Rugby league in Lebanon
Encyclopedia
Rugby league
is a team
sport
that has been played in Lebanon
since 2002.
The seeds of rugby league in Lebanon in fact lie in Australia
. A group of Australian-born rugby league players with Lebanese heritage, mostly from inner-city Sydney
formed a side with a view to entering the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
. They were accepted into the qualifying tournament on the agreement that they would aim to develop rugby league within the country they represent. They subsequently went on to win the qualifying competition, earning their place by beating Italy
and Morocco
of the Mediterranean group before travelling to Florida
to defeat the USA
, winners of the Pacific group.
In 2002 a domestic league was set up in Lebanon, initially with four university-based teams. Players from the domestic competition now feature in the national side, and a side composed entirely from Lebanese domestic players, known as Lebanon Espoirs has been formed.
In 2011, Lebanon nearly qualified for 2013 Rugby League World Cup but lost to Italy that became the 14th and final nation to qualify for event.
In 2011, the government of Lebanon promised to increase its support and funding for rugby league.
in Lebanon. They are associate members of the Rugby League European Federation
and full members of the Rugby League International Federation
.
Lebanese rugby league is often featured on the Qatar
-based Al Jazeera
network. In 2007 the first ever game report featured on a game in Lebanon was televised on Al Jazeera
.
, which is hosted in Lebanon. Many of the Espoirs players have gone into represent Lebanon in full international matches. The Cedars have been largely successful in international competition - they were unbeaten in 12 tests between 2000 and 2007, a record which included two draws against Ireland. This winning steak ended with a 38-16 loss to Samoa in the final game of their 2008 Rugby League World Cup
qualification campaign.
teams. In 2006 they recorded their first victory on tour in Cyprus
against a British combined services team. In 2007 they beat the main Serbian national team
16-14 and went on to defeat a Serbia Development XIII 50-0. In 2008 they played the United Arab Emirates
of the Emirates Rugby League
, the first game ever to be played by the nation. The match was played in Bhamdoun
with the Liban Espoir eventually winning 48-18. In 2009, Liban Espoir played the UAE Falcons again, this time in a three game series. The first game, played in Dubai
at The Sevens
ended early with the UAE Falcons leading 16-6 because of a mass brawl. The remaining two games were split between The Sevens and Bhamdoun. In the second game held at The Sevens, The Espoirs fell to a 34-10 defeat at the hands of the UAE Falcons and are awaiting the third and final match of 2009 that will be held in Lebanon late August.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is a team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
that has been played in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
since 2002.
The seeds of rugby league in Lebanon in fact lie in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. A group of Australian-born rugby league players with Lebanese heritage, mostly from inner-city Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
formed a side with a view to entering the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
. They were accepted into the qualifying tournament on the agreement that they would aim to develop rugby league within the country they represent. They subsequently went on to win the qualifying competition, earning their place by beating Italy
Italy national rugby league team
The Italy national rugby league team represents Italy in international rugby league football. The team dates back from the 1950s after the formation of a domestic competition in the country, and in the 1960s they played Australia, France and a number of English teams.The game disappeared in Italy...
and Morocco
Morocco national rugby league team
-Results:* Lebanon def. Morocco 72-4 * Morocco def. Belgium 46-12 * Morocco def. Catalonia 29-6 * Morocco def. Italy 32-10 * Morocco def. Catalonia 62-12...
of the Mediterranean group before travelling to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to defeat the USA
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...
, winners of the Pacific group.
In 2002 a domestic league was set up in Lebanon, initially with four university-based teams. Players from the domestic competition now feature in the national side, and a side composed entirely from Lebanese domestic players, known as Lebanon Espoirs has been formed.
In 2011, Lebanon nearly qualified for 2013 Rugby League World Cup but lost to Italy that became the 14th and final nation to qualify for event.
In 2011, the government of Lebanon promised to increase its support and funding for rugby league.
Governing body and competitions
The Lebanese Rugby League Federation are based in SafraSafra
Safra may refer to:*People:**Edmond J. Safra***Lily Safra, chairman of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation**Jacob Safra**Jacqui Safra**Joseph Safra**Safra A...
in Lebanon. They are associate members of the Rugby League European Federation
Rugby League European Federation
The Rugby League European Federation is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. It supports the Rugby League International Federation . The RLEF "oversees and co-ordinates the development of the sport in all its member...
and full members of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
.
Lebanon Rugby League Championship
There are eight teams that play in the Bank of Beirut Lebanon Championship domestic league.| Name | Location | Full Name |
|---|---|---|
| Tripoli City | Tripoli Tripoli Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three... |
Tripoli Rugby League Football Club |
| AUB AUB AUB may refer to:*Asian University of Bangladesh*American University of Beirut*Asia Universal Bank*Asia United Bank*Augsburg Airways*Apostolic United BrethrenOr in medicine:*Abnormal Uterine Bleeding... |
Beirut Beirut Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan... |
American University Of Beirut American University of Beirut The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866... Rugby League Football Club |
| Wolves | Rabieh Rabieh Rabieh is a suburban area on the northern edge of Greater Beirut, Lebanon, about 20 minutes driving distance from Beirut. It is located in the foothills of Mount Lebanon, on the road to Bikfaya. Rabieh saw its population increase sharply in the late 1980s, following the Lebanese civil war... |
Wolves Rugby League Football Club |
| Jounieh Al-Galacticos | Jounieh Jounieh Jounieh is a Mediterranean coastal city about 16 kilometers north of Beirut, Lebanon. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, as well as its old stone souk, ferry, and cablecar , which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in... |
Jounieh Al-Galacticos Rugby League Football Club |
| LAU Immortals | Beirut Beirut Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan... |
Lebanese American University Lebanese American University The Lebanese American University is a secular, private and independent American university located in Lebanon... Immortals Rugby League Football Club |
| USJ Saints | Beirut Beirut Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan... |
Université Saint-Joseph Université Saint-Joseph Saint Joseph University is a private Catholic higher institute of education founded by the Jesuits in 1875 in Beirut, Lebanon, known for its school of medicine and its hospital, Hôtel-Dieu de France. The Lebanese state officially recognizes the university and the diplomas it grants in accord with... Saints Rugby League Football Club |
| Balamand Razorbacks | Koura Koura Koura may refer to:* Koura District, or El-Koura, a district in North Lebanon* New Zealand freshwater crayfish known as koura, see Paranephrops... |
Balamand Razorbacks Rugby League Football Club |
| AUST Lions | Beirut Beirut Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan... |
American University of Science and Technology American University of Science and Technology Founded by Hiam Sakr of Ain Ebel, Lebanon, the American University of Science and Technology, in Beirut, Lebanon, an educational institute, was established on the 21st of March 1994 under the name of AUC , as an external degree program with the State University of New York/Empire State College, New... Lions Rugby League Football Club |
Media
Media representation of rugby league has grown dramatically in the past few years with the domestic competition now covered by all ten marquee Lebanese newspapers, two prominent radio stations and the country’s major television stations.Lebanese rugby league is often featured on the Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
-based Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
network. In 2007 the first ever game report featured on a game in Lebanon was televised on Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
.
The National Team
The full Lebanon side, nicknamed the Cedars, remains mostly composed of players of Lebanese ancestry from Australia. The Lebanon Espoirs team, made up of younger players from the domestic competition, has played a number of fixtures - this side has competed annually in the Rugby League Mediterranean CupMediterranean Cup
The Mediterranean Cup was an annual rugby league football tournament that was held in Lebanon although it also has been held in France. It was contested by Lebanon, France, Serbia and Morocco with the competition first conceived as a qualifying tournament for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and in...
, which is hosted in Lebanon. Many of the Espoirs players have gone into represent Lebanon in full international matches. The Cedars have been largely successful in international competition - they were unbeaten in 12 tests between 2000 and 2007, a record which included two draws against Ireland. This winning steak ended with a 38-16 loss to Samoa in the final game of their 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...
qualification campaign.
Liban Espoir
Since the arrival of a five-team domestic league in Lebanon, which was set up in 2003, a second team has formed made up of players from that league under Head Coach Remond Safi. They are known as the Liban Espoir and regularly tour other countries. In 2003 they toured Morocco, and then in 2005 they toured England and Wales, playing numerous matches against the England Lionhearts, Welsh Presidents XIII and Rugby League ConferenceRugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
teams. In 2006 they recorded their first victory on tour in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
against a British combined services team. In 2007 they beat the main Serbian national team
Serbia national rugby league team
The Serbia national rugby league team represents Serbia in the sport of rugby league football, has been participating in international competition since 2003.-History:...
16-14 and went on to defeat a Serbia Development XIII 50-0. In 2008 they played the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national rugby league team
The United Arab Emirates National Rugby League team, also known as The Falcons, represents the United Arab Emirates in the sport of rugby league football.-History:...
of the Emirates Rugby League
Emirates Rugby League
Emirates Rugby League is the governing body for rugby league in the United Arab Emirates.Operating under the auspices of the Rugby League European Federation’s Euro Med Department, the ERL governs rugby league at all levels in the UAE, from the national team to the development of school and youth...
, the first game ever to be played by the nation. The match was played in Bhamdoun
Bhamdoun
Bhamdoun is a town in Lebanon from Beirut on the main road that leads to Damascus, lying at an altitude of above the Lamartine valley. Two separate villages compose the town, Bhamdoun-el-mhatta and Bhamdoun-el-day'aa...
with the Liban Espoir eventually winning 48-18. In 2009, Liban Espoir played the UAE Falcons again, this time in a three game series. The first game, played in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
at The Sevens
The Sevens (stadium)
The Sevens, also written as "7he Sevens", is a purpose-built rugby sevens stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.It was the venue for the first HSBC A5N Youth Rugby Festival in February 2009.-External links:* * *...
ended early with the UAE Falcons leading 16-6 because of a mass brawl. The remaining two games were split between The Sevens and Bhamdoun. In the second game held at The Sevens, The Espoirs fell to a 34-10 defeat at the hands of the UAE Falcons and are awaiting the third and final match of 2009 that will be held in Lebanon late August.
Notable players of Lebanese background
- Robbie FarahRobbie FarahRobert Peter "Robbie" Farah is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Wests Tigers club in the National Rugby League competition. He primarily plays at hooker and can operate as a half-back...
- Tim MannahTim MannahTim Mannah is a professional rugby league footballer of Lebanese-Australian heritage currently playing for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League .-Early life:...
- Jon MannahJon MannahJon Mannah is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays with the Parramatta Eels of the NRL. His position is at prop. He is the brother of Tim Mannah, who plays his rugby for the Parramatta Eels. Like his brother Tim, he also attended Christian Community High School...
- Hazem El MasriHazem El MasriHazem El Masri is a Lebanese-Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australia and Lebanon international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, he played his entire club football career with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with...
- George NdairaGeorge NdairaGeorge Ndaira is a rugby league player for Wests Tigers in the Newcastle Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League. He is of Lebanese ethnicity...
- Benny EliasBenny EliasBenjamin Elias is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He played primarily as a hooker for Balmain in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. He was one of the leading hookers from the mid 1980s until his retirement at the end of the 1994 season...
- Jai AyoubJai AyoubJai Ayoub is a professional Australian rugby league player who is currently contracted to the Sydney Roosters. He has represented Lebanon.-External links:****...
- Ahmed BajouriAhmed BajouriAhmed Bajouri is a Lebanese former rugby league player for the Wests Tigers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Australian National Rugby League competition and the Lebanon national rugby league team. He primarily played on the wing.-External links:**...
- Hassan SalehHassan SalehHassan Saleh is a Lebanese-Australian former professional rugby league player for the Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra Dragons and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League competition. He also represented the Lebanon national rugby league team on several occasions, including...
- Jarrod SaffyJarrod SaffyJarrod Saffy is an Australian professional rugby union player. He played league for St George Illawarra Dragons , before switching to rugby to the train with the Melbourne Rebels in preparation for the 2011 Super Rugby season.-Early career:Saffy moved to Australia as a 15-year-old and continued...
- Beau RyanBeau RyanBeau Ryan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League. He plays primarily in the backs....