The Cyprus Rugby Federation (CRF) (Greek: Κυπριακή Ομοσπονδία Ράγκμπι, Κ.Ο.ΡΑ) () the governing body for

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

in Cyprus. It runs several competitions including a league with teams from the British military bases ( Akrotiri, Episkopi and Dhekelia) and four local teams: * Paphos Tigers * Limassol Crusaders * Nicosia Rugby * Larnaca Spartans * Paralimni Vipers (newly formed team 2025) It became affiliated to

FIRA Firá (, pronounced , official name Φηρά Θήρας - ''Firá Thíras'') is the modern capital of the Greece, Greek Aegean Sea, Aegean island of Santorini (Thera). A traditional settlement,http://www.visitgreece.gr Greek National Tourism Or ...

in 2006. The CRF was accepted as an affiliated member of World Rugby in November 2014

History

Prior to 2006, there had been no formal governing structure for rugby union in Cyprus. Rugby had previously only been played within a formal structure in the

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

of the

Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia (), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA), is a British Overseas Territory made of two non-contiguous areas on the island of Cyprus. The areas, which include British military bases and instal ...

Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia (), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA), is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory made of two non-contiguous areas on the island of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. The area ...

by British military personnel on the island. In 2003, a South African expat Theo Lenos gathered a team of fellow expats to create Cyprus' first non-military rugby team and played the first official match of rugby union in Cyprus against a British Joint Services team. Gradually seven teams were founded which led to the creation of the Cyprus Rugby Federation in 2006. The Cyprus national rugby union team played its first match a year later. The CRF eventually would receive a funding of €100,000 per annum from the Cyprus Olympic Committee. In 2013, the CRF applied for membership to the

International Rugby Board World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...

. However the IRB rejected their application on the grounds that they only had four recognised civilian rugby clubs, excluding the British military clubs, when the IRB required eight teams in order to be eligible for membership and would need at least two years as an Associate Member before they could enter

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

qualification. This was despite countries such as

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

, Greece and United Arab Emirates being granted membership despite not meeting the criteria. The CRF were later granted Associate membership status in 2014. However the IRB prohibited the CRF from administering and playing rugby matches within

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

. Cyprus currently hold the world record for consecutive international match wins with 24 consecutive wins between 2008 and 2014.

National team

The first international game of the Cyprus Rugby National Team took place on 24 March 2007 against

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

Paphos Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: #Old Paphos, Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and #New Paphos, New Paphos. It i ...

. The Cypriot XV won the game by 39–3 in front of 2,500 fans.

References

External links

CRF homepage

Paphos Tigers

Limassol Crusaders
{{World Rugby Rugby Federation Rugby union in Cyprus Rugby union governing bodies in Europe Sports organizations established in 2006

History

National team

See also

References

External links