General topic for African Rugby

[qwerty Profile]

Any prospects of Algeria joining WR soon enough? Seems to me they might be strong enough to play in the first division of the African Cup.

[dwpeate Profile]

Has anyone heard whether the Mahgreb tri nations series will be happening again this Christmas? They've been the last three test matches of the year for the last two years now.

[Sables4EVA Profile]

Nothing on any of the countries twitter feeds but as far as I know it will be happening.

[Canalina Profile]

I doubt a bit it will go ahead: now Algeria is part of the Africa Cup, both XV and 7s, and maybe they feel not anymore the need to play these matches

[Neptune Profile]

Link for Africa rugby 7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUCs3bS6-DI

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

Africa Gold Cup qualifier

Finally going ahead...with no last minute postponements?

Zambia v Algeria
Sat 20th October, 15.00 CAT at The Leopards Cage in Mufulira, Zambia

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

Algeria squad - http://www.lexpressiondz.com/sports/302 ... d-cup.html

Mourad Frih, Bekada Belaouari, Sofiane Chellat, Thomas Mamou, Issam Hamel, Fayçal Tourek, Jonathan Best, Sébastien Abdelkader, Yakin Djebbari, Frederic Medves, Walid Batchali, Khaled Kalouchi, Boris Bouhraoua, Mathieu Lorée, Hohan Bensalla, Enzo Khalfa, Maxim Meneghini, Mohamed Belguidoum, Mehdi Chouchane, Yazid Chouchane, Nadir Megdoud, Honathan Franquine.

[RugInt Profile Website]

Any prospects of Algeria joining WR soon enough? Seems to me they might be strong enough to play in the first division of the African Cup.

They have just been established in Rugby Africa's Union. To join WR they will need to be eligible for World Cup qualifying. For that to happen they need to pass the 'Join World Rugby' test. Two criteria I know of (one being the one that stomped Cyprus last World Cup qualifying) is 1) You need at least five active clubs participating in a senior club competition, and 2) you need to have played 10 test matches against other WR teams. Please correct if you have more accurate info.

[IanCleverly Profile]

A couple of the what feels like 17,000 facebook accounts saying they are the Zambian Rugby union are saying that the game between Zambia and Algeria will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/mufuliraleopardsrugbyclub/

I'm doubtful, but keep an eye/browser tab open on it anyway.

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

Halftime score was Zambia 0 -17 Algeria

Stream from the above link isn't great - for some reason tall and narrow camera picture but better than nothing! The one at the Rugby Algerie Facebook is better https://www.facebook.com/algerierugby/

Pouring with rain, some big puddles on the pitch.

Latest is 0 - 24 and looks like that was the final score although there might have been another score (no on screen scoreboard).

[dwpeate Profile]

Comments underneath the stream on Facebook claim 31-0

[dwpeate Profile]

Will have to wait for Rugby Afrique. Others say 29-0

[Neptune Profile]

Algeria will now play in Africa's top tier competition, but is not even ranked by WR.

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

A Rugby Afrique tweet gives the final score as 0 - 31

[Canalina Profile]

Any prospects of Algeria joining WR soon enough? Seems to me they might be strong enough to play in the first division of the African Cup.

They have just been established in Rugby Africa's Union. To join WR they will need to be eligible for World Cup qualifying. For that to happen they need to pass the 'Join World Rugby' test. Two criteria I know of (one being the one that stomped Cyprus last World Cup qualifying) is 1) You need at least five active clubs participating in a senior club competition, and 2) you need to have played 10 test matches against other WR teams. Please correct if you have more accurate info.

Is there a single senior team in Algeria? I remember to have read about junior tournaments and Get Into Rugby stages but I can't recall anything about senior clubs matches in the country

[RugInt Profile Website]

Réunion technique avec 17 Clubs de rugby afin de préparer nos Compétitions Nationales avec le directeur technique national " Mohamed Sahraoui "
Translated-Technical meeting with 17 rugby clubs to prepare our national competitions with the National Technical Director "Mohamed Saharan"

The above from Algerian Facebook page, dated 9 October this year.

And below from Wikipaedia, dated around 2015

Algeria has six rugby union clubs to date, and there are plans to set up a proper national club competition.[2][3] They are currently trying to promote the game in universities and schools.[2]

Rugby Club d'Alger (Algiers)
Stade Oranais (Oran)
Mouloudia M'sila (M'sila)
Rugby Club de Béjaïa (Bejaia)
Rugby Turck (Aïn El Turk - Oran)
Etoile de Biskra (Biskra)

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

There is a Facebook entry from the Federation dated 6th October 2018 that mentions 17 clubs attended a meeting. That doesn't mean of course that all 17 have enough players for XVs rugby or are good enough to compete in a league.

Algeria were unable to call on a number of players from France for this game, so it could well be that there were domestic players in the squad.

Their end of year summary for 2017 actually states there are 27 clubs ( though as we know a these sometimes to be take with a pinch of salt. )

[Sables4EVA Profile]

Next years Gold Cup to be increased to 8 teams so Algeria and Zambia are both promoted plus Morocco is reinstated.
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/zambia-bash ... OhtxXRRyms

I am not sure of the format but I assume it will be 7 games per team.

Don't like this idea, I think the top 6 teams is enough.

[Canalina Profile]

Maybe two pools?
North: Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and ? (I don't remember anymore the last team: Ivory Coast perhaps?)
South: Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda

Home and away plus Cup final and maybe relegation final. It would be as well six/seven matches per team

[rey200 Profile]

What? Facepalm

[4N Profile]

Terrible idea.

[dwpeate Profile]

Oh come on... Surely not worth doing if not a round robin?

[Canalina Profile]

I don't know if you refer to the enlargement to eight nations or to the hypothesis of two pools, but I can't see any of them as so "terrible".
Surely a one only pool with home & away matches is preferable but not a big pool of eight teams nor a mechanism of two pools seem to me so bad

[Neptune Profile]

Next years Gold Cup to be increased to 8 teams so Algeria and Zambia are both promoted plus Morocco is reinstated.
http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/zambia-bash ... OhtxXRRyms

I am not sure of the format but I assume it will be 7 games per team.

Don't like this idea, I think the top 6 teams is enough.

This is a very bad idea, as it will water down the competitiveness of the tournament.

[Tobar Profile]

Wouldn’t it help grow rugby overall? Just look at what the ARC did for Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.