This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
World Rugby is the world governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international rugby competitions, such as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the World Under 20 Championship, and the Pacific Nations Cup.
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs. In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players".
The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier stand-alone international rugby sevens competition outside the Olympic Games. The event is contested every four years, with tournaments for men's and women's national teams co-hosted at the same venues. It is organised by World Rugby, the sport's governing body.
Rugby union in Samoa is the country's most popular sport. The national teams in both the standard 15-man game and rugby sevens are consistently competitive against teams from vastly more populous nations.
The Denmark national rugby union team is governed by Dansk Rugby Union and has been playing international rugby since 1949.
The Arabian Gulf rugby union team was a combined team of players that represented the Gulf Cooperation Council member states of the Persian Gulf in international rugby union competitions. The team competed in international matches between 1993 and 2010, and was governed by the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU). Associate members were Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.
The Eswatini national rugby union team represent Eswatini in the sport of rugby union. They are ranked as a tier-three nation by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Eswatini have thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have competed in qualifying tournaments.
The British Virgin Islands national rugby union team represents the British Virgin Islands in international rugby union. The nation are a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. The British Virgin Islands played their first international in 1996 - losing to Barbados 17 - 0.
The Burundi national rugby union team represents Burundi in international rugby union. The nation are a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. The Burundi national rugby team played their first international in 2003 - losing to Uganda. They participate annually in the CAR Castel Beer Trophy. However, in the 2007 tournament Burundi withdrew for financial reasons.
The Ghana national rugby union team represents Ghana in international rugby union. Ghana are not a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), and as of 2016 had not played in a Rugby World Cup tournament. Ghana played their first international game during the 2003 season, and defeated Mauritania by 29 points to 8. Since then there have been a number of youth teams in Ghana; the under-18 team won a junior rugby competition. The National Team itself has hosted a tournament and had some credible results on the field.
The Laos national rugby union team represents Laos in international rugby union. The team's first international match was against Malaysia in 1974, losing 34 points to 10. After this the Laotian team did not field an international side again until 2006. With the recent reorganisation of the Asian rugby union competition structure they are set to play more often in the future. The Lao Rugby Federation is the governing body. Laos has been an associate member of World Rugby since November 2004.
The Mali national rugby union team represents Mali in international rugby union. Mali are a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup. The Mali national rugby team played their first ever international against Benin in 2003, winning the match. They also defeated Senegal that season. In 2005, Mali made history, by winning their first ever northern section crown of the CAR Castel Beer Trophy. The popularity of the sport of rugby in Mali is on the rise.
The Mauritania national rugby union team represents Mauritania in international rugby union. Mauritania are a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. The Mauritania national rugby team played their first ever international against Ghana in 2003, with Ghana winning the game 29 points to 8.
The Benin national rugby union team represents Benin in international rugby union. Benin is not a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB), and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament.
Rugby union in Moldova is a popular sport.
The governing body in Moldova is the Moldovan Rugby Federation.
Rugby union in Senegal is a moderately popular sport. The Senegal national team is currently ranked 55th by the International Rugby Board.
Rugby union in Togo is a minor but growing sport.
Rugby union in Kazakhstan is a fairly popular sport. As of May 2018, they are ranked 61st by World Rugby, and as of June 2009, they had 2335 registered players and twenty clubs.
Rugby union in St Lucia is a minor but growing sport. They are currently ranked 80th by the IRB.
