پاکستان رگبی یونین | |
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Sport | Rugby union |
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Jurisdiction | National |
Membership | 12 |
Abbreviation | PRU |
Founded | 2000 |
Affiliation | World Rugby |
Affiliation date | 2003 (associate) 2008 (full) |
Regional affiliation | Asian Rugby Football Union |
Affiliation date | 2000 |
Headquarters | Servis House, 2 Main Gulberg, Lahore 54662, Pakistan |
President | Arif Saeed |
Chairman | Fawzi Khawaja |
Vice president(s) | Rizwan-ur-Rab Malik Yahya Bhatti Shahzad Sultan |
Secretary | Salman Muzaffar Shaikh |
Official website | |
pakistanrugby | |
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The Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) is the rugby union governing body in Pakistan. It is in charge of the Pakistan national team. Also among the Union's chief activities are conferences, organising international matches, and educating and training players and officials.
It was formally established in 2000 and gained membership of the Asian Rugby Football Union in 2000. In 2003, it became a member of International Rugby Board. Currently, it is a full member of World Rugby, Asia Rugby, Pakistan Olympic Association, and is recognized by the Pakistan Sports Board as the governing body of the sport in the country . [1]
Fawzi Khawaja, Arif Saeed, and Salman Muzaffar Shaikh are, respectively, the current chairman, president, and secretary-general of the Union, [2] having been elected on 24 March 2021. [3]
The origins of rugby union in Pakistan can be traced back to the Karachi Football Rugby Union (KFRU), which was founded in 1925. It was active on the All-India circuit up till the late 1950s. A few local players joined the club in 1968–1969. However, the sport saw a decline by the mid-1970s, as the Royal Navy reduced its presence in the Indian Ocean which caused a decline in its visits to the Pakistani ports. By the early-1980s, the sport had almost died out. KFRU continued playing, but found itself unable to travel abroad for matches dues to lack of funding. There was also a dearth of local teams who were available to play against.
Things took a turn in the 1990s, when local players, who were introduced to the sport in the 1970s, founded clubs in Lahore and Karachi. Moreover, staff from foreign embassies, high commissions, and banks established the Islamabad Rugby Football Club in 1992. Regular matches between these clubs followed soon afterwards.
This led to the formation of the Pakistan Rugby Union in 2000 [4] to further promote the game on a national level. In 2003, Pakistan fielded a national team for the first time, [5] participating in the Provincial Tournament in Sri Lanka. It played the Indian national side there as well. Pakistan Rugby Union then became an associate member of the International Rugby Board (later renamed to World Rugby) in November 2003. It received its full membership in 2008.
Rugby has now been introduced at the provincial and district level by the Pakistan Rugby Union. Schools have also been targeted for rugby to be introduced at the grassroots level. PRU is also an active part of the World Rugby’s “Get into Rugby” programme, [6] [7] which aims to increase the participation in the sport. PRU has competed in a number of events organised by Asia Rugby, and has arranged several domestic competitions at both senior and age grade level for men and women. Regularly training and development courses are also arranged to meet the growing demand for training professionals. [1]
Rugby is also one of the events in the National Games of Pakistan [8] [9] [10] - a move that has reportedly resulted in the employment of over 200 players by universities and departments.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan national cricket team. A member of the International Cricket Council since 1952, it represents the country's national teams for men's and women's in the international cricket tournaments playing under the ICC.
Sargodha is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as the City of Eagles.
Bahria University or BU, is a public Sector university established in 2000 by Pakistan Navy at Shangrilla Road, Sector E-8/1 in Islamabad, Pakistan. The university maintains campuses in Karachi and Lahore.
Sport in Pakistan is a significant part of Pakistani culture. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, while field hockey, polo, and squash are also popular. Traditional sports like kabaddi and other well-known games are also played. The Pakistan Sports Board was created in 1962 by the Ministry of Education as a corporate body for the purposes of promoting and developing uniform standards of competition in sports in Pakistan comparable to the standards prevailing internationally, and regulating and controlling sports in Pakistan on a national basis. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, now has control over the Pakistan Sports Board. The PSB controls all 39 sporting federations. The Pakistan Sports Board is supported by the Pakistan Sports Trust, which assists hard up players and associations so they can continue participating in sports.
The history of cricket in Pakistan predates the creation of the country in 1947. The first international cricket match in what is Pakistan today was held in Karachi on 22 November 1935 between Sind and Australia. The match was seen by 5,000 Karachiites. Cricket was introduced by the British during their colonial rule of British India, which covered the area now known as Pakistan. Cricket is the most popular sport in the country. The Pakistan Cricket Board controls all domestic cricket in Pakistan and the national teams. Pakistan is an official member of the International Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket Council. Pakistan has won the Cricket World Cup in 1992, ICC T20 World Cup in 2009, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2004 and 2006, the ACC Asia Cup in 2000 and 2012, and the ICC Test Championship in 2016.
Islamabad Rugby Football Club also known as the JINNS is a rugby football club from Islamabad, Pakistan. It was formed in 1992 by a group of expatriates, as a registered club. The club enjoyed among its members both local and expatriate players. In 1996, the local players took over the affairs of the IRFC and worked hard to bring the club to a better and more organized level. The club, however, plays regular matches with the British High Commission and also a mixture of player's from the Australian High Commission, French embassy, and expats working with various companies.
Rugby union in Pakistan is a minor but growing sport.
Lahore Rugby Football Club is a Division I Pakistani rugby union club based in Lahore, Pakistan.
The National Games of Pakistan is a multi-sport event held in Pakistan. It comprises various disciplines in which sportsmen from the different teams participate against each other. The games are organized by Pakistan Sports Board, Pakistan Olympic Association and the host province.
The Pakistan Champions Cricket League (PCCL) is a Twenty20 Club cricket league in Pakistan which was organised by Pakistan former captain Rashid Latif at Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA) in co-operation with Karachi City Cricket Organisation (KCCA). The event was previously known as Karachi Champions League which hosted only 16 cricket clubs from the city in 2010.
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league contested during February and March of every year by six teams representing six cities of Pakistan. The league was founded on 9 September 2015 with five teams by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Instead of operating as an association of independently-owned teams, the league is a single entity in which each franchise is owned and controlled by investors.
The Pakistan Swimming Federation is the governing body of swimming in Pakistan. The Federation was formed in 1948 with its headquarters in Lahore. It has been a member of International Swimming Federation (FINA) since 1948, and was one of the founding members of the Asian Amateur Swimming Federation in 1978.
The Pakistan Sailing Federation is the national governing body of the sport of sailing in Pakistan. Affiliated with World Sailing and the Asian Sailing Federation, it has its headquarters at the National Sailing Centre in Clifton, Karachi.
The Pakistan Archery Federation is the governing body to develop and promote the game of archery in Pakistan. It is based in Lahore, Pakistan, and was founded in 1996. It was admitted into the World Archery Federation in 2005.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) is a non governmental sports organisation for the promotion of mountaineering, climbing and other mountain-related adventure activities in Pakistan. In addition to this, the club serves as the national sports governing body for the sport of mountaineering and climbing in Pakistan.
The 2016 Pakistan Super League was the debut season of the Pakistan Super League which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board. The tournament featured five teams and was held from 4 February 2016 to 23 February 2016 in the United Arab Emirates. The opening ceremony and first match of the tournament were held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 4 February 2016.
The 2016 National Football Challenge Cup or 2016 Pakistan Football Federation Cup was the 26th season of domestic cup tournament in Pakistani football. 24 teams took part in this competition from 28 January 2016 to 22 February 2016, which took place in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.
The 2023 South Asian Games, officially the XIV South Asian Games, will be a major multi-sport event which will be held in Pakistan, primarily in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Other sports will be hosted in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad and Sialkot. The Games are expected to be held in March 2023. This will mark the first time that Pakistan has hosted the South Asian Games since 2004, and the first time that Pakistan has hosted the event outside of Islamabad.