Rugby union in Armenia
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Armenia
is a growing sport. They are currently unranked in the International Rugby Board
's world rankings, which ranks only the top ninety-five countries. The governing body for Armenia is the Rugby Federation of Armenia.
has competed at international level. It is however interesting to note that Rugby was introduced to Georgia by Jacques Haspekian, an Armenian man from Marseilles, France.
In 1949, rugby union was forbidden in the USSR during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism
". The competitions were resumed in 1957, and the Soviet Championship in 1966. In 1975 the Soviet national team
played their first match.
Armenia had its own rugby team in the USSR, but it was not treated as a proper national side.
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...
in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
is a growing sport. They are currently unranked in the International Rugby Board
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...
's world rankings, which ranks only the top ninety-five countries. The governing body for Armenia is the Rugby Federation of Armenia.
History
Rugby union in Armenia has not been popular historically, but the neighbouring Caucasian country, GeorgiaGeorgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
has competed at international level. It is however interesting to note that Rugby was introduced to Georgia by Jacques Haspekian, an Armenian man from Marseilles, France.
Soviet period
Rugby union was played in the Russian Empire as early as in 1908, and in 1936 the first Soviet Championship took place.In 1949, rugby union was forbidden in the USSR during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism
Cosmopolitanism is the ideology that all human ethnic groups belong to a single community based on a shared morality. This is contrasted with communitarian and particularistic theories, especially the ideas of patriotism and nationalism...
". The competitions were resumed in 1957, and the Soviet Championship in 1966. In 1975 the Soviet national team
Soviet Union national rugby union team
The USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.-History:Although such tournaments as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR...
played their first match.
Armenia had its own rugby team in the USSR, but it was not treated as a proper national side.
Post independence
In 2002, the Rugby Federation of Armenia named Gagik Panikian its new president and he has pledged to improve both the popularity of the sport and the quality of players Armenia produces.See also
- Armenia national rugby union teamArmenia national rugby union teamThe Armenian national rugby union team has recently begun playing in the European Nations Cup. The team is unexpectedly strong due to the large Armenian diaspora in France . So the team has drawn many players, coaches, and trainers from this experienced pool...
- Alexander Grigoryants
- Sports in Armenia