Last countries without rugby

[victorsra Profile Website]

In rugby, Matt Banahan is from Jersey and played for England recently. But I coudn't find a Guernsey player.

The only Manx player that played for a Home Nation is Neil Bennett (7 caps with England in the 1970s). But there was Manx another player, Alfred Peter Penketh, that played in the 1888 British Lions (actualy British Isles, because "Lions" wasn't the name at that time). He is the only Manx that played for the British Isles, but never played for any of the Home Nations. No Jersey/Guernsey players ever played for the Lions.

[Canalina Profile]

Side curiosity: the isle of Man and the isle of Sicily have a similar symbol, three legs fused together and forming a sort of rotating star

Man https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... nn.svg.png
Sicily https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... n_Flag.svg

And by chance the most famous ever three-legged man was Francesco Lentini, from Sicily
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lentini

The symbol of Sicily should refer to the three geographical capes of the island (it's a sort of triangle), but that's not completely sure.
The origin of the symbol of Man is for some searchers obscure, while other say it was there transported by the Normans after they conquered Sicily

[Canalina Profile]

Cambodia is currently not part of World Rugby nor of Asia Rugby but it seems rugby activity, even if on little scale, never stopped there. Probably the Cambodia Federation was expelled by Asia Rugby due to some misconduct and not due to absence of activity.

A video from January announcing that the national (7s) championship 2020 would have started in February
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvQp9_LgHI

A nice video with several dozens of kids playing rugby, but the video is from five years ago and the title said "Rugby struggles to survive"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP5IXL_5tj4

An article from some months ago saying that Hanuman RC won the national (7s) title 2019
http://www.sportpage.asia/hanuman-rfc%E ... 9-winners/

An article from last summer about the departure of the Cambodian Police Select for the World Police & Fire Games, where Cambodia will win the bronze medal behind Italy Firefighters and Paris Firefighters
http://www.camsports.org/other-sports/46650.html

The fb pages of the Cambodian Federation, of Hanuman RC and of the Interior Ministry Rugby team (respectively classified 1st and 2nd in the last national championship)
https://www.facebook.com/CambodiaRugby/
https://www.facebook.com/hanumanrugbyclub/
https://www.facebook.com/pg/សមាគមកីឡាបាល់ឱប-នៃអង្គភាពកីឡានគរបាលជាតិកម្ពុជា-1132218283620057/

The rugby situation in Cambodia seems not so brilliant as in Laos but better than in Myanmar; a good aspect is that most of the players are local, while in the web pages of Myanmar rugby clubs you see almost only western and japanese players.
Cambodia last played in 2017 SEA Games, finishing 5th in men's 7s competition ahead of Indonesia. In 2023 the SEA Games will be hosted by Cambodia itself and that is currently the big aim of local rugby. I wonder if they have to regain the Asia Rugby membership to have the permit to take part to the SEA Games?

In khmer language "rugby" is said "bal aob": bal meaning ball and aob meaning hug

[victorsra Profile Website]

And better than Vietnam, which isn't Asia Rugby member

[Canalina Profile]

Asia Rugby organized a series of online workshops divided by geographical area. The one of Central Asia saw the participation of representers from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The absence of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, despite the meeting was on line so without costs, seems confirming that in those countries the presence of rugby is very little (Tajikistan) or maybe null (Turkmenistan)
https://www.facebook.com/asia.rugby/pho ... =3&theater

By the way, the South Asia workshop was attended by representers of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

[sk 88 Profile Website]

Guernsey RFC was promoted to the English National League 2, now 2 divisions below Jersey Reds. That's cool, in fact, that the Channel Islands are represented in the English system. Isle of Man also have clubs there, the best one is Douglas RUFC, in the North West 1, 2 division below Nat League 2.

I searched this because I saw interesting news that Isle of Man has now a football club (FC Isle of Man) created to represent the island in the English football system, starting in the 10th division. It would be interesting there was a whole-island representative team.

Guernsey and Jersey are already in the English football system as well. Guernsey FC plays the English 8th division and Jersey FC was promoted to the 9th division. So, both are better in rugby.

Interestingly both channel Islands have produced an England footballer; Matt Le Tissier from Guernsey and Graham Le Saux from Jersey. I like their Norman surnames. I wonder if they can speak their Norman French dialects. It is a perculiar rule that a footballer from one of the three Crown Dependencies qualifies to play for any of the "home nations" national teams. This makes more sense for Isle of Man footballers than it does for Channel Islanders, because Isle of Man is more or less in the middle between Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

I think Budge Poutney qualified for Scotland on the basis of one Channel Island born grandparent.

[Chester-Donnelly Profile]

Guernsey RFC was promoted to the English National League 2, now 2 divisions below Jersey Reds. That's cool, in fact, that the Channel Islands are represented in the English system. Isle of Man also have clubs there, the best one is Douglas RUFC, in the North West 1, 2 division below Nat League 2.

I searched this because I saw interesting news that Isle of Man has now a football club (FC Isle of Man) created to represent the island in the English football system, starting in the 10th division. It would be interesting there was a whole-island representative team.

Guernsey and Jersey are already in the English football system as well. Guernsey FC plays the English 8th division and Jersey FC was promoted to the 9th division. So, both are better in rugby.

Interestingly both channel Islands have produced an England footballer; Matt Le Tissier from Guernsey and Graham Le Saux from Jersey. I like their Norman surnames. I wonder if they can speak their Norman French dialects. It is a perculiar rule that a footballer from one of the three Crown Dependencies qualifies to play for any of the "home nations" national teams. This makes more sense for Isle of Man footballers than it does for Channel Islanders, because Isle of Man is more or less in the middle between Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

I think Budge Poutney qualified for Scotland on the basis of one Channel Island born grandparent.

Wow, that is such a weird rule. That is definitely a loophole.

[Canalina Profile]

Le président d’Asia Rugby, Qais Al Dhalai, a indiqué que l'Asie allait prochainement passer de 31 à 34 syndicats membres. Les pays probables: Tadjikistan et Cambodge. Le dernier? Les 13 autres pays restants à l'heure actuelle n'ont pas de fédération.


https://twitter.com/AsieRugby/status/12 ... 2816399360

[victorsra Profile Website]

31 to 34 means 3 new... Maybe Vietnam? They talked about it recently... There are also clubs in Kuwait, Bahrein and Oman, plus organisations in Iraq and Palestine, as both countries played the Arab 7s... Many options.

[Canalina Profile]

I would bet on Iraq or Palestine

A new page about rugby in Iraq
www.facebook.com/لجنة-الركبي-العراقي-328230514713658/

[Canalina Profile]

Maybe it will be known just at the end of june, after the second congress of the year that should be hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Theoretically the "lockdown" of the asian rugby should end at the end of this week

https://www.asiarugby.com/calendar-2020/

[Canalina Profile]

In year 2000 Turkmenistan published a series of nine stamps with rugby theme. At least they know what it is



from https://www.irishrugby.ie/2007/08/23/oc ... -his-mark/

Last year Ron Rutland and James Owens, the two friends who bicycled from London to Tokyo, passed also through Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, but I checked their social media and it seems they didn't published photos with them playing a bit of rugby with the local kids, as they did in other countries.
Maybe it would be nice if World Rugby realized a sort of reality-documentary with two friends going with a rugby ball in the countries without rugby (Suriname, Somalia, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, tentatively North Korea...) to see the reaction of local people and if they are able to plant a first little seed of rugby.
Or maybe not, maybe it's better if rugby appears in a nation spontaneously and not traded by some strangers.
Anyway, Get Into Rugby is doing more or less what suggested here above; they're trying to visit all the nations and I've seen that they've instructors also in Timor Leste

[victorsra Profile Website]

For years World Rugby social media (and formerly the Total Rugby show) has been releasing videos about rugby worldwide. However, I do believe they could "update" such efforts aiming at realy reach all T1-nations public, improving awareness about rugby outside the established nations.

But it can't be videos with random people. It must be like a BIG former player travelling the world, maybe together with a famous digital influencer. And the idea woudn't be to interview the president or the captain of the local national team. This is boring for most of the audience. They should go to a proper match of the local championship, to show how is the culture and the level of the game, and the former player should engage in a training session during the week with a club or national team. Or maybe just use the national teams schedule to follow continental competitions. That would be great and they can produce many small videos for social media, together with bigger videos to offer TVs.

[vino_93 Profile]

There has been a few cool docs made by Societe Generale which are similar to what you said.

[victorsra Profile Website]

This is great. It would be great if available worldwide on Netflix, Amazon Prime...

French-only?

[vino_93 Profile]

Don't know if there is in English or not.
Here in French : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... ph9k2-Qi-7


Édit : in english !
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... sIdfjby3T2

[victorsra Profile Website]

Merci!

It looks Albania's Tirana RC will play the Greek Rugby League http://www.rlif.com/article/8968/greek- ... or--season

[Canalina Profile]

A nice documentary (17') about Asmara, the Eritrea's capitol city; but it's in italian language.
I didn't know (as many other italian people, judging by the comments) that italian language is still so used and understood in Eritrea; it's surprising, and somehow pleasant.
The fact that Eritrea was under the italian influence, instead of under the english or french one, may explain why rugby seems still totally inexistent over there



Meanwhile the yemenite island of Socotra, relatively not far from Eritrea, has been seized by the independence fighters; maybe in few years we will have a new nation in the list of the "Last countries without rugby"
http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2020/06 ... 259872989/

[nick511 Profile]

Cambodia is currently not part of World Rugby nor of Asia Rugby but it seems rugby activity, even if on little scale, never stopped there. Probably the Cambodia Federation was expelled by Asia Rugby due to some misconduct and not due to absence of activity.

I see there have been a few posts here confused about the status of the Cambodia Federation of Rugby and rugby in the country in general. I happened to stumble upon a good article explaining development in the country and how they hope to be back as part of Asia Rugby by the 28th July. It seems they have reformed recently and have already put their application through to Asia Rugby.

It seems simple mismanagement from the Union was the reason they were suspended, so I hopefully by the end of month they can be added to those maps that Canalina produces!

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50737529/c ... ideration/

[Chester-Donnelly Profile]

Corrected:

Commonwealth Games: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey;

Soccer (British)*: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland;

Rugby (British)*: England, Scotland, Wales, unified Ireland;

Cricket (British): "England and Wales", Scotland, unified Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey - but formerly only "England";

Field Hockey (British)*: England, Scotland, Wales, unified Ireland;

Rugby League (British): England, Scotland, Wales, unified Ireland - but formerly only Great Britain;

Basketball (Not British): Great Britain, unified Ireland;

Volleyball (Not British)*: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Team Handball (Not British): Great Britain (including Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland

Ice Hockey (Not British): Great Britain (including Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland

Baseball (Not British): Great Britain, Ireland (?)

Softball (Not British); Great Britain, Jersey, Guernsey (there is an European Sofball Federation below the World Baseball Softball Confederation)

Lacrosse (Not British): England, Scotland, Wales, unified Ireland

Water Polo/Aquatics (British): Great Britain, unified Ireland

Netball: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man;

__

*Great Britain in the Olympics

Is that right now?

I have discovered that for basketball Team GB represents England and Scotland. The Ireland unified team competes in the FIBA European Championship for small countries, as does Wales.

[Canalina Profile]

Cambodia is currently not part of World Rugby nor of Asia Rugby but it seems rugby activity, even if on little scale, never stopped there. Probably the Cambodia Federation was expelled by Asia Rugby due to some misconduct and not due to absence of activity.

I see there have been a few posts here confused about the status of the Cambodia Federation of Rugby and rugby in the country in general. I happened to stumble upon a good article explaining development in the country and how they hope to be back as part of Asia Rugby by the 28th July. It seems they have reformed recently and have already put their application through to Asia Rugby.

It seems simple mismanagement from the Union was the reason they were suspended, so I hopefully by the end of month they can be added to those maps that Canalina produces!

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50737529/c ... ideration/

Some weeks ago the new president of Asia Rugby said that three federations were expected to join the family of Asia Rugby; so it seems Cambodia is one of them

[Canalina Profile]

Someone is more skilled than me on producing maps

https://twitter.com/awgymer/status/1280470209111842821
https://awgymer.github.io/rugby-stats/s ... rugby.html
https://awgymer.github.io/rugby-stats/p ... _2020.html

[victorsra Profile Website]

Realy awesome. I thing it only misses the Bolivia debut in 2019 against Paraguay.

[Canalina Profile]

I have some doubts also about Gabon, Guinea Conakry and Central Africa. Have they never played a test match, maybe semi-official?
It has to be said that under the map it's specified that the data are taken from World Rugby, and probably WR miss those little non-completely-official friendly games that we in this forum are instead aware of

[victorsra Profile Website]

Maybe only sevens...

Like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iceland, etc...