentInstance.link = null;
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-      expect(link.outerHTML).not.toContain('href');
-    });
-
-    it('undefined, removes href', () => {
-      expect(link.outerHTML).toContain('href');
-      fixture.componentInstance.link = undefined;
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-      expect(link.outerHTML).not.toContain('href');
-    });
-
-    it('should coerce boolean input values', () => {
-      const dir = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(RouterLink)).injector.get(RouterLink);
-
-      for (const truthy of [true, '', 'true', 'anything']) {
-        dir.preserveFragment = truthy;
-        dir.skipLocationChange = truthy;
-        dir.replaceUrl = truthy;
-        expect(dir.preserveFragment).toBeTrue();
-        expect(dir.skipLocationChange).toBeTrue();
-        expect(dir.replaceUrl).toBeTrue();
+    it('should handle routerLink in svg templates', () => {
+      @Component({template: `<svg><a routerLink="test"></a></svg>`})
+      class LinkComponent {
       }
 
-      for (const falsy of [false, null, undefined, 'false']) {
-        dir.preserveFragment = falsy;
-        dir.skipLocationChange = falsy;
-        dir.replaceUrl = falsy;
-        expect(dir.preserveFragment).toBeFalse();
-        expect(dir.skipLocationChange).toBeFalse();
-        expect(dir.replaceUrl).toBeFalse();
-      }
+      TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+        imports: [RouterTestingModule],
+        declarations: [LinkComponent],
+      });
+      const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(LinkComponent);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      const link = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('a')).nativeElement;
+
+      expect(link.outerHTML).toContain('href');
     });
   });
 });