Rugby union in Slovakia
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Slovakia
is a minor but growing sport.
Rugby union was introduced to Czechoslovakia
(as it was then) by the Czech/Moravian
writer Ondřej Sekora
, when he returned from living in France
in 1926, with a rugby ball and set of rules.World War II
, and the Cold War
.
Although Slovakia was under the aegis of Czechoslovak rugby bodies, the centre of gravity was firmly in Bohemia
and to a lesser extent Moravia
, with Slovakia
finishing a distant third in terms of participation. However, rugby union was being played in Bratislava
by ŠK Slávia Bratislava as early as 1927.
Czechoslovakia was a founder member of FIRA in 1934, and joined the IRB in 1988. The Czechoslovak Rugby Union was founded in 1926; after the Velvet Divorce, Slovakia founded its own in the 1990s.
Like many minor European rugby nations, Slovak rugby has tended to centre on the capital: Bratislava
, with fleeting starts in provincial towns and the countryside. It has a minor presence in one or two schools.
Rugby union is completely amateur in Slovakia.
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 Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
is a minor but growing sport.
History
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(as it was then) by the Czech/Moravian
Moravians (ethnic group)
Moravians are the modern West Slavic inhabitants of the historical land of Moravia, the easternmost part of the Czech Republic, which includes the Moravian Slovakia. They speak the two main groups of Moravian dialects , the transitional Bohemian-Moravian dialect subgroup and standard Czech...
writer Ondřej Sekora
Ondřej Sekora
Ondřej Sekora was a Czech painter, illustrator, writer, journalist and entomologist. He is known mainly as an author of children books. Sekora was also one of the first propagators of rugby in Czechoslovakia....
, when he returned from living in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1926, with a rugby ball and set of rules.World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Although Slovakia was under the aegis of Czechoslovak rugby bodies, the centre of gravity was firmly in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and to a lesser extent Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, with Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
finishing a distant third in terms of participation. However, rugby union was being played in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
by ŠK Slávia Bratislava as early as 1927.
Czechoslovakia was a founder member of FIRA in 1934, and joined the IRB in 1988. The Czechoslovak Rugby Union was founded in 1926; after the Velvet Divorce, Slovakia founded its own in the 1990s.
Like many minor European rugby nations, Slovak rugby has tended to centre on the capital: Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, with fleeting starts in provincial towns and the countryside. It has a minor presence in one or two schools.
Rugby union is completely amateur in Slovakia.