Rugby union in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Rugby union in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a minor but growing sport.

Contents

Governing body

The national union is a member of the Confederation of African Rugby, but not of World Rugby.

History

Rugby in the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffers from a number of hindrances, such as lack of good transport networks, general infrastructure, political instability and war, and also the extreme poverty of the country, which means it is difficult for it to maintain a proper national league structure. The DRC is a particularly large country, at 2,344,858 km2 (the 12th largest in the world), but without the necessary economy to maintain it.

The sport is centred on the national capital, Kinshasa.

Like many African countries, the historical connection with France is a mixed blessing. For a number of years, Congolese rugby players would leave to play in France, which deprived the sport of any real competition in the DRC.

See also

Related Research Articles

The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span> National flag

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazzaville–Kinshasa Bridge</span> Proposed bridge crossing the Congo River

The Brazzaville–Kinshasa Bridge is a proposed road-rail bridge construction project over the Congo River. It will connect the Republic of the Congo with the Democratic Republic of the Congo at their respective capitals, Brazzaville and Kinshasa. The project has proceeded intermittently, but work was slated to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2028.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election</span>

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