Rugby union in Tanzania
Encyclopedia
Governing body
The governing body is the Tanzania Rugby UnionTanzania Rugby Union
The Tanzania Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Tanzania. It is a member of the Confederation of African Rugby and an associate member of the International Rugby Board....
, which is an associate member of the IRB.
Originally the Tanzanian Rugby Football Union was incorporated into the Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) in 1956. This tended to be dominated by Kenya, but Tanzania got its own union in the 1970s.
History
Tanzanian rugby was for a long while subsumed under "East Africa", which tended to be dominated by Kenya. The game is established in the former TanganyikaTanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
, but not Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, despite attempts to help get the game established there.
For many years rugby in East Africa was dominated by whites and expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s, In Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
the game was been readily taken up by the indigenous black community in the ealy 1970's though in Tanzania black players still make up a minority of the sport's participants there are several initiatives to change this.
Tanzania is a founder member of the Confederation of African Rugby
Confederation of African Rugby
The Confederation of African Rugby is governing body for rugby union within Africa. The Confederation currently has 37 member nations and is responsible for running various rugby tournaments within Africa, especially the Africa Cup, and CAR Super 16.-History:The Confederation was officially...
(CAR), which was launched officially in January 1986, in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Rugby officials from Tunisia
Rugby union in Tunisia
Rugby union in Tunisia is a significant sport. They are currently ranked 35th in the world, with 15,057 registered players , and 72 clubs.-Governing body:...
, Morocco
Rugby union in Morocco
Rugby union in Morocco is a significant, and popular, sport.-Governing body:The Royal Moroccan Rugby Federation was formed in 1916, joined the IRFB in 1988.-History:...
, Senegal
Rugby union in Senegal
Rugby union in Senegal is a moderately popular sport. They are currently ranked 55th by the IRB.-History:Senegal is a founder member of the Confederation of African Rugby , which was launched officially in January 1986, in Tunis, Tunisia...
, Ivory Coast
Rugby union in Côte d'Ivoire
Rugby union in Côte d'Ivoire, also known as "the Ivory Coast", is essentially amateur, with some degree of semi-professionalization in its top flight league and the national rugby union team....
, Kenya
Rugby union in Kenya
Rugby union is a popular sport in Kenya, in particular due to the success of the Kenyan 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....
, the Seychelles
Rugby union in the Seychelles
-Governing body:The governing body is a member of the Confederation of African Rugby but not of the International Rugby Board.-History:Rugby was first introduced to the Seychelles when it was a British colony...
and Madagascar
Rugby union in Madagascar
Rugby union in Madagascar is a popular team sport. Madagascar is ranked 43rd worldwide by the International Rugby Board , and boasts over 22,540 registered players and more than 410 rugby clubs...
also attended.
National team
Originally Tanzania, along with Kenya and Uganda was represented by the East Africa rugby union teamEast Africa rugby union team
Established in 1950, The East Africa rugby union team is a multi-national rugby union team drawing players from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, though the vast majority of these came from Kenya which has traditionally been the strongest rugby playing nation in this part of the world...
. This consisted mostly of white settlers from Kenya, and the games tended to be hosted in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
.
The British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
played games against an East African side, on their 1955 tour
1955 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1955 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. The Lions drew the test series against , each team winning two of the four matches. They won the first test by a single point and the third by three points and lost the second and fourth matches by wider margins...
, and 1962 tour
1962 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1962 the British Lions rugby union team toured Southern and Eastern Africa. Overall the tourists played twenty-five matches, winning sixteen, losing five and drawing four....
s (losing 50-0).
Tanzania now has its own team
Tanzania national rugby union team
The Tanzania national rugby union team represents Tanzania in international rugby union. They are known as the Twigas . Tanzania are a member of the International Rugby Board , and have yet to play in a Rugby World Cup tournament. In the 1970s expatriates and Tanzanians regularly played in the...
. Tanzania won the CAR Castel Cup
CAR Castel Beer Trophy
The African Development Trophy is a rugby union tournament consisting of 16 teams played in the continent of Africa, formerly named the CAR Castel Beer Trophy. It is organised by the Confederation of African Rugby and is also known as the CAR Super 16. The tournament contains the teams in the...
in 2006.
See also
- Africa CupAfrica CupThe Africa Cup is an annual rugby union tournament involving African nations, organised by the Confederation of African Rugby . The tournament was first held in 2000, and has since been contested on an annual basis...
- Nairn McEwanNairn McEwanNairn Alexander MacEwan was a Scottish international rugby player and coach. He played at flanker, and was capped twenty times for Scotland between 1971–75, including a try in the match against in 1972....
, rugby union player and second national coach. - Jacky MorkelJacky MorkelJan "Jacky" Willem Hurter Morkel was a South African rugby union player. He was killed in German East Africa in World War I, while serving in the Mounted Commandos...
and Tommy ThompsonTommy Thompson (rugby union)Gerald "Tommy" W. Thompson was a South African rugby union player from Carnarvon in South Africa, where he attended Rondebosch Boys' High School. He was killed in German East Africa in World War I, while serving in the South African Infantry...
buried in Dar es SalaamDar es SalaamDar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ... - Anthony Henniker-GotleyAnthony Henniker-GotleyAnthony Henniker-Gotley was a rugby union international who represented England from 1910 to 1911. He also captained that country.-Early life:...
External links
- IRB Tanzania page
- CAR Tanzania page
- CAR
- Tanzania Rugby Union
- http://kurayangu.com/ipp/guardian/2007/08/18/96565.html
- Tanzania rugby news
- Tanzania face Botswana in CAR rugby final
- Uganda, Tanzania join in Kenyan annual rugby tournament
- Kenya all set for Safari Sevens
- Tanzania stun Reunion
- Tanzanian Teams dominate Kili Sevens
- "Islam and Rugby" on the Rugby Readers review Archives du Rugby: Tanzanie