Mauritius national rugby union team

Last updated
Mauritius
UnionRugby Union Mauritius
Head coachJulien Blazy
CaptainOliver Baissac
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body red white collar.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
First colours
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current91 (as of 29 January 2024)
Highest90 (23 November 2020)
First international
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 20-10 Tanzania  Flag of Tanzania.svg
(6 August 2005)
Biggest win
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 134 - 0 Eswatini  Flag of Eswatini.svg
(21 June 2014)
Biggest defeat
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 83-3 Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius
(26 June 2013)

The Mauritius national rugby union team represents Mauritius in international rugby union. [1] Mauritius is a member of World Rugby, but the national team is ranked as third tier, and Mauritius have yet to compete in either the Africa Cup or Rugby World Cup.

Contents

Rugby Union Mauritius represents Mauritius internationally and is member of CAR (Confederation Africaine de Rugby), AROI (Association de Rugby Ocean Indien), World Rugby and FIT (Federation of International Touch).

The national side is ranked 91st in the world (as of 29 January 2024). [2]

History

Introduced by the English Army (Colonial Time 1810 to 1968 Independence) Rugby started in the early 1900s in Mauritius. The game was then introduced to the Franco-Mauritians by a group of rugby players who created the Dodo Club in 1928 which enhanced the start of Rugby competition on the island. From 1928 to 1975 rugby was played at senior level between various clubs remembered as the Buffalos, HMS Mauritius, Blue Ducks, Dodo, the Navy, SMF and the Stags.

Stags and the Dodo remained active and competed against one another resulting in the closure of the Stags in 1982. The Dodo Club remained the only active club which carried on developing the passion and culture of this sport, but unfortunately due to the retreat of the Dodo Club in all sports at national level, there was a need to phase out rugby from this club in order to develop the sport at a regional level.

During these times, many youngsters went to boarding schools in South-Africa and England. Others went to university in South-Africa, England, France and Australia, and when they came back to Mauritius on holidays, there was a need to play rugby and show their friends that they did not only study overseas. This created an enthusiastic rugby atmosphere which led to traditional games between The Students and local players.

Between 1992 and 2001 various tours were organised to Reunion Island participating to seven a side tournaments and XV rugby.

We participated in the Kenya Safaris Sevens in 1996 and 1997.

In 1995, during the third rugby World Cup in South Africa, six games were broadcast for the first time on Mauritian TV. 1996 saw the birth of the Mauritian Seven a side Tournament with 4 Teams. In 1997 we started a development program in schools which led to the creation of three coaching centres in different parts of the island in 2003.

In 1998, the Stags Club was re-created and thus triggered the thought that rugby had a place in the Mauritian Sport and the potential needed to be exploited. Mauritius rugby needed to be given a chance and the means for development at a national level. After three years of competition with clubs from surrounding countries and more players getting attracted by the rugby fever leading to an increasing demand for the creation of new clubs, three new regions/clubs were created in 2001 : The Curepipe Starlights, the Northern Pirates and the Western Cowboys.

Today we have 4 Clubs in Division A and 6 Clubs in Division B, 3 Coaching Centres, around 650 licensed members, 18 Coaches, 6 Referees, National Sides in Senior (7s & XV) Under 18 (7s). Players are coming from all over the island and from all the communities to play Rugby. Rugby is starting to develop through the CSR for all the vulnerable groups and in all the rural areas as Black River, La Gaulette, Petite Riviere Noire, La Source, Quatre Bornes, Roches Bois and the north of the island.

Competitions

The National Team has been participating in AROI and CAR competitions as follows :- Africa cup 1B in Uganda. 2015. Africa cup 1c in Botswana 2014. - winner

Until 2010 RUM was in Africa Cup Division 2 and since 2011, played in first Division Group D and won it. This year we will be participating in Division 1 group C from 22 to 29 July in Botswana and will be in competition with the following countries: Botswana, Zambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria

In 2015, Mauritius compete against Sénégal, Uganda And Madagascar

Overall

Below is table of the representative rugby matches played by a Mauritius national XV at test level up till 2019

AgainstPlayedWonLostDrawn % Won
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 312033.33
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 1100100.00
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi 1100100.00
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 10100.00
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 10100.00
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 1100100.00
Flag of France.svg  Mayotte 2200100.00
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 10100.00
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger 10100.00
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 422050.00
Flag of France.svg  Réunion 523040.00
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 10100.00
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 10100.00
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Swaziland 2200100.00
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 3300100.00
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 2200100.00
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 10100.00
Total311813060.00


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauritius national football team</span>

The Mauritius national football team, nicknamed Club M and Les Dodos, is the national team of Mauritius. They are overseen by the Mauritius Football Association and are members of FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA). The head coach is Tony François.

The Tahiti national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union team, representing the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. They first played in 1971 and have played numerous games to date, most against rivals Cook Islands and several against Niue. Other games have been played against Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. France played a match against Tahiti at the end of their 1979 tour and won 92–12. Plans to have annual "test" match series against Pacific island neighbours, New Caledonia have been put on hold, due to time, availability, finances, and coaching and refereeing resources. They have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union in Tahiti is administered by the Fédération Tahitienne de Rugby de Polynésie Française. Currently, players who have represented or played for the Tahiti national rugby team, are eligible to represent France. However, playing at a professional level can only enable this. At present there are several Tahitian professional rugby players abroad in France's Top 14 and Pro D2 professional competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby Africa</span> Administrative body for rugby union in Africa

Rugby Africa, is the administrative body for rugby union within the continent of Africa under the authority of World Rugby, which is the world governing body of rugby union. As of 2018, Rugby Africa has 37 member nations and runs several rugby tournaments for national teams, including the Africa Cup which is the main 15-a-side competition for African national teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Kenya</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botswana national rugby union team</span>

The Botswana national rugby union team represents Botswana in the sport of rugby union. Botswana have thus far not played in a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in qualifying tournaments. They are currently ranked 74th in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Albanian RFC</span> English rugby union club, based in Hertfordshire

Old Albanian Rugby Football Club (OAs) is a rugby union club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The club currently play in National League 2 East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore national rugby union team</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania national rugby union team</span> Rugby team

The Tanzania national rugby union team represents Tanzania in international rugby union. They are known as the Twigas. Tanzania is a member of the International Rugby Board.

Louis Richard Bruno Julie, known as Bruno Julie, is a Mauritian bantamweight boxer who won a number of medals in international tournaments and competed in the 2008 Olympics where he won the first-ever Olympic medal for the island of Mauritius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Sri Lanka</span>

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 Mauritius is a minor but growing sport

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Africa Women's Sevens</span>

The Africa Women's Sevens is the continental championship for women's international rugby sevens in Africa. The tournament sanctioned and sponsored by Rugby Africa which is the rugby union governing body for the continent.

Football is the most popular sport in Mauritius. The national governing body is the Mauritius Football Association. Internationally, Mauritius is represented by Club M in senior competitions, and by the U-17 and U-20 teams in youth competitions. The top domestic football league in Mauritius is the Mauritian League, and the top knockout tournament is the Mauritian Cup.

The 2012 Africa Cup was the twelfth edition of the Africa Cup, an annual international rugby union tournament for African nations organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR). The tournaments between 2012 and 2014 will also serve as qualifiers for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The 2014 Africa Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Africa Cup, an annual international rugby union tournament for African nations organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR). The tournament, as well as the 2012 and 2013 editions of it, served as the qualifiers for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Botswana</span>

Sports in Botswana is diverse and reasonably well-developed. Though football, netball and athletics remain the most popular sports, numerous other sporting codes, including cricket, rugby, judo, swimming and tennis are active in the national sporting landscape. The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), together with the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) and Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC) are responsible for the overall management of sport in the country. In addition, there over 30 National Sport Federations (NSFs) and three school sport federations

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namibia women's national cricket team</span> Cricket team

The Namibia women's national cricket team, nicknamed the Capricorn Eagles, represents the country of Namibia in international women's cricket. The team is organised by Cricket Namibia, which has been a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1992.

The 2017 Rugby Africa season contains a series of rugby union tournaments scheduled for 2017 and organised by the governing body of rugby union in Africa, Rugby Africa. The top-tier event is the Rugby Africa Gold Cup – formerly simply known as the Africa Cup – a six-team competition which was played on a round-robin basis from June to August 2017.

The 2019-20 Rugby Africa Cup is the first season of a restructuring of international rugby union competition by Rugby Africa after a loss of broadcast sponsorship caused the cancellation of the 2019 Rugby Africa Gold Cup, itself only the third edition of a previous restructuring of the continent's tournament.

The 2022 Africa Men's Sevens are an annual African rugby sevens tournament that took place at the Kyadondo Rugby Club, Kampala between 23 and 24 April 2022; they were held in Uganda for the second time. The top three teams qualified for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, and the top two teams qualified to the 2022 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. In addition, the top two Commonwealth teams not already qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games via the World Rugby Sevens Series booked their places in Birmingham.

References

  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2010-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Women's and Men's Rankings". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 2024-02-02.