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During a recent tour of Iran, I looked into the state of rugby there. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no one in the general public knew anything about the game and when I described it, I was asked if it was American football.
The game was introduced to Iran in the early 1900s by British engineers working in the oil fields but was not played by the locals. In 1996, the Department of Physical Education introduced rugby into university programmes, believing the game epitomised all the attributes needed for the nation’s youth – seeing it grow among both male and female students.
The Iran Rugby Union was formed in 2000 and admitted as an IRB member in 2010. The women’s team was the first to play outside the country when, in 2004, a women’s sevens team toured Laos and Thailand.
There are over 1,000 players in a ten-team amateur men’s competition and a five-team women’s professional league. The women’s competition was formed in 2012 but there has been strong opposition to the women playing. Only time will tell if it continues but from what I saw, the stringent laws regarding women’s dress are relaxing.
It is not surprising that rugby is centred in universities as they are the only places that have playing surfaces suitable for the game. Each city has a football stadium that has the right facilities but outside that, the playing fields are flinty, rock-hard, grassless areas.
In Shiraz, I visited one of the holy places, the Shah-e Cheragh, a mausoleum where no camera photography is allowed (you can use a mobile phone). In the complex is a museum containing a number of historic Korans and other religious items, medals and badges, pottery and carving. There, I found the holy of holies – a plate commemorating Iran’s participation in the Asian zone qualification series for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. What a treasure.
The national men’s team plays in the Dubai Sevens. They also participate in the Asian Rugby Championships, rising to be included in division 2. They have played 15 times in the Asian series, winning eleven and losing four. Last year in division 2, they won their pool game against India, 30-13, but lost the semi-final, 48-10, against Malaysia.
This year’s Asian division 2 series will be held in Kuala Lumpur between Thailand, Iran, Qatar and Malaysia in June. Can Iran beat its main rival here, Malaysia, and earn further promotion to division 1?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.