 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2009) |
Rugby union in Pakistan is a minor but growing sport.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(June 2009) |
Rugby union in Pakistan is a minor but growing sport.
The Pakistan Rugby Union was formally established in 2000 [1] and gained membership with the Asian Rugby Football Union in 2000. Pakistan Rugby Union then became an associate member of the IRB (International Rugby Board) in November 2003.
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 grass root level.
Pakistani rugby goes as far back as 1926 when the Karachi Rugby Football Union was formed. [2]
The game though remained mainly an expatriate sport, with KRFU being active on the All-India circuit up till the late fifties. [2] Records of teams containing Pakistani players exist going back to the 1950s, with an East Pakistan Rifles team beating Chittagong Rugby Club on 2 July 1955 at Niaz Stadium. Chittagong was made up from European players, while the Rifles were all Pakistani apart from their coach J.M. Reay. [3] The sixties saw a decrease in the expatriate population and travel to India becoming more regulated, therefore the club became more reliant on playing fixtures with visiting British Navy Ships, at a time when Karachi had become a regular port of call for R&R and supplies. [2] In 1968–1969 a handful of local players were introduced into the club: this would prove to be the saving grace for the game in the country. By the mid seventies the British Navy reduced its presence in the Indian Ocean and port visits became infrequent, and by the early eighties Rugby had become almost non-existent. The Karachi Rugby Football Union continued to play, yet due to limited funds it was unable to travel abroad for matches and suffered from lack of opposing teams to play within the country. [2]
The interest in rugby was rejuvenated in the nineties by the locals who had been introduced to the game in the seventies and by a resurgence in the expatriate presence. Whilst some experienced local players established clubs in Lahore and Karachi, staff from foreign embassies, commissions and banks, consisting of Frenchmen, British, and some Americans, established a club in Islamabad. 1992 onwards has seen regular fixtures between teams from these cities. By the mid-nineties an Islamabad club called the Islamabad Rugby Football Club, consisting mainly of local players had also been established in addition to the side made up of expatriates; the latter passes through phases of dormancy subject to postings and availability of players. Lahore Rugby Football Club which was formed around the same time became their main competitors. The three major clubs in Pakistan. Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi initiated an annual Pakistan 7s Championship on a rotating basis.
The national team is called Pakistan Rugby. It was first fielded in 2003, [1] participating in the Provincial Tournament in Sri Lanka and there played the Indian National side as well. Pakistan currently takes part in the regional divisions of the Asian Five Nations. [1]
Sport in Pakistan is a significant part of Pakistani culture. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan. Football has also gained popularity in recent years, and is the second most popular sport in the country. Field hockey is the national sport, and was popular for several decades, with some of Pakistan's greatest sporting accomplishments having taken place in this sport, along with squash. Polo and traditional sports like kabaddi and other well-known games are also played.
Rugby union in Fiji is a popular team sport and is considered to be the national sport of the country. The sport was introduced to Fiji in the 1880s. Fiji is defined as a tier two rugby nation by World Rugby. The national team has competed at the Rugby World Cup and made it as far as the quarter-finals. Their sevens team is also noted for their success, winning multiple Olympic gold medals, World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Rugby union in Kenya is a popular sport, in particular due to the success of the Kenya national rugby sevens team in the rugby sevens format, and tournaments such as the Safari Sevens, which has been growing yearly, and now includes numerous international teams.
The Singapore national rugby union team has yet to make its debut at the Rugby World Cup, though since the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Singapore have been participating in qualification competitions.
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.
Rugby union in Indonesia is a minor but growing sport, dating back several decades, and which has experienced fluctuations in its success. There are currently just under six hundred registered players in the country.
Rugby union in Hong Kong is long established, partly as a result of its being a British colony. Rugby union is one of the most popular sports in Hong Kong. In contrast to the People's Republic of China, it has had a continuous existence dating back over a hundred years, and is most notable for the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, the best known of the rugby sevens tournaments. The top domestic club competition is the HKRFU Premiership.
Islamabad Rugby Football Club also known as the JINNS is a rugby football club from Islamabad, Pakistan. It was founded in 1992 by a group of expatriates, as a registered club. The club enjoyed support 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.
The Chinese people in Pakistan comprise one of the country's significant expatriate communities. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has raised the expatriate population, which has grown from 20,000 in 2013 to 60,000 in 2018.
Rugby union in Sri Lanka is mainly played at a semi-professional and recreational level. It is a popular team sport with a history dating back to 1879. In 2012, according to International Rugby Board figures, there were over 160,000 registered rugby union players in Sri Lanka, making it the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia, behind Japan.
Rugby union in Malaysia is a sport with a long history, and a significant participation. There are 41,050 registered players, and the country is currently ranked 47th. There are sixteen unions, associations and councils affiliated to the Malaysian Rugby Union, more than 300 clubs, and 600 schools which teach the game. Malaysian rugby's most notable contribution to the game at large is the invention of rugby tens.
Rugby union in Ghana, and its predecessor the Gold Coast is a minor but growing sport with a long history.
Rugby union in Nigeria is a minor but growing sport. They are currently ranked 70th by World Rugby.
Rugby union in Tanzania is a minor but growing sport.
Rugby union in Cambodia is a minor but growing sport. Its governing body is the Cambodian Federation of Rugby.
Rugby union in the Philippines is a minor but growing sport.
Rugby union in the British Virgin Islands is a minor but growing sport. They currently have around 440 registered players.
The Pakistan Golf Federation, also known as the PGF, is the national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf in Pakistan.
Lahore Rugby Football Club is a Division I Pakistani rugby union club based in Lahore, Pakistan.
