Rugby Africa

Rugby Africa
Rugby Afrique
Formation1986
as CAR

2014
Rugby Africa
TypeSports federation
HeadquartersTunis
Membership
37 unions
President
Herbert Mensah
Vice President
 Andrew Owor
Treasurer
 Dr Elvis Tano
Secretary
 Jurie Roux
AffiliationsWorld Rugby
Websiterugbyafrique.com

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.

Rugby Africa was founded in 1986 as the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) to promote, develop, organise and administer the game of rugby in Africa. It was renamed Rugby Africa in December 2014.[1]

The President of Rugby Africa is the Herbert Mensah from Ghana.

History

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Logo used 2015–2017.

The Confederation of African Rugby (French: Confédération Africaine de Rugby) was officially launched in January 1986 in Tunis. The inaugural members at the meeting were Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, the Seychelles, Tanzania and Tunisia. A meeting was held in July 1992 in Casablanca with the view of integrating the SARFU into the confederation. South Africa had been denied entry until this time because of the government policy of apartheid (South African rugby had been governed by the mainly white South African Rugby Board and the mainly black South African Rugby Union). In March 1992 these were formally combined to form the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU). The Confederation now has 37 member nations.

African Rugby Charter

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The African Rugby Charter was signed by the President of CAR, Abdelaziz Bougja, the then President of the South African Rugby Union (SARFU) Brian van Rooyen, in the presence of former South African president Nelson Mandela, and the South African Minister of Sport, Makhenkesi Stofile.

We, the undersigned, hereby confirm our commitment to realising the potential of African rugby...
THAT, on this day, the creation of the African Leopards, Rugby Union in Africa will develop its own heroes and heroines;
THAT, developing rugby nations throughout Africa will be assisted with adequate human and physical resources to develop their playing potential at all levels;
THAT, every African boy and girl may soon have the opportunity to play the sport of Rugby Football.

— Signed on this 23rd day of July, 2005 at Johannesburg, South Africa.[2]

Members

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World Rugby full members who are part of Rugby Africa:[3][4]

World Rugby associate members who are part of Rugby Africa:

World Rugby non-members who are part of Rugby Africa (full or affiliate member):

World Rugby suspended members who are part of Rugby Africa:

Non-member countries working with the governing body (Rugby Africa non-members too):

Defunct African National Rugby Union Teams

  •  East Africa (1950-1982) (combined players from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania)
  •  Nyasaland (1930s) (now Malawi)
  •  Rhodesia (1910-1979) (now Zimbabwe)
  •  Zaire (1971-1997) (Now Democratic Republic of the Congo)


World Rugby Rankings

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Competitions

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The perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Africa Gold Cup since 2000.

Tournaments run by Rugby Africa include:[12]

Senior Men
Men XV
Men VII
Senior Women
Women XV
Women VII
Youth
Men XV

Development programs

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The CAR formed agreements in 2014 which allowed member unions from Anglophone and Francophone nations in Africa to access training programs within the sports academies and administrative headquarters of the South African Rugby Union and French Rugby Federation, respectively. These agreements, designed to foster rugby development across the continent, were signed in January 2015, and followed earlier arrangements with the SARU and French club Castres Olympique which were made in 2006.[13][14]

Leopards

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Main article: African Leopards

The African Leopards are a representative team from Africa which aims to promote the sport throughout the whole of Africa. The Leopards played their first ever match in July 2005 at Ellis Park as a curtain raiser between Springboks and Australia.

Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ Cameroon joined World Rugby as a full member in 1999, but had their membership suspended in November 2013 due to "inactivity and a failure to meet criteria for continued membership". It became a full member again in 2021.
  2. ^ Ghana joined World Rugby as an associate member in 2004, and became a full member in 2017.[6]
  3. ^ Rwanda joined World Rugby as an associate member in 2004, and became a full member in 2015.[7]
  4. ^ Mauritania joined World Rugby as a full member in 2003, but had their membership suspended in November 2013 due to "inactivity and a failure to meet criteria for continued membership".[9]
  5. ^ Mayotte is an overseas region of France and rugby is governed by a committee of the World Rugby-affiliated French Rugby Federation.
  6. ^ Réunion is an overseas region of France and rugby is governed by a committee of the World Rugby-affiliated French Rugby Federation.

References

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  1. ^ "General Assembly 2014" (Press release). RA. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. ^ Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World. Vol. 1. ABC CLIO. p. 146. ISBN 9781598843002.
  3. ^ "World Rugby Handbook" (PDF). World Rugby. 14 January 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Inside World Rugby". World Rugby. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Rugby's global expansion increases in Africa". World Rugby. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Ghana welcomed as full member union of World Rugby" (Press release). World Rugby. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Rwanda welcomed as full member union of World Rugby" (Press release). World Rugby. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "General Assembly 2016" (Press release). Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Indonesia becomes full member and Brunei associate member of IRB as two African unions suspended". The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  10. ^ "The World Rugby Men's Ranking". World Rugby. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  11. ^ "The World Rugby Women's Ranking". World Rugby. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Competitions". Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  13. ^ Ken Borland, CAR drives Rugby's growth through Africa. The Southern Times. 11 April 2014.
  14. ^ Agreements signed. Rugby Afrique. 6 January 2015.
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