Rugby union in Vanuatu
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Vanuatu
, formerly known as the New Hebrides
is a popular sport. Vanuatu is a tier three rugby union
playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in 1966 and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup
.
Despite its size and lack of club infrastructure, there are 2143 registered players of rugby union, 100 of whom are female, and there are fifteen clubs.
The national side is ranked 91st in the world (as of June, 2009) and has played just 8 matches.
Teams from Vanuatu have competed with teams from the Solomon Islands
.
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 Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, formerly known as the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
is a popular sport. Vanuatu is a tier three rugby union
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...
playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in 1966 and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.
Despite its size and lack of club infrastructure, there are 2143 registered players of rugby union, 100 of whom are female, and there are fifteen clubs.
The national side is ranked 91st in the world (as of June, 2009) and has played just 8 matches.
History
Rugby union reached Vanuatu via both the French and the British, as well as contacts with neighbouring islands. Before independence in 1980, the New Hebrides were a unique form of colonial territory in which sovereignty was shared by two great powers - Britain and France - instead of exercised by just one. The Condominium divided the New Hebrides into two separate communities — one Anglophone and one Francophone. This divide continues even after independence, with schools either teaching in one language or the other, and between different political parties.Teams from Vanuatu have competed with teams from the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.