Rugby union in Turkey
Encyclopedia
Rugby Union in Turkey is a minor but growing sport.
, softball
and American football
under the roof of Turkish Federation of Baseball, Softball and American Football. The Turkish Rugby Federation is not yet affiliated to the IRB
. Several Wallabies
were killed in the onslaught. In a letter to Harold Austin
, the Manly rugby club
secretary, Tom Richards said that rugby was "a splendid break in the irksome routine of military life, which dulls one's wits and brings on a state of general carelessness".
The eight "old" Rugby clubs in Turkey are the Istanbul Ottomans, Metu Rugby, Kadikoy, Girne Pumas, Saint Benoit, Saint Joseph Istanbul, Saint Joseph Izmir, IRC and Koc School. For many years, apart from playing the odd game against a Greek team
, or from Northern Cyprus
there was little outside contact.
The game is undergoing development by the solo efforts on senior level of the two Rugby Union
teams the country has, Metu Rugby who is the last champion and Istanbul Ottomans
. Both teams, from Ankara
and Istanbul
are working hard to encourage the sport to be known, loved, and played nationwide. With the progress and the determination of the two clubs, a Turkish national rugby union team is expected to emerge in the near future. A new Rugby Club has also recently been established in the Aegean resort town of Kusadasi and are called the Kusadasi Eagles. The Eagles host a tournament each year in Kusadasi open to Turkish and overseas clubs.
The Pumas were founded in October 2003 and have developed into one of the most respected teams ompeting in the Turkish league with matches being played against the Istanbul Ottomans, Metu Rugby, Samsun, Kadikoy, Bakirkoy. They have regular test matches with teams from the UN and recently played host to Worcester Rugby Club who enjoyed their tour of Northern Cyprus.
Governing body
The governing body is the Turkish Rugby Federation. This in turn is co-federated with baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
under the roof of Turkish Federation of Baseball, Softball and American Football. The Turkish Rugby Federation is not yet affiliated to 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...
History
Ironically some of the earliest rugby games in Turkey were played by ANZACs and British troops in the Dardanelles Campaign, fighting against the Turks in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Several Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
were killed in the onslaught. In a letter to Harold Austin
Harold Austin
Sir Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin OBE was a West Indian politician and cricketer. He was known as H.B.G.....
, the Manly rugby club
Manly RUFC
Manly Rugby Union Football Club are a rugby union club based in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The club was formed in 1906 and competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union competitions, the Shute Shield and Tooheys New Cup. Manly, known as the Marlins, play their home games at Manly...
secretary, Tom Richards said that rugby was "a splendid break in the irksome routine of military life, which dulls one's wits and brings on a state of general carelessness".
The eight "old" Rugby clubs in Turkey are the Istanbul Ottomans, Metu Rugby, Kadikoy, Girne Pumas, Saint Benoit, Saint Joseph Istanbul, Saint Joseph Izmir, IRC and Koc School. For many years, apart from playing the odd game against a Greek team
Rugby union in Greece
Rugby union in Greece is a minor but growing sport.-Governing body:The governing body is the Hellenic Rugby Federation , which is affiliated to FIRA, but not to the IRB...
, or from Northern Cyprus
Rugby union in Cyprus
Rugby union in Cyprus is a minor but growing sport.-Governing body:The governing body is the Cyprus Rugby FederationIt became affiliated to FIRA in 2006.-History:...
there was little outside contact.
The game is undergoing development by the solo efforts on senior level of the two Rugby Union
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...
teams the country has, Metu Rugby who is the last champion and Istanbul Ottomans
Istanbul Ottomans
İstanbul Ottomans are the first ever Turkish rugby union team, having been established in 1999. Founded by mostly French and English rugby lovers working and living in İstanbul, the Ottomans were up until recently, the only chapter in the history of Turkish rugby prior to the foundation of Turkey's...
. Both teams, from Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
are working hard to encourage the sport to be known, loved, and played nationwide. With the progress and the determination of the two clubs, a Turkish national rugby union team is expected to emerge in the near future. A new Rugby Club has also recently been established in the Aegean resort town of Kusadasi and are called the Kusadasi Eagles. The Eagles host a tournament each year in Kusadasi open to Turkish and overseas clubs.
The Pumas were founded in October 2003 and have developed into one of the most respected teams ompeting in the Turkish league with matches being played against the Istanbul Ottomans, Metu Rugby, Samsun, Kadikoy, Bakirkoy. They have regular test matches with teams from the UN and recently played host to Worcester Rugby Club who enjoyed their tour of Northern Cyprus.
External links
- Turkish Rugby Union News,Fixtures and Teams
- Turkish Federation of Baseball, Softball, Rugby and American Football
- Bakirkoy Rugby Club
- Cyprus Pumas Rugby Club are competitive members of the Turkey Rugby Federation
- Kusadasi Eagles
- "Islam and Rugby" on the Rugby Readers review
- Avrasya Ragbi Takımı