Rugby union in Brazil
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
is a minor but growing sport Brazil
, with an increasing popularity at universities across the country.
Rugby union is played regularly in 21 of Brazil's 26 states and in the Federal District. The sport is not widely played in schools, but is common in universities, more specifically the South, South East as well as parts of Amazon and the North East. The South East usually supplies the largest number of players to the national side. Brazil also competes in the South American Tournaments Sevens
.
The ladies National team is the strongest in South America. During the latest Sevens World Cup (Dubai, 2009) it has reached the 10th position.
The Brazilian Rugby union is sponsored by Topper www.topper.com.br
club.
The game narrowly missed out being recognised as a national sport by the government, because it was played in four provinces, rather than the required five. The large size of the country, plus the lack of infrastructure in many parts has hindered development of the game, and it remains mainly centred on the east coast.
During the 70s and 80s, because Brazil was not part of the IRFB
, a number of teams from South Africa toured Brazil, due to the apartheid era boycott.
Brazil has also been visited by at least two French tours - that of 1974
and that of 1985
.
In 1988, rugby was being played in only three of twenty three Brazilian states. However, some progress had been made - in 1963, it was recorded that 95% of Brazilian players were foreigners, and there were only four clubs; by 1988, 75% of Brazilian rugby players were native born, and there were thirty five clubs.
On October 9, 2009, the International Olympic Committee
announced that rugby sevens
would be part of the 2016 Summer Olympics
which will be held in Rio de Janeiro
.
have been playing international matches since the 1950s but have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup
.
The Brazil national rugby union team won the last 3 South American Championship B, and is now playing the South American Championship A. The women's national rugby sevens team is the best in South America, and has won all the sevens championships ever played, without losing a single match.
, or Super 8, which has been contested annually since 1964.
during the 1999 Rugby World Cup
(only highlights).
The 2003 Rugby World Cup
was the first live broadcast in the country by ESPN
, thanks to the ABR efforts to make the IRB
send the signal freely to the country.
In 2007 Rugby World Cup
ESPN got the 2nd place in audience with the paid channels, having a great coverage of the event sending reporters to France
.
Nowadays the Heineken Cup
and Six Nations
is transmitted by ESPN
and the IRB Sevens World Series
is transmitted by BandSports
. Brazilians can also watch the France national rugby union team
in the Six Nations and Top14, French Club Domestic League by the French channel TV5MONDE
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is a minor but growing sport Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, with an increasing popularity at universities across the country.
Rugby union is played regularly in 21 of Brazil's 26 states and in the Federal District. The sport is not widely played in schools, but is common in universities, more specifically the South, South East as well as parts of Amazon and the North East. The South East usually supplies the largest number of players to the national side. Brazil also competes in the South American Tournaments Sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
.
The ladies National team is the strongest in South America. During the latest Sevens World Cup (Dubai, 2009) it has reached the 10th position.
Governing body
Rugby union is administered by the Brazilian Rugby Association (Associação Brasileira de Rugby, or ABR).The Brazilian Rugby union is sponsored by Topper www.topper.com.br
History
Rugby appears to have been brought to Brazil by British immigrants in the late nineteenth century. The first recorded Brazilian game was in 1888, at the São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
club.
The game narrowly missed out being recognised as a national sport by the government, because it was played in four provinces, rather than the required five. The large size of the country, plus the lack of infrastructure in many parts has hindered development of the game, and it remains mainly centred on the east coast.
During the 70s and 80s, because Brazil was not part of the IRFB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
, a number of teams from South Africa toured Brazil, due to the apartheid era boycott.
Brazil has also been visited by at least two French tours - that of 1974
1974 France rugby union tour of Brazil and Argentina
-Results:-Forwards:...
and that of 1985
1985 France rugby union tour of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay
-Matches:-Forwards:...
.
In 1988, rugby was being played in only three of twenty three Brazilian states. However, some progress had been made - in 1963, it was recorded that 95% of Brazilian players were foreigners, and there were only four clubs; by 1988, 75% of Brazilian rugby players were native born, and there were thirty five clubs.
On October 9, 2009, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
announced that rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
would be part of the 2016 Summer Olympics
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event to be celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee...
which will be held in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
National team
The national teamBrazil national rugby union team
The Brazil national rugby union team is the national side of Brazil, representing them at rugby union. Brazil is a third tier rugby union side, and have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union has been growing substantially in Brazil since 2005 and the number of players is...
have been playing international matches since the 1950s but have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.
The Brazil national rugby union team won the last 3 South American Championship B, and is now playing the South American Championship A. The women's national rugby sevens team is the best in South America, and has won all the sevens championships ever played, without losing a single match.
Domestic organisation
The domestic club competition is the Campeonato Brasileiro de RugbyCampeonato Brasileiro de Rugby
The Brazilian Championship of Rugby, or just Super 8, is the main tournament between clubs from the Rugby Union in Brazil since 1964. The tournament is organized, today, the Brazilian Rugby Association .- By number of titles :...
, or Super 8, which has been contested annually since 1964.
In television
The only way to watch rugby union in Brazil is through paid subscriptions, but the vast majority of Brazilians don't have paid TV, resulting in the sport being fairly unknown by the majority of the population. The first rugby union matches shown in Brazil was on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
during the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
(only highlights).
The 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
was the first live broadcast in the country by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, thanks to the ABR efforts to make the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
send the signal freely to the country.
In 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
ESPN got the 2nd place in audience with the paid channels, having a great coverage of the event sending reporters to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Nowadays the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
and Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
is transmitted by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and the IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
is transmitted by BandSports
BandSports
BandSports is a Brazilian cable television network that has its programming based on all sports, launched in 2002 by Grupo Bandeirantes de Comunicação....
. Brazilians can also watch the France national rugby union team
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in the Six Nations and Top14, French Club Domestic League by the French channel TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
.
See also
- Sport in BrazilSport in BrazilSports in Brazil are those that are widely practiced and popular in the country, as well as others which originated there or have some cultural significance. The Brazilian people are very involved in sports. Football is the most popular sport in Brazil...
- Brazil national rugby union teamBrazil national rugby union teamThe Brazil national rugby union team is the national side of Brazil, representing them at rugby union. Brazil is a third tier rugby union side, and have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup. Rugby union has been growing substantially in Brazil since 2005 and the number of players is...
- Campeonato Brasileiro de RugbyCampeonato Brasileiro de RugbyThe Brazilian Championship of Rugby, or just Super 8, is the main tournament between clubs from the Rugby Union in Brazil since 1964. The tournament is organized, today, the Brazilian Rugby Association .- By number of titles :...
- Rugby union in PortugalRugby union in PortugalRugby union is a growing popular sport in Portugal, though still a long distance from the national sport association football. The sport is essentially amateur, with some degree of semi-professionalisation in its top flight league and the national rugby union team...
and Rugby union in MacauRugby union in MacauRugby union is a minor sport in Macau.Macau has a national side, which competes in international competitions, and there is also Macau Rugby Club, which takes part in various competitions...
External links
- Brazil IRB official page Associação Brasileira de Rugby - Official Site
- Brazil on Rugbydata.com Archives du Rugby: Bresil