Rugby league grows in war torn Middle East
Roar Guru By Corey, 5 Mar 2010 Bam Bam is a Roar Guru
110 Have your say
Out of the most volatile areas in the world, we find an interesting paradox, growth amongst destruction. Although there are still shots thrown over the border of the Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, we find Rugby League is actually expanding.
And it’s all thanks to the Rugby League missionaries, who find their roots in Australia.
The Lebanese Rugby League team was formed by Australian players with Lebanese heritage with the purpose of playing in the World Cup of 2000. The RLIF insisted that they were to expand the game in the country of their representation, and it seems this has worked.
Lebanon started a local competition in 2002 with 4 teams, which has now expanded to 7 teams, and they seem to be doing very well. Lebanon Rugby League is covered by all of the major newspapers, a couple of radio stations, along with a Television station.
It seems Lebanon is a shining light amongst the declining Rugby League world.
But it seems that Lebanon is doing more than its fair share: it is also spreading the word. Just recently, the Lebanon Rugby League along with the RLEF have created a competition for Under 16’s known as the MENA U16’s (Middle East Northern Africa U16’s competition).
The inaugural MENA competition contains the likes of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Palestine.
In the near future, they look to expand this to the UAE and Morocco. It may not seem that great in comparison to the steps that other sporting bodies have made elsewhere. But it must be highlighted that this is the Middle East.
The interesting point here is that religion plays no place in the choosing of a Lebanese side. Christians and Muslims alike come together to face off the opposition whom contain their religious brothers.
Its great to see Rugby League show a country, torn by religious and political wars, that we are all still people made of the same fibre.
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March 5th 2010 @ 3:02am
jus de couchon said | March 5th 2010 @ 3:02am | Report comment
Eventually they may realise that a switch to Union will be a way forward if they want any International exposure. A positive article about how sport can have a real effect though.
March 5th 2010 @ 10:42am
Shodan said | March 5th 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
Maybe they just want to play the better form of Rugby. If they really wanted international exposure they would play soccor and not union, which has a incorrect opinion of its worth and worldwide importance.
March 5th 2010 @ 6:23pm
SA said | March 5th 2010 @ 6:23pm | Report comment
Um shodan better form of rugby??? please explain
March 5th 2010 @ 8:11pm
Rod said | March 5th 2010 @ 8:11pm | Report comment
Some prefer RL to RU, it’s an opinion.
This is a R LEAGUE story after all.
And League is the better form of Rugby in My opinion.
March 6th 2010 @ 1:42am
SA said | March 6th 2010 @ 1:42am | Report comment
And i respect that, what i want to know is how is he justifying his claim, his opinion does not make it right.
March 5th 2010 @ 3:22am
Rod said | March 5th 2010 @ 3:22am | Report comment
Well done to them, I’ve been taking a keen interest in this since they started their comp in 2002, they certainly have come a long way in that time, and what makes me feel even happier is the fact that the people who were rubbishing them all have egg on their faces now, and we know who you are
On Morocco, they have played RL for years, the French took the game over there way back in the late 40′s or early 50′s, it has never been real strong, but a fair few players have come from there to play in the French Elite comp over the years.
The Universities are where they are taking RL in Morocco now, and that’s exactly how the Lebanese done it.
I also noticed that the UAE and a few other ME countries are starting to get involved and have heard that Pakistan actually has RL played over there, but it’s so hard to get any news, the guy who stated that was a Pakistani/English RL player who played for the GB side, his name is Ikram Butt and he was the first Asian/ME to play for England at Rugby (League or Union).
So yes, big things are actually happening in the Mid East for Rugby League.
If you want a look at how it was about 4 years ago, go to you tube and type in Lebanon Rugby League. Al Jazeera feature.
Cheers for posting this Corey.
March 5th 2010 @ 8:12am
True Tah said | March 5th 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Rod I think Ikram Butt played for BARLA, which is not the official GB side.
Still it is a great achievement, considering that Asians (by this I mean Pakistanis, Indians) are pretty much non existent in top class rugby and futbol in England.
March 5th 2010 @ 6:36pm
Rod said | March 5th 2010 @ 6:36pm | Report comment
TT, First Muslim that should have been.
“The semi final defeat came in 1995, a year that proved to be momentous for both Ikram and the game in general. At the start of the year he was selected for the Great Britian squad and on 1st February 1995 ran out against Wales in Cardiff to become England’s first Muslim rugby international in either code.”
http://www.rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk/audios/find/58
March 7th 2010 @ 3:55pm
Sth Auckland 1st XV said | March 7th 2010 @ 3:55pm | Report comment
‘Big things are actually happening in the Mid East for Rugby League’ – what are you smoking buddy?? When Rugby Union was voted into the Olympics the Lebanon representative to the IOC spoke of the growth of rugby union in his country and the values it has as opposed to soccer for the reason for his vote. He spoke very passionately about rugby union making a difference in his country. I know this because I watched the vote live on the internet. I think you guys are definately twisting the truth – it’s rugby union that is spreading massively in the middle east – especially now since the game has Olympic status. With central government funding for Olympic sports any hope league had of expaninding into new areas is basically kapputt – zilch, zero. Get with it man!!
March 5th 2010 @ 4:37am
jus de couchon said | March 5th 2010 @ 4:37am | Report comment
Difficult to know the hype from the facts. When it comes to Self Promotion the R.L uses teams in the Middle East like Lebannon or any other for that matter to promote the illusion that League is a Global game. When Lebannon plays next in the next “World Cup” of R.L how many will be from Lebannon?
March 5th 2010 @ 7:18am
Mick from Giralang said | March 5th 2010 @ 7:18am | Report comment
Union cheerleaders like you continually twist and deliberately misinterpret news from the rugby league world to suit your own silly little agendas.. This is a simple report about a growing (albeit small) presence of league in the Middle East. The only people who reference it to “a global game” are gormless naysayers like yourself.
Get a life.
March 5th 2010 @ 9:17am
Corey said | March 5th 2010 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Jus, the Sheikh’s son played for Saudi Arabia, and the British ambassador attended the game along with the president of Saudi Arabia. So the hype is actually becoming action. I understand your pain as League is really only big here and above the M62, and also now in Lebanon. But if you Union people were so confident in your product you would stop bagging our attempts at expansion, especially if our expansion is negligible. Also Al Jazeera is showing some games, I have not seen them do anything on Union, but that is because I truthfully don’t care. I like the fact that Union is going forward in Asia, its good to see a game move forward that isn’t soccer. So please, stop trashing our threads. This isn’t a code war thread, and one of your roar columnists told people not to turn the Union thread into a code war, so have the same respect for us and our game.
March 5th 2010 @ 5:20am
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | March 5th 2010 @ 5:20am | Report comment
“Ikram Butt and he was the first Asian/ME to play for England at Rugby (League or Union).”
I think Rory Underwood might have something to say about that.
March 5th 2010 @ 5:46am
M1tch said | March 5th 2010 @ 5:46am | Report comment
Lebanon has alot of potential, once again be great to see NRL and ESL clubs help the international game and bring some players over.
March 5th 2010 @ 9:18am
Corey said | March 5th 2010 @ 9:18am | Report comment
That should be something the IC takes into consideration.
March 5th 2010 @ 5:48am
jus de couchon said | March 5th 2010 @ 5:48am | Report comment
Past history suggests Leagues expansion aspirations anywhere are Indicative of a reality suspension.
March 5th 2010 @ 8:21am
Pete said | March 5th 2010 @ 8:21am | Report comment
Hey Pig juice, why belittle League’s expansion? It doesn’t contribute to the discussion. We all enjoyed WCR’s article on Union in Asia. League contributors refrained from pointless snipes in that forum. Perhaps we should show the same courtesy.
March 5th 2010 @ 9:19am
Corey said | March 5th 2010 @ 9:19am | Report comment
Thank you Pete.
March 5th 2010 @ 2:24pm
PastHisBest said | March 5th 2010 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
“League contributors refrained from pointless snipes in that forum”
Mostly Pete, mostly.
March 5th 2010 @ 10:45am
Shodan said | March 5th 2010 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Just like you, after all you think Union is better then League so you must be deluded.
March 5th 2010 @ 7:21am
oikee said | March 5th 2010 @ 7:21am | Report comment
The thing i like about the Lebanon expansion is, they know the game. Because of the Lebanese boys who took the game back to Lebanon from Australia, they realise what a great game rugby league is, and how popular and passionate aussie fans are towards the game, more so than union Jus de Couchon.
Rugby league world expansion is coming along nicely, no need to rush into having the game played in every country. Slow but meaningful expansion is all thats required. We still need to do more with the few nations who are playing the game. It would be pleasing to see at least Wales and France get a bit stronger. Lebanon and the Arab countries are a mere bonus.
March 5th 2010 @ 7:22am
Crosscoder said | March 5th 2010 @ 7:22am | Report comment
Citing past history ,as being the rule for the future is fraught with danger.Otherwise ru would have never become a professional sport hey !what!.
Current history suggests you are wrong jus de couchon.Lebanon is a classic example of the code growing at grassroots level,at schools and universities,with high profile sponsorship and official Govt endorsement.The same country that has been so influential in getting rl started in Saudi Arabia,Palestine and Qatar.
And Lebanon will have the opportunity to qualify in the 2013RLWC,with local players involved.It appears the very idea of rl expansion, makes you feel uneasy.
BTW I have never seen rl promoting itself as a global game.Having a WC is a means of giving the growing number of countries that do play the code, an opportunity and something to aspire.
March 5th 2010 @ 8:04am
Matt S said | March 5th 2010 @ 8:04am | Report comment
How about a country like Japan with all its corporate backing and 100 years of privilege in the sport, how many foreigners still turn out for Japan’s national union side?
Going by union standards, we shouldn’t judge the likes of Lebanon after just 10 years but more like 100 years. Then we’ll see who the success is!
March 5th 2010 @ 8:16am
LH said | March 5th 2010 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Good on you Corey. I hope the IRB funding and international rugby union tests bug doesn’t hit Lebanon or the ME in the near future because like Russia they will switch to a more organised international scedule.