2017 Rugby League World Cup qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)

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2017 RLWC qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)
On aggregate (Lebanon wins series 2–0)
First test
Date25 October 2015
Venue Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee Phil Bentham (England)
Second test
Date31 October 2015
Venue Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee Phil Bentham (England)

The 2017 Rugby League World Cup Middle East-Africa qualification play-off was a two-match rugby league series, with the winner qualifying for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. The matches were between South Africa and Lebanon and were played at Brakpan Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa on 25 and 31 October 2015.

Contents

Overview

On 3 October 2014, the 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifying competition was announced with one qualification spot being granted to the Middle East-Africa region. [1]

Initially a one-off play off match in the Dubai Sports City complex was announced. [2] However the match was cancelled after the head of the Emirates rugby league, Sol Mokdad, was arrested following a complaint from UAE rugby union officials.

South Africa was subsequently given the hosting rights for the qualification fixtures. South Africa RL president Kobus Botha stated that the "SARL is extremely excited about hosting this highly prestigious World Cup Qualifier... We hope that this is the first of many such tournaments and a small glimpse into what South Africa can offer as a potential host country for the 2021 World Cup." [3]

Squads

Both teams picked preliminary train-on squads with the South Africans picked what they believed was "a strong, healthy and balanced train-on squad" which contained domestic players as well as eligible South African players based in Australia's reserve grade competitions. [4] The Lebanese selected eligible NRL players along with other reserve grade, domestic and unattached players. [5]

South Africa

The South Africa squad as of 13 October 2015 was as follows: [6]

Club TeamPlayers
Flag of South Africa.svg Barberton Bulldogs Jaice Terblanche
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Burleigh Bears Shane Gillham
Flag of South Africa.svg Cape Town Hyenas Shuab Samaai
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Emerald Tigers Jason King
Flag of South Africa.svg Harlequins Rugby League Club Deon Kraemer, Jean Coetzer, Jean-Pierre Nel
Flag of South Africa.svg Northern Bulls Marcell Viljoen, Rudolph Prinsloo, Theo Rhodes
Flag of South Africa.svg UP-Tuks RLC Christo Louw, Dwayne Botma, Johan Joubert, Nardus Raubenheimer, Ruaan Du Preez, Rupert Wells
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wentworthville Magpies Louis Musson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg West Coast Pirates Bradley Williams, Halvor Harris
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wynnum Manly Seagulls Gideon Mzembe

Lebanon

The Lebanon squad as of 17 October 2015 was as follows: [7] [8]

Club TeamPlayers
Flag of Lebanon.svg AUB Toufic El Hajj
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Asquith Magpies Mark Daoud
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Auburn Warriors Jamie Clark, Richard Coorey, Ead Kassem, Elias Sukkar
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Guildford Owls Chris Saab
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hills James Boustani
Flag of Lebanon.svg Immortals RLFC Ray Finan, Robin Hachache
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne Storm Travis Robinson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Newcastle Knights James Elias
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Newtown Jets Daniel Abou Sleiman, Ahmad Ellaz, Tarek El Masri, Ray Moujalli
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wentworthville Magpies Nick Kassis, Mitchell Mamary
Flag of Lebanon.svg Wolves RLFC Wael Harb
Unattached Adham El Zbaidieh

First test

25 October 2015
South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg12 – 40Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Try: Joubert 12'
King 56'
Raubenheimer 73'
Goal: Williams (0/2)
Coetzer (0/1)
Report
Try: Robinson (3) 3' c, 33', 78' c
Saab 17' c
Abou-Sleiman 21' c
Mamary 59' c
El Masri 63' c
Goal: Boustani (6/7) 4', 18', 22', 60', 64', 79'
Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Referee: Flag of England.svg Phil Bentham
Player of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB1 Jason King
RW2 Gideon Mzembe
RC3 Johan Joubert
LC4 Jean Coetzer
LW5 Shuab Samaai
SO6 Theo Rhodes
SH7 Bradley Williams
PR8 Jaice Terblanche
HK9 Marcell Viljoen
PR10 Louis Musson
SR11 Dwayne Botma
SR12 Halvor Harris
LF13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC14 Nardus Raubenheimer
IC15 Rupert Wells
IC16 Rudolph Prinsloo
IC17Jean-Pierre Nel
Coach:
Brian Greige
FB1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW2 Adham El Zbaidieh
RC3 Tarek El Masri
LC4 Chris Saab
LW5 Travis Robinson
FE6 Mark Daoud
HB7 James Boustani
PR8Mitchell Mamary
HK9 Ali Allouche
PR10 Ray Moujalli
SR11 Elias Sukkar
SR12 Nick Kassis
LK13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC14 Richard Coorey
IC15 James Elias
IC16 Wael Harb
IC17 Robin Hachache
Coach:
Darren Maroon

Notes:

Second test

31 October 2015
South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg16 – 50Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Try: Mzembe 36'
Wells 54'
Viljoen 76'
Goal: Williams (2/3)
Report
Try: Abou Sleiman 2'
Robinson (3) 11', 19', 44'
Daoud 26'
Sukkar 32'
El Masri 60'
Boustani 63'
Kassis 74'
Goal: Boustani (7/10)
Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Referee: Flag of England.svg Phil Bentham
Player of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
FB1 Jason King
RW2 Gideon Mzembe
RC3 Johan Joubert
LC4 Jean Coetzer
LW5 Rupert Wells
SO6 Theo Rhodes
SH7 Bradley Williams
PR8 Jaice Terblanche
HK9 Marcell Viljoen
PR10 Rudolph Prinsloo
SR11 Dwayne Botma
SR12 Halvor Harris
LF13 Shane Gillham
Substitutions:
IC14 Shuab Samaai
IC15 Louis Musson
IC16Deon Kraemer
IC17Christo Louw
Coach:
Brian Greige
FB1 Daniel Abou Sleiman
RW2 Adham El Zbaidieh
RC3 Tarek El Masri
LC4 Chris Saab
LW5 Travis Robinson
FE6 Mark Daoud
HB7 James Boustani
PR8Mitchell Mamary
HK9 Ali Allouche
IC10 Richard Coorey
SR11 Elias Sukkar
SR12 Nick Kassis
LK13 Ahmad Ellaz
Substitutions:
IC14 James Elias
IC15 Wael Harb
IC16 Robin Hachache
IC17 Ead Kassem
Coach:
Darren Maroon

Notes:

References

  1. QUALIFICATION DETAILS FOR 2017 RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP ANNOUNCED Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine , rlef.eu.com, 3 August 2014
  2. Dubai to host RLWC2017 Qualifier, rlif.com, 19 April 2015
  3. Venue changed for Middle East-Africa RLWC qualifier, aprlc.com, 24 July 2015
  4. SARL NAME TRAIN-ON SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine , rlef.eu.com, 6 October 2015
  5. LEBANON NAME INITIAL SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine , rlef.eu.com, 1 October 2015
  6. "SOUTH AFRICA ANNOUNCE 20-MAN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS SQUAD". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  7. "ROBINSON BROTHERS HEADLINE STRONG LEBANON SQUAD". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. "ROBINSON WITHDRAWAL DISRUPTS LEBANON PREPARATIONS". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. "2017 RLWCQ - MEA GAME 1: SOUTH AFRICA V LEBANON – PREVIEW". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.