Rugby union in Lithuania
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Lithuania
is a minor but growing sport.
and Georgia
- but has experienced some growth in the post-independence period.
Lithuania was an independent country between World War I and World War II, but shortly after it was annexed by the USSR, in 1949, rugby union was forbidden in the USSR during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism
". The competitions were resumed in 1957, and the Soviet Championship in 1966. In 1975 the Soviet national team
played their first match.
Lithuania had its own rugby team in the USSR, but it was not treated as a proper national side.
. The climate of the country also hinders the game, as pitches may be under snow for large parts of the year.
There is some rivalry with neighbours Latvia
who beat them in the qualifiers for the 1995 Rugby World Cup
, as did Germany
.
In the 1990s, there was some promotion of the game by player-coach Vladimiris Nikonous.
since 2005. (Current playing record).
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
is a minor but growing sport.
Governing Body
The Lithuanian Union was founded in 1961, and joined the IRB in 1992, after Lithuanian independence. Although the union was formed in the sixties, it was not considered a proper national union until after the breakup of the USSR.Soviet Era
Rugby union arrived in Lithuania during the post-War Soviet period. Lithuania was never a stronghold of rugby in the USSR - the game was mainly played in RussiaRugby union in Russia
Rugby union in Russia is a growing sport. Russia is ranked 19th worldwide by the International Rugby Board , having over one hundred clubs and close to 20,000 players nationally. Russia has a professional domestic competition.-Governing body:...
and Georgia
Rugby union in Georgia
Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Georgia. Rugby union is considered the most popular sport in Georgia, after football.- Governing body :The governing body for rugby union in Georgia is the Georgia Rugby Union...
- but has experienced some growth in the post-independence period.
Lithuania was an independent country between World War I and World War II, but shortly after it was annexed by the USSR, in 1949, rugby union was forbidden in the USSR during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality. This is contrasted with communitarian and particularistic theories, especially the ideas of patriotism and nationalism...
". The competitions were resumed in 1957, and the Soviet Championship in 1966. In 1975 the Soviet national team
Soviet Union national rugby union team
The USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.-History:Although such tournaments as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR...
played their first match.
Lithuania had its own rugby team in the USSR, but it was not treated as a proper national side.
Post-independence
Like many other minor rugby nations, the game is centred on the capital, VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. The climate of the country also hinders the game, as pitches may be under snow for large parts of the year.
There is some rivalry with neighbours Latvia
Latvia national rugby union team
The Latvia national rugby union team represent Latvia at the sport of rugby union. They are governed by Latvijas Regbija Federācija and have been playing international rugby since the early 1990s. Rugby has increased in popularity in Latvia recently due to a rise in form...
who beat them in the qualifiers for the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
, as did Germany
Germany national rugby union team
Germany is a third-tier Rugby Union playing nation. Germany currently plays at the second level of European rugby but has never managed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup...
.
In the 1990s, there was some promotion of the game by player-coach Vladimiris Nikonous.
Women's rugby
Although Lithuania's women have not yet played test match rugby, they have been playing international sevens rugbyWomen's International Rugby Union Sevens
Rugby Union Sevens - a short form of the sport of rugby union - was first played in 1883, with the first internationals taking place in 1973...
since 2005. (Current playing record).
Competitions
The main national competition is the Lithuanian Open Rugby XV Championship, currently disputed by 7 teams in the I Group. They are:- Vairas-Supoja Šiauliai
- Baltrex Šiauliai
- RK Šiauliai
- Azuolas Kaunas
- Tauras-VRA Vilnius
- Kursiai Klaipedia
- Stats-Kekava (from Riga, Latvia)
See also
- Lithuania national rugby union teamLithuania national rugby union teamThe Lithuania national rugby union team represents Lithuania at rugby union. They are governed by the Lithuanian Rugby Federation , and have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.-History:...
- Lithuania national rugby union team (sevens)Lithuania national rugby union team (sevens)The Lithuania national rugby union sevens is a minor national sevens side. They won the Bowl in the 2005 FIRA European Sevens in Moscow....
- Soviet Union national rugby union teamSoviet Union national rugby union teamThe USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.-History:Although such tournaments as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR...
External links
- IRB Lithuania page
- Official webpage
- REGBIS LIETUVOJE Archives du Rugby: Lituanie
- http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=24879 Lithuania dreaming of 2011 Rugby World Cup, AFP story published by rugbyweek.com