17 September 2011

BEIRUT: Starting a sport in a country with no previous interest or history in the game can be daunting process.Lebanon’s Rugby League culture, however, has grown apace since its inception nearly 10 years ago.

After starting without a single player in 2002, the league’s operation now includes over 10 schools – a number which is set to rise in the coming year – five clubs playing an eight-month championship, a seven-team university championship, representative teams at Under 16, Under 18, Under 20 and senior level – with the latter, participating in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifiers in October against Serbia, Russia and Italy.

Chief operating officer Remond Safi understandably takes deep pride in how far the Rugby League has come in under a decade – especially now that Lebanon is an accepted members of the Rugby League European Federation.

“We started with no funding, just the passion of the game,” Safi told The Daily Star’s Sports Weekly. “Since then Rugby League has witnessed an incredibly encouraging rise in popularity, based principally on its strategy of ownership and nonpartisanship. Young Lebanese have embraced not only our great sport, but also the opportunity to invest, morally and physically, in a truly Lebanese project that they can see is benefitting Lebanese civil society, through the life lessons the sport imparts on its participants, but also Lebanon’s good name abroad.

“Basically, in 2002 development officers were employed into Lebanon and they went to the universities and began forming teams and going to schools. In 2003 [we] were awarded a committee by the Sports Ministry and after the World Cup we actually began here in Lebanon.

“We’ve got our own strategy, and it works very well, where we help run community programs, get schools behind to feed universities and universities to feed the clubs with the whole community around it.”

Like so many sports that are almost completely without a history in Lebanon, Rugby League suffers from a lack of government financial support and the crippling lack of green space.

“Of course it’s tough. There are few pitches to compete for and you’re competing with the football clubs who own and they won’t allow rugby to be played on them. Getting government support [is the only way to change the situation]. We don’t get much from the government neither does [rugby union]. Unfortunately the Sports Ministry isn’t very well run and the people there and the politicians care about other things.”

The LRLF runs annual coaching and match officials’ courses, pays its own match officials, and acts as a leader in the region, where Rugby League is fast growing. On Aug. 26 the LRLF was made a full member of the Rugby League European Federation and Rugby League International Federation and is instrumental in the latter’s strategy of devolving administrative and strategic control of the region to a regional confederation.

“The majority of our operations are subsidized by corporate sponsorship, as companies such as Bank of Beirut can see the wonderful social benefits that Rugby League has on individual Lebanese and on society as a whole. We have received less money in our time in Lebanon from the government than rugby union has.

“Our sport is supported by the players themselves. We’ve found a way to get things done. When your [talent pool] grows so rapidly and demand for the game grows so quickly, you need government support to provide you with funding. We have sponsorships and contributors and that works very well at the moment.

“I can see where we’re going to be in 10 years. Rugby League will be played all across Lebanon across all ages.”

Like other “startup” sports in Lebanon, the LRLF have had to curry interest at a youth level and try to incorporate Rugby League into schools’ sports programs up and down the country.

“Our youth program has been a success where we have strong alliances with the universities where they have incorporated the sport into their programs. We also have a regular under 14 and under 16 championship.

“Lebanon are one of the strongest teams in the region and we have played at a high level against teams like Italy and Morocco and we’ve had very good results. We’ve created the chance for them to play abroad.

“We have an international program where international coaches come in to help coach people here as well as coach our national team.

“We have a good structure where our coaches hold workshops and help improve the level of coaching across the country. We are taking on a whole new generation here. We have a fully operational technical department running out of Lebanon and the MENA region, we are responsible for the development of the game in 22 countries through our technical department.”

The two codes of rugby around the world have often failed to see eye to eye and Lebanon isn’t necessarily any different.

Disputes have occurred between the federations of union and league over players and league coordination but Safi is adamant that every decision made is for the good of sportsmen in Lebanon.

“Mr. Jammal [president of the Lebanese Rugby Union Federation] is correct in saying that he tried to coordinate a season with us. However, we are two separate sports. Our season is our season and our clubs and teams enjoy playing Rugby League. It is they who decide the length of the championship and its structure. The idea of halting our operations so another sport can play is nonsensical. If rugby union wants to play in March to May, let it play in March to May. We are not stopping them. The players will play whatever sport they want to.

“Contrary to what LRUF has been continuously circulating and claiming, LRLF states categorically that it has never tried to stop any player from playing rugby union. Our game is more skilful, more physical, more dynamic and more fun, and therefore greatly appeals to young Lebanese, but we accept that some people will prefer rugby union and encourage them to play sport, no matter what sport it may be. But, to insinuate we are stopping players playing rugby union is nonsense and a very desperate attempt to discredit our sport.”

Copyright The Daily Star 2011.