Last countries without rugby

[victorsra Profile Website]

The old forum had a wonderful post about the situation of rugby in all the countries in the world.

I believe this is the present list of countries that are IOC members without any kind of filiation to the World Rugby or the continental unions.

Blue = countries I've found at least 1 active rugby club or even some kind of national rugby organization

Orange = countries I am not sure about the evidence of current activities

Green = I've found touch rugby, but not sure about full contact

Black = countries that look like without rugby


Europe: Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo

Suspended from Rugby Europe: Armenia

North America and the Caribbean+Guyanas (Rugby Americas North's area): Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Suriname, US Virgin Islands

Central and South America (Sudamérica Rugby's area): Belize, Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua

Note: Nicaragua and Honduras took part in activities backed by Sudamérica Rugby, but they are not members. Bolivia never played an international competition, but has talks with Sudamérica Rugby.

Africa: Angola, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan

Note: I took the list from Rugby Africa's website, that lists also countries "working with Rugby Africa". Are they Associate Members or something?

Asia: Bahrein, Bhutan, Iraq, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Palestine, Oman, Tajikstan, Timor Leste, Turkmenistan

Unclear membership: Vietnam

Note: Bahrein, Kuwait and Oman were part of the Arabian Gulf RU

Oceania: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau

Can you guys help?

[thatrugbyguy Profile]

Maybe Wikipedia can help?

[victorsra Profile Website]

I used it to make this list But also researched in other sources

[rampage Profile]

US Virgin Islands played their first (and currently only) test in 2013 against the British Virgin Islands (according to Scrum). The Privateers play what looks like an annual game against BVI, but some may not be classified as test matches.

I don't know about any others on your list who have played.

[Hansgrohe Profile]

If I recall correctly Cuba is trying to start some kind of 7s program

[Suiram Profile]

I know Myanmar does now have a rugby club (who hosted a club from Vietnam) in Yangon. Pretty sure its just an expat thing at this point. But I guess that counts for blue.

My info is a few years out but Vietnam certainly has rugby clubs but they are very expat heavy. A few years back there was an effort (with some funding via AUSAID plus an Australian and a French guy) to get more rugby into schools and develop some actual Vietnamese teams along with getting associated with World Rugby. They were following the model of Laos and Cambodia where they had been pretty successful in getting some grassroots rugby going.

My memory was that it didnt stick with the schools / local teams and the relevant Vietnamese Ministry was not supportive of whatever necessary to join World Rugby, so it didnt happen. Things may have progressed since then, but I havent ever heard anything.

[Osmanperalta Profile]

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

[victorsra Profile Website]

Yes, I put Cuba and Bolivia in blue. And I am now changing Myanmar's colour.

About US Virgin Islands,are they still active?

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

Great to meet a Bolivian rugby fellow! Do you know what's the situation of Bolivia's work to become Sudamérica Rugby's member?

[victorsra Profile Website]

Oh, just found US Virgin Is' facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USVI-Rugby-Foo ... 495363347/

About Iraq, I know the Kurdistan team that played the Dubai 7s... is there any other team in the area controlled by Iraq's government? A team in Baghdad or Basra...?

And what about Macedonia?

[Hansgrohe Profile]

Canalina chatted with a person who was trying to start a national federation in Ethiopia... that counts for something.

[Canalina Profile]

Yes, I talked via mail with this young man trying to grow up rugby in Addis Abeba. There was already some rugby played in the capitol city but mostly by the expats, this boy has instead created a group of locals. They have a "Rugby Day" next month, whatever it will be https://www.facebook.com/richrugby.addis

About the other countries, it has to be said that "Get Into Rugby", a project by World Rugby, is bringing a drop of rugby in almost all the nations mentioned by Victorsra, except some like Iraq and North Korea. They seem very active mostly in Africa and in the Caribbean Sea (the GIR manager for this last area is a former T&Tobago female player). If we don't consider Get Into Rugby, reserved to boys and kids and blooming just for one day, the list of Victor seems to me correct.
I'm not sure about the status of Greece. Are they still suspended? Maybe not, but their activity seems frozen; maybe due to the economic crisis. In Armenia there's a self-proclamated national team, but they seem a group of friends not too much in shape and in a number barely adequate to make a squad https://www.facebook.com/rugbyarmenia/
In Africa, Gambia has a team ("the Rhinos", I think expats trying to involve some locals) and there's surely some activity in Sierra Leone, even if they must be few dozens of players https://www.facebook.com/sierraleonerugby.org/

[gibbs Profile]

What was the reason for Armenia's suspension ? I find it strange that Armenian Rugby is not more prominent.. For decades Rugby in India survived solely because of Armenian expats.. During the 90's when India restarted playing in the Asian circuit Armenian expats dominated it's national teams

Also Vietnam is a strange case, Being former French colony and with so much influence, Hard to believe the game never caught on atleast in the capital

[Hansgrohe Profile]

Simple, Armenia weren't active. Actually, as a matter of fact, it seems their union might have collapsed. Such a shame.

[Suiram Profile]

What was the reason for Armenia's suspension ? I find it strange that Armenian Rugby is not more prominent.. For decades Rugby in India survived solely because of Armenian expats.. During the 90's when India restarted playing in the Asian circuit Armenian expats dominated it's national teams

Also Vietnam is a strange case, Being former French colony and with so much influence, Hard to believe the game never caught on atleast in the capital

Vietnam stopped being a french colony is the 40's. Was France already a major player in rugby? From my understanding, French colonialism was a different beast than the British. And its not too surprising that the sport wasnt passed along to the locals. More importantly the multiple wars, communist rule, and range of other things would have killed off any historical connection long ago.

The only Vietnamese I've ever met that play are those that grew up or studied abroad.

[Hansgrohe Profile]

It seems Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia were given rugby via the French. I have no understanding of these countries so much, maybe the connection between them was different.

I find it odd that despite Algeria being bordered by two of Africa's notable rugby nations and having strong contact with France (very recent, not like Vietnam), rugby is just starting there.

[gibbs Profile]

Vietnam stopped being a french colony is the 40's. Was France already a major player in rugby? From my understanding, French colonialism was a different beast than the British. And its not too surprising that the sport wasnt passed along to the locals. More importantly the multiple wars, communist rule, and range of other things would have killed off any historical connection long ago.

The only Vietnamese I've ever met that play are those that grew up or studied abroad.

It seems Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia were given rugby via the French. I have no understanding of these countries so much, maybe the connection between them was different.

I find it odd that despite Algeria being bordered by two of Africa's notable rugby nations and having strong contact with France (very recent, not like Vietnam), rugby is just starting there.

Maybe you guys are right, French cultural assimilation must be bit different to those former Brit colonies, I guess as Hangrohe mentioned Algeria is another example also French Polynesia and West Africa apart from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, Have little or no Rugby culture

Another reason may be Rugby was till decades back was considered a elitist sport.. Exclusive to White expats and higher classes.. Except in the South pacific and NZ.. Where the general populace were involved

Pity about Armenia though, They have the ability to be another Georgia in Rugby, Very similar physical attributes as well

[Osmanperalta Profile]

Yes, I put Cuba and Bolivia in blue. And I am now changing Myanmar's colour.

About US Virgin Islands,are they still active?

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

Great to meet a Bolivian rugby fellow! Do you know what's the situation of Bolivia's work to become Sudamérica Rugby's member?

There is a lot of progress in that thanks by the gestion of the new president of FBR (federacion boliviana de rugby) hope in this year we will be member .... ah other info bolivian clubs generally tours every year to argentina, chile and recently brazil (we travel to corumba twice last year)

[victorsra Profile Website]

I am updating Sierra Leone to blue, great.

Sudan's team: https://www.facebook.com/KhartoumRugby/
Gambia (news from 2009... anything new?): http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/articl ... hs-trained

Guinea (Facebook page from 2012): https://www.facebook.com/rugbyguinee.guinee / photos of 2015: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 401&type=3

Kiribati has at least Touch, they played the Pacific Games.

Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are in wikipedia, but I coudn't find reliable proofs.. anyone?

So, the list of countries with nothing of rugby looks to be this:

Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Dominica
Grenada
Suriname

Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
São Tomé e Príncipe
Somalia

Bhutan
Maldives
North Korea

Marshall Islands

[gibbs Profile]

Again two surprises there

Antigua and Grenada.. Two British commonwealth nations, Must have been some form of the game played

[vino_93 Profile]

It seems Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia were given rugby via the French. I have no understanding of these countries so much, maybe the connection between them was different.

I find it odd that despite Algeria being bordered by two of Africa's notable rugby nations and having strong contact with France (very recent, not like Vietnam), rugby is just starting there.

That may be explain due to the bad relationship between Algeria / Vietnam and France after colonisation.

[victorsra Profile Website]

hmmm found something about rugby in Tajikstan: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2271635/

[Hansgrohe Profile]

Curious question - have you tried searching on Google national equivalents and in those languages?

[Thomas Profile]

Again two surprises there

Antigua and Grenada.. Two British commonwealth nations, Must have been some form of the game played

The national sports of these countries is Cricket... For Antigua most famous sons: Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, I know they play Rugby but more like invitational teams coming during their off-season not familiar with any club in current existence just the local gathering of expats and locals who like the odd game.

Grenada : also major sport is cricket, international player is Devon Smith also Kirani James winning the 400 Metre at the last Olympics have boosted track and field in the country

[gibbs Profile]

Again two surprises there

Antigua and Grenada.. Two British commonwealth nations, Must have been some form of the game played

The national sports of these countries is Cricket... For Antigua most famous sons: Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, I know they play Rugby but more like invitational teams coming during their off-season not familiar with any club in current existence just the local gathering of expats and locals who like the odd game.

Grenada : also major sport is cricket, international player is Devon Smith also Kirani James winning the 400 Metre at the last Olympics have boosted track and field in the country

Yep.. Thats what i thought.. It's impossible not have played some structure of Rugby if you're part of the British commonwealth

I'd reckon it's true for Maldives as well.. Since most Maldivians have lived or lives in Sri Lanka they would have partaken in the game in some measure

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

We have a little "embryonic" rugby being played in the Marshall Islands in 2014: https://www.facebook.com/Marshall-Islan ... 001015230/

No news since 2015 with http://www.spokesman.com/picture-storie ... y-players/

But perhaps we need to wait to see if teenage players who leave school will form a club to continue.