query: when did rugby union become a professional sport

pos: History of rugby union at the time. However, in 1960 international criticism of apartheid grew in the wake of "The Wind of Change" speech and the Sharpeville massacre. From this point onward, the Springboks were increasingly the target of international controversy and protest. On 26 August 1995, the International Rugby Board declared rugby union an "open" game and thus removed all restrictions on payments or benefits to those connected with the game. It did this because of a committee conclusion that to do so was the only way to end the hypocrisy of shamateurism and to keep control of rugby union. The threat to

neg: Football Canada a rugby union enthusiast. Despite the divergence, the sport continued to be referred to as "rugby" for many years, and the CRU did not change its name despite the obvious confusion. By the 1940s, however, another development was to cause further changes to the CRU's mandate. It was now clear that two of its member leagues, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in eastern Canada and the Western Interprovincial Football Union in the West were far more competitive than other circuits. By the 1950s, the two major unions had become openly professional, and in 1956 formed the Canadian Football Council as

neg: Rugby union in Mozambique Africa, where rugby is a major sport, and also neighbours Madagascar and Zimbabwe where the game is popular, as well as Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, all of which have had a historical rugby presence. Rugby also has extensive TV coverage on satellite networks in Mozambique. Rugby union in Mozambique Rugby union in Mozambique is a minor but growing sport. As a former Portuguese colony, rugby has been a late arrival to Mozambique. Although rugby has been played in Portugal for decades, it has never become a major sport, and it did not transfer it to its colonies. Beira used to

neg: Culture of Australia also popular and have at times become highly politicised, such as when many Australians, including the Wallabies, demonstrated against the racially selected South African teams of the 1970s. Notable Australian rugby union players include Sir Edward Dunlop, Mark Ella and David Campese. In 1908, rugby league was established in Australia, by former rugby union players and supporters as a breakaway professional code. The new code gained and has maintained a wider following in Australia than rugby union, which remained amateur until the 1990s. The sport has roots in the working class communities of Lancashire and Yorkshire in Northern England, translating

neg: Rugby union in Yugoslavia strictly speaking, a multinational side, consisting as it did of representatives of all the various nations within the SFR Yugoslavia. Rugby union in Yugoslavia Rugby union in Yugoslavia was a moderately popular sport. It was most popular in the Croatian SR (especially Zagreb), and to a lesser extent in the Serbian and Slovenian SRs (especially Belgrade and Ljubljana), with some presence in the Bosnian SR as well. Some people date the start of Croatian rugby to the 17th of January 1954 when the Mladost team from Zagreb was formed to become Croatia's first rugby union club. In 1953, the rival

neg: Rugby union in Croatia Rugby union in Croatia Rugby union in Croatia is a minor sport. , they are ranked fiftieth in the International Rugby Board's world rankings. The Croatian Rugby Union () was founded in 1962 (as a domestic body), became a full national body in 1992 (after independence) and joined the IRB in 1994. Rugby union in pre-independence Croatia was a moderately popular sport, but due to its recent international successes, it is gaining more recognition. Some people date the start of Croatian rugby to 17 January 1954 when the Mladost team from Zagreb was formed to become Croatia's first rugby union

neg: Rugby union in Mozambique Rugby union in Mozambique Rugby union in Mozambique is a minor but growing sport. As a former Portuguese colony, rugby has been a late arrival to Mozambique. Although rugby has been played in Portugal for decades, it has never become a major sport, and it did not transfer it to its colonies. Beira used to play a series against Nyasaland sides during the 1930s called the Woury Cup. Rugby is centred on the national capital and main city, Maputo. Mozambique's poverty and lack of infrastructure make it difficult to maintain a proper national league structure. However, the country borders South

neg: Football in Australia compared to the NRL's A$15 million. The National Rugby League traces its roots back to the 1890s when rugby league split from rugby union as the code went professional. By 1908, the professional New South Wales Rugby League was created. Collective player bargaining came to the professional game by 1982, with 95% of all played having joined the player union by 1991. Media access to the sport was one of the main reasons for a split in the sport in the 1990s that resulted in the New South Wales Rugby League facing competition from the Rupert Murdoch backed Super League,

neg: Nigel Melville rugby" program, exposing young people to the sport of rugby. Melville predicted in 2012 that professional rugby would come to the United States by 2015. He stepped down from his position with USA Rugby effective 30 June 2016. Melville started as Director of Professional Rugby for England's Rugby Football Union in July 2016. Nigel Melville Nigel David Melville (born 6 January 1961) is a former England national rugby union team scrum half and captain and currently serves as Director of Professional Rugby for Rugby Football Union. Melville became the youngest player to captain England on his début when he led

neg: Rugby union in Scotland Rugby union in Scotland Rugby union in Scotland is a team sport. Scotland's national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on 27 March 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000 people. Professional clubs compete in the Pro14, European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, while the Scottish League Championship exists for over 200 amateur and semi-professional clubs, as does a knock-out competition, the Scottish Cup. The governing body, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), is one

neg: Sport in Chad Sport in Chad The principal sports in Chad are football, basketball, athletics, boxing, martial arts and fishing, which is mostly known in Lake Chad. The national stadium is the Stade Nacional in the capital, N'Djamena. Basketball is a major sport in Chad, especially in the cities. In the last decade, its national team has become increasingly competitive and qualified for the 2011 African Basketball Championship. The Chad national rugby union team represents the nation in rugby union Famous professional boxers: Yabed Yabed, Cesar M'Dalangue, Jules Djerabe and Ezechiel Japhet. Chad has a major passion for Swimming, many famous swimmers include

neg: Neil Francis (rugby union) Neil Francis (rugby union) Neil Francis is a retired Irish rugby union lock forward and number eight. He played for Blackrock College, London Irish, Old Belvedere, Leinster and won 36 caps between 1987 and 1996 for Ireland. On February 16, 2014, Francis sparked controversy when he claimed that “gay people do not have any interest in sport” and that “only a tiny percentage are actively involved in professional sports of any kind". The player-turned-pundit was speaking on Newstalk's "Off the Ball" and when asked by presenter Joe Molloy if he believed the percentage of gay people involved in sport was

neg: Rugby union in Zambia Rugby union in Zambia Rugby union in Zambia is a minor but growing sport. The Zambia national rugby union team is currently ranked 73rd by World Rugby. The Zambia Rugby Football Union has 3,650 registered players and three formally organised clubs. The governing body is the Zambia Rugby Football Union, which was founded in 1965, and affiliated to the IRFB in 1995. Not unlike other neighbouring African countries, Zambian rugby has been a legacy of British colonialism. Traditionally rugby in Zambia was seen as an expatriate sport, however, over the last 20 years it has become a truly Zambian sport

neg: Amateur sports the professional-amateur divide remained in force, there was originally very limited crossover between the two codes, the most obvious occasions being when top-class rugby union players 'switched codes' to rugby league in order to play professionally. Welsh international Jonathan Davies was a high-profile example of this switch. Since professionalism has been allowed in rugby union the switches have started to come the opposite way. Union has swiftly grown to embrace the professional game with many league players joining union to take a slice of the larger amounts of money available in the sport. Nowadays, while rugby union no longer makes

neg: History of rugby league rugby union went professional, and those who had long derided rugby league as merely a professional version of that game were soon predicting the demise of the sport. The Super League war, the financial problems of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and the signing of several high-profile rugby league stars by the union game gave ammunition to this claim. With the professionalism of rugby union, several high-profile league players changed codes, with varying degrees of success. Australian RU administrators appeared to be targeting league internationals when in 2001/02 Kangaroos Wendell Sailor, Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri all switched and

neg: Salom Yiu to Japan. He became a full-time professional when Rugby Sevens became the first team sport admitted to the Hong Kong Sports Institute in April 2013. Salom Yiu Salom Yiu Kam Shing (; born 4 February 1988) is a Hong Kong rugby union player. He plays for USRC Tigers RFC, the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens team and the Hong Kong national rugby union team. Salom Yiu started his career after first watching the Hong Kong Sevens from the spectator stands and then doing more research on the sport. He was a member of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens team at the

neg: Sam Tomkins union; Tomkins admitted that prior to training with the Barbarians he did not know what numbers were allocated to which position in rugby union. On his first experience of the sport, Tomkins was quoted by the "BBC" as saying, "I am glad I have had the chance to play but I am still a professional rugby league footballer." "Matches do not include friendly matches or International Origin matches as these are unofficial test matches". Grand Final: 3 League Leaders Shield: 2 Challenge Cup: 2 Sam Tomkins Sam Tomkins (born 23 March 1989) is an English professional rugby league footballer who

neg: Olivier Azam Toulon. He left Toulon in 2013 to become the new forwards coach for French side Lyon, replacing Tom Smith. On 15 December 2014, it was announced Azam would become the Director of Sport for Oyonnax from a three-year contract. Outside of sport, he runs a successful restaurant in Cheltenham called Armagnac. Olivier Azam Olivier Azam (born 21 October 1974 in Tarbes) is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker who could also cover prop, Azam spent most of his professional playing career in the English Premiership at Gloucester Rugby. Azam also had 10 caps for France. Azam made his

neg: Rugby union 1995 restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at the highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of Great Britain and Ireland and was absorbed by many of the countries associated with the British Empire. Early exponents of the sport included Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and France. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their "de facto" national sport include Fiji, Georgia, Madagascar, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. International matches have taken place since 1871, when the first game took place between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place

neg: History of rugby union authorities also allowed the playing of two "Rugby League v Rugby Union" fixtures as fund-raisers for the war effort. The rugby league team (which included some pre-war professionals) won both matches, which were held under union rules. After the defeat of France in 1940, the French Rugby Union authorities worked with the German collaborating Vichy regime to re-establish the dominance of their sport. Rugby union's amateur ethos appealed to the occupier's view of the purity of sport. Rugby league, along with other professional sports, was banned. Many players and officials of the sport were punished, and all of the assets

neg: Rugby union in Yugoslavia Rugby union in Yugoslavia Rugby union in Yugoslavia was a moderately popular sport. It was most popular in the Croatian SR (especially Zagreb), and to a lesser extent in the Serbian and Slovenian SRs (especially Belgrade and Ljubljana), with some presence in the Bosnian SR as well. Some people date the start of Croatian rugby to the 17th of January 1954 when the Mladost team from Zagreb was formed to become Croatia's first rugby union club. In 1953, the rival code of rugby league was introduced into Serbia, rather than rugby union played in Croatia and the authorities demanded that

neg: Heidelberger RK Heidelberger RK The Heidelberger Ruderklub (Heidelberger RK or HRK for short) is a German rowing club and rugby union from Heidelberg, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club is one of only two professional rugby clubs in Germany, the other being SC 1880 Frankfurt. The turn to professionalism in a sport otherwise fully amateur in Germany was made possible through the support of Hans-Peter Wild, who owns a soft drink manufacturing business. Heidelberger RK was to become the first German club to take part in either of the two major European rugby union competitions after they qualified for the 2018-19

neg: South of Scotland District (rugby union) South of Scotland District (rugby union) The South is a select rugby union team that draws its players from the South of Scotland, mainly the Scottish Borders where there has always been a proud tradition of rugby union. Historically the South team played matches against touring teams visiting Scotland from abroad, and also competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship. After rugby union became a professional sport in 1995, the team was replaced in 1996 by the new Border Reivers team based in the same geographical area as the South and who wore the same colours as the old team. When

neg: Scottish rugby union system Scottish rugby union system Domestic club rugby union within Scotland remains a predominantly amateur sport; however, semi-professional and professional outfits have been created in recent decades to participate in cross-border competitions. With the advent of professionalism in 1995 the Scottish Rugby Union, just like the Irish Rugby Football Union, decided that existing club sides would be unable to compete with their counterparts in new cross-border tournaments such as the European Cup and Celtic League. It was decided by the Scottish Rugby Union that new professional teams would be created based on the union's four historic geographical districts and building upon

neg: Welsh League rugby union area, with little interest in association football, which was seen as a north Wales sport, or the emerging professional Northern Union game, which would eventually be known as rugby league. The problem facing the Welsh Rugby Union, the governing body of rugby union in Wales, was the problem keeping union an amateur sport during a period which saw fluctuating prosperity in an industrialised south Wales. The Northern Union paid players per match, offered large signing on fees, found jobs and even found houses for some of their bigger stars. Under rugby union rules, players were not even allowed

neg: Rugby union in Georgia across the country. This explains why Georgian clubs are still absent from the major team competitions in Europe, both the Heineken Cup and the European Challenge Cup. Rugby union is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. Rugby is especially popular in the south of the country where the game is more popular than association football. The popularity of rugby union largely took off after the Georgia Rugby Union's inception into the IRB. This has seen rugby union become a major spectator sport. There are currently 2866 registered male players in Georgia according to the International Rugby Board. When

neg: Falcons (rugby team) Johannesburg. The Falcons Rugby Union was founded in 1947 as the Eastern Transvaal Rugby Football Union. After the 1995 World Cup, rugby was declared a professional sport in South Africa, after which the Eastern Transvaal Rugby Football Union merged with the Vaal Triangle Rugby Union to form the Gauteng Falcons Rugby Union. It is one of only fourteen Provincial Unions in the country. In 2006 the Falcons were the Vodacom Cup champions, the first cup won in the history of the union. Falcons Rugby (Pty) Ltd is the arm responsible for the Falcons Brand and the operation of the Professional

neg: Cornish people teams affiliated to the Cornwall County Football Association that play in the Football League of England and Wales, and the Cornwall County Cricket Club plays as one of the minor counties of English cricket. Viewed as an "important identifier of ethnic affiliation", rugby union has become a sport strongly tied with notions of Cornishness, and since the 20th century, rugby union in Cornwall has emerged as one of the most popular spectator and team sports in Cornwall, with professional Cornish rugby footballers being described as a "formidable force", "naturally independent, both in thought and deed, yet paradoxically staunch English patriots

neg: Cornwall England where shinty is played; the English Shinty Association is based in Penryn. The Cornwall County Cricket Club plays as one of the minor counties of English cricket. Truro, and all of the towns and some villages have football clubs belonging to the Cornwall County Football Association. Viewed as an "important identifier of ethnic affiliation", rugby union has become a sport strongly tied to notions of Cornishness. and since the 20th century, rugby union has emerged as one of the most popular spectator and team sports in Cornwall (perhaps the most popular), with professional Cornish rugby footballers being described as

neg: Rugby union in Madagascar Rugby union in Madagascar Rugby union in Madagascar is a popular team sport. As of September 2018, Madagascar is ranked 50th worldwide by World Rugby (WR), and boasts over 22,540 registered players and more than 410 rugby clubs. Although Madagascar lacks a professional competition as it is one of the poorest countries in the world, it does possess a national club competition that is extensively covered in the national print media, as well as having matches televised. Rugby is considered the national sport of Madagascar. The governing body is the Fédération Malagasy de Rugby. Rugby union was introduced to Madagascar

neg: Aberdare RLFC Aberdare RLFC Aberdare Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Aberdare, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Playing from Ynys Field (later Aberdare Athletic Ground) in Aberdare, the club was one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folded after just a single season. At the beginning of the 20th century, rugby union was the sport of choice for most villages and towns. The sport was strictly amateur and players were not expected to receive any monies for taking part in the sport. If players were to be discovered

neg: Merthyr Tydfil RLFC century, rugby union was the sport of choice for most villages and towns in Wales. The sport was strictly amateur, and players were not expected to receive any monies for taking part in the sport. If players were discovered taking payments, they and their club could be permanently suspended. The problem facing Welsh rugby was the rise of the professional Northern Union (later rugby league) in the North of England, where several clubs had split away from the International Rugby Board and formed their own league where players were paid to play. Many rugby union clubs found their star players

neg: Sport in Ireland province and national levels. The Ireland national team is composed of players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and the Irish Rugby Football Union governs the sport throughout the island. Success at international level and the establishment of four professional teams has increased interest in rugby union as a sport in Ireland. As of 2018, the Ireland national rugby union team was ranked 2nd in the World Rugby Rankings. Also in 2018, at the World Rugby Awards, Ireland were presented with a 'hat-trick' of awards, with Jonathan Sexton winning the Player of the Year, Joe Schmidt the Coach of

neg: Sport in England was a mainly working class game based in the industrial regions of northern England, and rugby union, which is a predominantly middle class game in England, and is also popular in the other home nations. This antagonism has abated since 1995 when the governing body now known as World Rugby opened rugby union to professional players. The four home nations compete separately at international level. They take part in the main European international rugby union competition, the Six Nations Championship. England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the first victory in the competition by a British team (or, for that

neg: Rugby union in Cuba Rugby union in Cuba Rugby union in Cuba is a minor sport. The Cuban Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Cuba. It was founded in 1996. Rugby was played by famous Argentinian revolutionaries Alberto Granado and Che Guevara. After meeting through the game and going on to tour South America (see "The Motorcycle Diaries") the pair would settle in Cuba and become national heroes. Alberto Granado later became Cuban's Rugby first Patron and helped develop the sport in the Country where it had not been traditionally played. During the 1990s and first decade of this

neg: Rugby union in the Soviet Union that: Chris Thau identified two major problems hindering the spread rugby in the late Soviet Union: However, by 1989 Rugby was well-established across the Eastern bloc. Since the dissolution of the USSR, Rugby has become particularly popular in Georgia, where it is the de facto national sport. After the Second World War, there was competition with the west and not just in sport. From the late 1950s-early 1970s, there was a reduction in Soviet people's work time, which caused an increase in their leisure time. Sport was seen as: With this in mind, participation in sport was strongly encouraged from

neg: Season (sports) runner-up are already qualified for Europe by other means). The playoff determines the country's second Champions League participant, and the points at which the two or three Europa League entrants join that competition. Conversely, some leagues like the Premier League do not hold a postseason, and therefore these leagues' champions and relegation are instead based on the regular season records. Although rugby union did not become professional until 1995, that sport has a long history of playoffs, primarily in France and the Southern Hemisphere. The French national championship, now known as Top 14, staged a championship final in its first

neg: Rugby union in Tokelau Rugby union in Tokelau Rugby union is a popular sport in Tokelau. Like many other Pacific nations, Tokelauan rugby is a popular, but often not formally organised sport. Tokelauans due to their small numbers, and scattered island population, have often preferred rugby sevens to the XV game, although Tokelau did play rugby 15s at the 1983 South Pacific Games, including a creditable 15–28 loss to , a much larger Pacific nation. Rugby sevens has been a sport in the South Pacific Games since the late 1990s. There is also a semi-formal league structure. Tokelau's main problems are related to population

neg: Sport in Russia most successful team in the history of European club competitions. Russia is one of the candidates to host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Rugby union is a growing sport in Russia. Russia is ranked 17th worldwide by the International Rugby Board (IRB), with over one hundred clubs and close to 20,000 players nationally. Russian domestic rugby went professional in 2005 with the launch of the Professional Rugby League. After a post-Soviet lull, Russian players are again signing with major clubs in England and France. Krasnoyarsk, a large Siberian city, has traditionally been the stronghold of Russian rugby union. Domestic

neg: Rugby union in Nauru particularly from the latter. Rugby union in Nauru Rugby union in Nauru is a minor but growing sport. The national team have competed in various international competitions, including the Pacific Games. The governing body is an associate member of Oceania Rugby (formerly FORU), and has applied to become an associate member of World Rugby. Rugby was introduced into Nauru, by its connection with Australia and the British Empire. Traditionally, Australian Rules football is the main sport in Nauru, and Rugby league comes second. However, both of these sports have skills which lend themselves to playing rugby union, and it is

neg: Rugby union in Nauru Rugby union in Nauru Rugby union in Nauru is a minor but growing sport. The national team have competed in various international competitions, including the Pacific Games. The governing body is an associate member of Oceania Rugby (formerly FORU), and has applied to become an associate member of World Rugby. Rugby was introduced into Nauru, by its connection with Australia and the British Empire. Traditionally, Australian Rules football is the main sport in Nauru, and Rugby league comes second. However, both of these sports have skills which lend themselves to playing rugby union, and it is relatively easy to convert,

neg: Rugby union in Ireland The IRFU Annual Report for 2006-2007 reported playing figures within Ireland as follows: The professional era and the advent of the competitions now known as Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup have seen rugby union become a major spectator sport in Ireland. European Cup games are generally well supported in all the provinces, with sellouts the norm and massive crowds in Dublin's Lansdowne Road for quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Ulster, Munster and Leinster have all won the Heineken Cup. In the past Ulster led the then-Celtic League attendances for 3 years in the row and Connacht, Munster and Leinster's

neg: Rugby union at the Summer Olympics since 1964 because of its apartheid politics. Rugby union not being an Olympic sport, the IOC declined to exclude New Zealand. Italy in 1960, the Soviet Union in 1980, and South Korea in 1988 made requests to have rugby union brought back. The 1980 request did not pass, and the 1988 games came close but failed to see the sport's admission, which was backed by the International Rugby Football Board (now, World Rugby (WR)). Apart from supporting the individual host cities' requests, the IRB did not focus its own efforts on returning the sport to the Olympics until the early

neg: Rugby union in France up the Federation Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in an attempt to organize rugby union outside the authority of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB). It included the national teams of , France, , , and . In 1978, the FFR became a member of the IRFB, known from 1998 to 2014 as the International Rugby Board (IRB) and since November 2014 as World Rugby. In 1995, the same year that rugby union became a fully professional sport, FIRA officially recognised the IRFB as the worldwide governing authority for the sport and turned itself into an exclusively European governing body.

neg: Sport in Portugal World titles and 20 European titles, making it the country with the most wins in both competitions. The most successful Portuguese roller hockey teams in international competitions (in terms of overall titles) are Porto, Benfica (7), Sporting CP and Óquei de Barcelos (6). Portugal does not have a long history in this sport. In recent years has just a double scull crewed by Nuno Mendes and Pedro Fraga. The Portuguese national rugby union team qualified for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and become the first all amateur team to qualify for the World Cup in the sport's professional era. The

neg: History of rugby league History of rugby league The history of rugby league as a separate form of rugby football goes back to 1895 in Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire when the Northern Rugby Football Union broke away from England's established Rugby Football Union to administer its own separate competition. Similar schisms occurred later in Australia and New Zealand in 1907. Gradually the rugby played in these breakaway competitions evolved into a distinctly separate sport that took its name from the professional leagues that administered it. Rugby league in England went on to set attendance and player payment records and rugby league in Australia

neg: Aberdare RLFC it had 'unexpected difficulties' and resigned from the League. The club never played league rugby again. Players Earning International Caps While at Aberdare… Aberdare RLFC Aberdare Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Aberdare, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Playing from Ynys Field (later Aberdare Athletic Ground) in Aberdare, the club was one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folded after just a single season. At the beginning of the 20th century, rugby union was the sport of choice for most villages and towns. The sport was

neg: Rugby union in Madagascar qualification process for the 2015 Rugby World Cup to be held in the United Kingdom. Rugby union in Madagascar Rugby union in Madagascar is a popular team sport. As of September 2018, Madagascar is ranked 50th worldwide by World Rugby (WR), and boasts over 22,540 registered players and more than 410 rugby clubs. Although Madagascar lacks a professional competition as it is one of the poorest countries in the world, it does possess a national club competition that is extensively covered in the national print media, as well as having matches televised. Rugby is considered the national sport of Madagascar.

neg: Sport in Scotland The Edinburgh Academy was also involved in the first ever international rugby union game when a side representing England met the Scottish national side on the cricket field of the Academy at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh on 27 March 1871, which Scotland won. The national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and has appeared at every Rugby World Cup. Scotland has two professional sides that compete in the Pro14 and the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments - Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors. Two other professional sides also formerly existed: Caledonia Reds and the Border Reivers but these sides

neg: Rugby league in the United States demanding due to the nature of their work. In 1895 this resulted in the formation of a break-away professional sport, rugby league, the rules of the two codes of rugby (union and league) would themselves diverge. The bulk of the clubs conforming to the new sport consisted of Northern English towns. Whilst the new form of rugby was taken to countries such as France and Australia, American rugby continued to be played solely under rugby union rules. The sport was eclipsed by American football and was confined to California by the time of the 1920 Olympics. In 1939, the Californian

neg: Rugby union in Lesotho established in the capital. The team joined and began competing in the Eastern Free State leagues in South Africa in May 2012. As the only team regularly playing in Lesotho the Maseru Kings have become the de facto national team. Rugby union in Lesotho Rugby union in Lesotho, and its predecessor Basutoland is a minor but growing sport. The governing body is the Federation of Lesotho Rugby. Rugby in Lesotho began after the year 2000 given the influx of students studying in South African schools where rugby union is a major sport. It was further intensified by the expatriate population

neg: Rugby league in Yorkshire Rugby league in Yorkshire Rugby League in Yorkshire refers to the sport of rugby league in relation to its participation and history within Yorkshire, England. The traditional county is the largest in the United Kingdom and as thus has many rugby clubs professional and amateur. Rugby league was founded in Yorkshire in 1895 at the George Hotel in Huddersfield when 22 clubs broke away from the Rugby Football Union to form the Northern Rugby Football Union which later changed its name to the Rugby Football League. The first winners of the newly formed league, the NRFU Championship were Bradford based

neg: Rugby union in the Gambia Rugby union in the Gambia Rugby union in the Gambia is a minor but growing sport. Rugby union was introduced into the Gambia by the British, who ruled the country for a number of years. However, it was mainly played by the white population, who made little attempt to spread it to the native Gambians, meaning that the game declined when they left. In 1987 Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Hulme of the British Army Training Team (BATT) introduced the Gambian National Army (GNA) to the game, and the then vice President of the Gambia was invited to become president of

neg: Football clubs met in Huddersfield to form the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). The new body initially permitted only various types of player wage replacements. However, within two years, NRFU players could be paid, but they were required to have a job outside sport. The demands of a professional league dictated that rugby had to become a better "spectator" sport. Within a few years the NRFU rules had started to diverge from the RFU, most notably with the abolition of the "line-out". This was followed by the replacement of the "ruck" with the "play-the-ball ruck", which allowed a two-player ruck contest

neg: Tag rugby categories. The Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA) introduced adult tag rugby to Ireland in 2000 in association with the Irish Rugby Football Union when the first ever league was run for 36 teams. Their league is known as Volvic Tag . The Irish Rugby Football Union began to run its own tag rugby leagues in 2007 following a split with ITRA. The sport has become particularly popular in Ireland and in 2007, over 28,000 players in the two programmes making up more than 1,700 teams took part in tag rugby at 50 venues all over the country. This increased in

neg: Dave Gallaher a selector. In 1911, at age 29, and in the twilight of his All Blacks' career, he decided to switch to the professional sport of rugby league. Francis went on to represent New Zealand in rugby league, making him a dual-code international. It is unlikely his switch to rugby league was done without Gallaher's knowledge. Francis did eventually return to rugby union as a coach. Gallaher was also a member of the fraternal organisation the United Ancient Order of the Druids, and attended meetings fortnightly in Newton, not far from Ponsonby. He also played several sports in addition to rugby,

neg: Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament or the Bingham Cup is a biennial international, non-professional, gay rugby union tournament, first held in 2002. It is named after Mark Bingham, who died on board United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The most recent tournament was held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in June 2018. In 2002, gay and bisexual rugby union teams worldwide founded the International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB) as a body to promote rugby union as an all-inclusive non-discriminatory sport which everyone can play, regardless of sexuality.

neg: Rugby union in Serbia Rugby union in Serbia Rugby union in Serbia is a minor but growing sport. The game was first played in Belgrade after the first World War and was revived again in the 1950s. Serbia currently has 17 rugby clubs and around 2,000 players. The Rugby Union of Serbia (Рагби Савез Србије) is the national governing body for the sport. It has been a member of World Rugby (formerly the IRB) since 1988. The history of rugby in Serbia began when it was part of Yugoslavia. Rugby union became a moderately popular sport in the country and although Croatia was the

neg: History of American football Foster and the Arena Football League was founded in 1987 as the first major professional league to play the sport. Several other indoor football leagues have since been founded and continue to play today. American football's parent sport of rugby continued to evolve. Today, two distinct codes known as rugby union and rugby league are played throughout the world. Since the two codes split following a schism on how the sport should be managed in 1895, the history of rugby league and the history of rugby union have evolved separately. Both codes have adopted innovations parallel to the American game;

neg: Comparison of rugby league and rugby union Comparison of rugby league and rugby union A comparison of rugby league and rugby union is possible because of the games' similarities and shared origins. Initially, following the 1895 split in rugby football, rugby league and rugby union differed in administration only. Soon, however, the rules of rugby league were modified, resulting in two distinctly different forms of rugby. After 100 years, in 1995 rugby union joined rugby league and most other forms of football as an openly professional sport. The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to the possibility of a merger of

neg: Rugby union in Russia Rugby union in Russia Rugby union in Russia is a moderately popular sport. Russia is ranked 18th worldwide by the World Rugby, having over three hundred clubs and close to 22,000 players nationally. Russia has a professional domestic competition. The Rugby Union of Russia is the governing body for rugby union in Russia. It was founded in 1936 originally as the Rugby Union of the Soviet Union, and a specifically Russian body was set up in 1966. The Rugby Union of Russia became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1990. Rugby football in the Russian Empire pre-dated the Russian

neg: Rugby union in Ghana Rugby union in Ghana Rugby union in Ghana, and its predecessor the Gold Coast is a minor but growing sport with a long history. The Ghana Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport. The Current President of the Union is Gifty Annan Myers and has put a lot of effort into ensuring rugby has a strong framework in Ghana and is also responsible for Ghana's participation in Competitions. Rugby was first introduced into Ghana when it was a British colony, and many of the players were in the military. Like many minor African rugby nations, the sport

neg: Rugby Union Players' Association Rugby Union Players' Association The Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) is the representative body for professional rugby union players in Australia. It was formed in October 1995 in response to the professionalism of rugby. As soon as a player signs a Rugby contract in Australia they are offered the chance to become a RUPA member regardless of nationality. , all of Australia’s professional and semi-professional Rugby players were RUPA members, including male and female professionals across Rugby Sevens and 15-a-side Rugby, totalling approximately 400 players. RUPA also provides support services for all past (retired) professional Rugby players. Its members comprise

neg: Sport in Sri Lanka Rugby union is mainly played at a semi-professional and recreational level. It is a popular team sport with a history dating back to 1879. The Sri Lankan Rugby Football Union is the governing body in the country. The Sri Lanka national rugby union team was founded in 1908 and joined the IRB in 1988. The first rugby club in Sri Lanka, the Colombo Football Club, was founded in 1879. The first rugby match played between two selected teams occurred on the 30th of June of that year between Colombo and a 'World' Team. The nation's first 'national' match involved an

neg: Rugby union in New Zealand Rugby union in New Zealand Rugby union is the unofficial national sport of New Zealand. The national team, the All Blacks, ranks as the top international team in the world. The sport has been known in New Zealand from 1870. The top domestic competitions are the semi-professional ITM Cup and amateur Heartland Championship, and above them Super Rugby, in which New Zealand has five franchises. The country co-hosted and won the first ever Rugby World Cup in 1987, and hosted and won the 2011 Rugby World Cup. They are the current world champions for men and women. They are also

neg: Rugby union in Sri Lanka Rugby union in Sri Lanka Rugby union in Sri Lanka is mainly played at a semi-professional and recreational level. It is a popular team sport with a history dating back to 1879. In 2012, according to International Rugby Board figures, there were over 103,000 registered rugby union players in Sri Lanka, making it the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia, behind Japan. The Sri Lankan Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) is the governing body in the country. The Sri Lankan Football Union (as Ceylon Rugby Football Union) was founded in 1908, the first Rugby Union in Asia. The SLRFU joined the

neg: Canadian Football League an umbrella organization for several provincial and regional unions. The Grey Cup was donated by Governor General Earl Grey in 1909 to the team winning the "Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada". By that time, the sport as played in Canada had diverged markedly from its rugby origins, and started to become more similar to the American game. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the two senior leagues of the CRU, the eastern Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU or Big Four) and Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) gradually evolved from amateur to professional leagues, and amateur teams such as those

neg: BT Group agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with Ulster Rugby and sees BT become the Official Communications Partner. BT's logo will appear on the Ulster Rugby shirt sleeve for all friendlies, Heineken Cup and RaboDirect Pro12 matches as well as a significant brand presence at their home ground; Ravenhill Stadium. On 29 July 2013, it was announced that BT had partnered up with Scottish Rugby Union in a four-year sponsorship deal with its two professional clubs; Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors that will commence from August 2013. The deal involves BT Sport becoming the new shirt sponsor for both clubs as well

neg: Casey Conway spell in fitness, Conway moved to work in youth work on Queensland's Gold Coast. In a 2015 interview with NITV when Conway did come out, he expressed disappointment that fellow Aboriginal rugby league player Anthony Mundine had claimed, two years previously, that homosexuality was not an acceptable part of Aboriginal culture. He did describe a perception of change in professional sport, however: As well as youth work, Conway has become noted as a prominent Aboriginal male model. Having been discovered by a talent scout in Paddington, New South Wales, he has modelled for Australian swimwear brands aussieBum and Sluggers. Casey

neg: Sport in Samoa crowned the 1995 Masters Olympia winner for contestants over 40 years of age. Sport in Samoa The main sports played in Samoa are rugby union and rugby league. Other popular sports are netball and soccer. Samoans in American Samoa are more likely to follow or play American sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Sports such as mixed martial arts, boxing, professional wrestling, and volleyball are popular among most ethnic Samoans regardless of location. Rugby union is the main sport in Samoa as it is played everywhere on the island. Samoa's national team has competed in every Rugby World

neg: Sport in Samoa Sport in Samoa The main sports played in Samoa are rugby union and rugby league. Other popular sports are netball and soccer. Samoans in American Samoa are more likely to follow or play American sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. Sports such as mixed martial arts, boxing, professional wrestling, and volleyball are popular among most ethnic Samoans regardless of location. Rugby union is the main sport in Samoa as it is played everywhere on the island. Samoa's national team has competed in every Rugby World Cup since 1991 and they consistently rank in the top 20 teams in

neg: Rugby union in Venezuela the terms of uniforms, equipment, travel costs, etc. Recently, some financial support has come from the Venezuelan Ministry of Sport and private companies which offer sponsorship to the clubs. Rugby in Venezuela is an amateur sport and rugby players receive no remuneration. Rugby union in Venezuela Rugby union in Venezuela is a team sport that is played as an amateur sport. The history of rugby in Venezuela goes back to the fifties of the last century, when a group of English oil workers played the first match in Zulia State. In 1974, some Frenchmen, Argentines and Uruguayans created two rugby

neg: Leo Williams (rugby union) (New Zealand), he was one of the signatories to a broadcasting contract with News Limited which signified rugby union's transformation to a professional sport. Leo Williams (rugby union) Leo Gerard Williams AO (1941 – 14 October 2009) was an Australian rugby union player and official, who played for the Queensland Reds (1962–1965), managed the team (1971–1972), then was president of Queensland Rugby Union (1988–1995), chairman of Australian Rugby Union (1994–1996) and chairman of Rugby World Cup (1995–2000). Williams was chair of Australian Rugby Union during the formation of SANZAR, a governing body which united ARU with New Zealand Rugby Union

neg: Sport in New Zealand has remained at the forefront of world netball for several decades. In 2008, netball in New Zealand became a semi-professional sport with the introduction of the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The sport is administered by Netball New Zealand, which registered 125,500 players in 2006. Unlike Australia, where rugby league is the dominant rugby code, rugby union is the more popular code in New Zealand. The New Zealand domestic league is semi-professional and does not enjoy a high profile. However, the Australian National Rugby League (NRL), in which New Zealand Warriors play, is becoming more popular . The New Zealand national side

neg: Rugby union in Rwanda particular has said: "in my combined years I have yet to witness the passion and desire to play rugby as I did in Rwanda. The boys have such a passion to learn as much of the game as they can." Rwanda has currently both a male and a female national rugby team. Rugby union in Rwanda Rugby union in Rwanda is a minor but growing sport. The sport is governed by the Fédération Rwandaise de Rugby. Rwanda is a former colony of Belgium, and the game was first introduced from there. Rwandan rugby had a low key but steady presence

neg: Rugby union in Barbados Rugby union in Barbados Rugby union in Barbados is a minor, but relatively successful sport. There are fewer than 1700 registered rugby union players in Barbados and only five official IRB sanctioned teams. The governing body for rugby union in Barbados is the Barbados Rugby Football Union, and their headquarters is located in Wildey, St. Michael. Rugby union has had a long history in Barbados, though there was originally only the one formally organised team, called the Barbados Rugby Union. In 1995 they wished to become a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB). Barbados then formed a Union with

neg: Sport in Wales the century. Now a minority sport, the game is still played in parts of Wales where it has become an Easter tradition. Pêl-Llaw is related to Irish handball, Fives, Basque pelota and later American handball and has been continually attested since the Middle Ages. The sports popularity offered ordinary people opportunities through prize-money, bookkeeping and even player professionalism. Pêl-law has been described as ""Wales’ first national sport"". The Encyclopedia of Wales states that the sport of rugby union is "seen by many as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness". The professional era has seen major

neg: Rugby union in Western Australia Australia, founded in 1893. The top club competition is the Premier Grade Western Australia is the home of the Western Force, a franchise in the Super Rugby competition since 2006. Their home ground is NIB Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,500 spectators. The development team is the Perth Spirit, which has competed in the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007 and the National Rugby Championship since 2014. Regular sport did not begin to be played in Western Australia until the late 1860s and early 1870s. Rugby union in Western Australia Rugby union in Western Australia describes the sport of rugby

neg: Rugby union in New Zealand editions (2000–2005), and again in 2007, 2008, and 2010–2014. New Zealand hosts one leg, the New Zealand International Sevens, at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. Rugby union in New Zealand Rugby union is the unofficial national sport of New Zealand. The national team, the All Blacks, ranks as the top international team in the world. The sport has been known in New Zealand from 1870. The top domestic competitions are the semi-professional ITM Cup and amateur Heartland Championship, and above them Super Rugby, in which New Zealand has five franchises. The country co-hosted and won the first ever Rugby World Cup

neg: History of rugby union in Australia result of both the respective rugby bodies putting forth the idea to the IRFB. Australia was defeated by France in the semifinal stage. In 1995, rugby union became professional in Australia following an agreement between SANZAR countries and Rupert Murdoch regarding pay television rights for the game. Australia won two world cups in the 90s, the 1991 Rugby World Cup defeating England in the final, and the 1999 Rugby World Cup defeating France in the final. With rugby union becoming an openly professional sport in 1995, after more than a century of a strictly-enforced amateur code, major changes were seen

neg: Rugby league in England at the George Hotel, Huddersfield to form the ""Northern Rugby Football Union" (NRFU)". The NRFU was initially vehemently anti-professional, allowing only payments for time missed from other employment. A thriving amateur scene also soon developed, as local amateur clubs wished to maintain links with their "Northern Union" neighbours. The Northern Union made reforms to the laws in 1897 and again in 1906 in an effort make the game more exciting. This resulted in Northern Union football becoming a sport in its own right rather than a form of rugby union. The sport spread outside England and soon international matches began

neg: Rugby union in Barbados 2014 in Glasgow. Rugby union in Barbados Rugby union in Barbados is a minor, but relatively successful sport. There are fewer than 1700 registered rugby union players in Barbados and only five official IRB sanctioned teams. The governing body for rugby union in Barbados is the Barbados Rugby Football Union, and their headquarters is located in Wildey, St. Michael. Rugby union has had a long history in Barbados, though there was originally only the one formally organised team, called the Barbados Rugby Union. In 1995 they wished to become a member of the International Rugby Board (IRB). Barbados then formed

neg: Paul Hodgson Paul Hodgson Paul Hodgson (born 25 April 1982) is an English former rugby union player and coach. Hodgson played as a Scrum-half and his most recent professional position was attack coach for London Irish. He has since moved on to become Director Of Sport at Cranmore School in West Horsley, Surrey (www.cranmoreprep.co.uk) in September 2018 after completing his MEd. Hodgson attended Glyn Technology School, for whom he captained the rugby 'A' team all through his academic career, and was Head Boy in his final year (2000). Hodgson played for his local rugby club Sutton & Epsom RFC from 1989–2001, he

neg: Soccer in Australia 435,728 registered players, and 535,000 unregistered players. These numbers were higher than the equivalents for other sport codes such as cricket, Australian rules football, rugby league and rugby union. In 2013, an audit on the sport by Gemba found that 1.96 million Australians were actively involved in the game as a player. When coaches, referees and fans are included it is estimated that involvement with the sport is around 3.1 million. In Australia, domestic soccer competitions run all year, with the competition season depending on the level of professionalism of the league. The professional league operates during the Australian summer

neg: Vanuatu national rugby union team 1a group, with the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. It won its first match at home against the Solomon Islands, lost the second match away to Papua New Guinea 97 to 3, and did not proceed to the next round. In late 2012, due to management issues, the Vanuatu rugby team was suspended by the IRB for failure to report about the country's use of money and development of the sport within the country. Vanuatu national rugby union team The Vanuatu national rugby union team represents Vanuatu in the sport of rugby union. The team is classified as a

neg: Sport in Argentina 2005, 2007 and 2014 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, the 2007 victory included his compatriot Fabricio Oberto. The National team has won the 2001 Tournament of the Americas and the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship. Although women's basketball is not professional in Argentina, the national team participates in most international competitions, reaching their highest point at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women where they finished in the 9th place. Rugby union is a popular and largely amateur sport. However, despite this amateurism, the national team have become one of the most powerful in the sport, finishing third

neg: Sport in Australia Sport in Australia Sport is an important part of Australian culture dating back to the early colonial period. Cricket, Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, soccer and horse racing are among the earliest organised sports in Australia . Sport has shaped the Australian national identity through events such as the Ashes, the Melbourne Cup and the America's Cup . There are a number of professional sport leagues in Australia, including the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (Australian rules football), National Rugby League (NRL) (rugby league), the Big Bash League (BBL) , Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and

neg: Sport in Papua New Guinea final to win the Highlands Region Championship. Cricket is also organised in Milne Bay and Oro Provinces, and on some of the islands. In the Trobriand Islands, cricket was introduced in 1903, by Methodist missionaries, and has become a beloved sport. Cricket has become fused with the local culture, and the game is played with stones instead of a ball and unlimited fielders. Papua New Guinea is a three tier rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby union in 1966, and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup. Teams from Papua New Guinea have competed in the

neg: Andrew Turnbull (rugby union) Andrew Turnbull (rugby union) Andrew Turnbull (born 5 April 1982, Edinburgh) is a retired Scottish rugby sevens player. Turnbull was educated at George Watson's College. He represented both Scotland and Great Britain at rugby sevens, including the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and scored more tries for Scotland in sevens than any other player, including 19 in 2005 and 118 tries on the HSBC Sevens World Series alone. Turnbull also played for Watsonians and the Scottish Institute of Sport, and played for Scotland U19, Scotland U21, and the Barbarian F.C.. Turnbull was one of the first professional sevens players when Graham Shiel

neg: Rugby union in the Northern Territory Rugby union in the Northern Territory Rugby union is a mostly amateur sport within the Northern Territory in Australia. The game is run by the Northern Territory Rugby Union, composed of representatives from clubs, regional rugby unions, referees, and affiliated bodies for schools and junior rugby. There is no professional rugby team based in NT but the annual Hottest 7s tournament held in Darwin draws teams from around Australia and overseas, and awards prize money to the winners. The rugby union competition in Darwin was started in the reconstruction phase following Cyclone Tracy. A New Zealander named David Cooper advertised

neg: Soviet Union national rugby union 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. Although tournaments such as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR. Rugby union was the more popular of the two rugby codes, however, as rugby league only began being played following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rugby football was played in the Russian Empire as early as 1908; however, the first official match, played in Moscow, did not take place until

neg: History of soccer in Brisbane, Queensland and North Star each winning two. A significant development for soccer and adversely for Rugby Union was the establishment of the game as an official sport in the private schools in the early 1990s (see Great Public Schools Association of Queensland Inc.). Anecdotally, this move was very strongly resisted by the Rugby fraternity in the schools, as they wished to maintain what was perceived as the traditions of amateur football (Rugby was not to become a professional game officially until 1995). Since that time, the game has developed such that many schools now have as many soccer teams as they

neg: History of rugby union in Scotland History of rugby union in Scotland Rugby union in Scotland in its modern form has existed since the mid-19th century. As with the history of rugby union itself however, it emerged from older traditional forms of football which preceded the codification of the sport. In the same manner as rugby union in England, rugby union in Scotland would grow at a significant rate to the point where Scotland played England in the first ever rugby union international in 1871, a match which was won by the Scottish team. In 1883, Scotland would become a founding member of the annual Home

neg: History of rugby union in the United States version of rugby union. Rare vintage footage of the 1924 Gold Medal match was included in the rugby documentary, "A Giant Awakens: the Rise of American Rugby". In the mid twentieth century, rugby union continued to be a purely amateur sport, unlike American football and the breakaway rugby league. Rugby league didn't make much headway in the USA, for the simple reason that many rugby players who wished to go professional could go into gridiron instead where there was better pay. The expansion of rugby league was frequently at the expense of rugby union elsewhere. An early attempt to introduce

neg: Barry RLFC north of England had broken away from the International Rugby Board, and started a professional version of rugby which later became known as rugby league. Rugby union was a strict amateur sport, and any player or club that took any form of payment were likely to be suspended from the game. This was very difficult to administer, as clubs were beginning to experience their star players "Going North", to the professional game where they would be paid to play rugby. In 1907, two rugby league teams formed in South Wales and joined the Northern Union, they were Ebbw Vale and

neg: Dale McIntosh of his game when Rugby Union in Wales became a professional sport in the late 1990s. He was awarded his club captaincy in 2001. However, the changes in Welsh rugby to a regional structure in 2003 came somewhat too late for McIntosh: the strength of the Celtic Warriors' back row squad meant that he would have had to move to another region to gain a contract. Instead, he chose to stay in Pontypridd and help develop the next generation of regional players. Following the liquidation of the Celtic Warriors regional set up by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), McIntosh accepted

neg: Wyn Williams rugby union club for which he played as a youth. His connection with rugby was furthered in 2012 when he was appointed as an unpaid independent chairman of the Professional Regional Game Board, an organisation set up by the Welsh Rugby Union to restructure the sport in Wales. Wyn Williams Sir Wyn Lewis Williams (born 31 March 1951) is a Welsh judge who is the President of Welsh Tribunals. He was a High Court judge until his retirement on 10 February 2017. Wyn Lewis Williams was born in Ferndale in the Rhondda to Ronald and Nellie Williams. Educated at Rhondda

neg: Rugby union in Algeria Rugby union in Algeria Rugby union in Algeria is a minor but growing sport. After many years of work, in 2015, Algeria finally created a federation enabling them to apply for member status of Rugby Africa (the administrative body for rugby union within Africa). Rugby union was introduced into Algeria by the French. Some Pied-Noirs (ethnic European Algerians) would go on to become significant rugby players, such as Maurice Boyau. As with many minor rugby nations, rugby is centered on the capital, Algiers. Like many North African countries, the historical connection with France is a mixed blessing. For a number

neg: Joy Neville Ebbw Vale. On 15 December 2017 Neville became the first woman to referee a European Rugby Challenge Cup match when she took charge of a 2017–18 pool stage fixture between Bordeaux-Bègles and Enisei-STM. This also saw Neville become the first women to referee a professional European rugby union match. On 9 February 2018 Neville became the first woman to referee a Pro14 match when she took charge of a 2017–18 fixture between Ulster and Southern Kings. This also saw Neville become the first women to referee a top-level men's rugby union match in the United Kingdom. Neville is openly gay.

neg: Ecuador national rugby union team players who play professionally. The only current professional rugby player from Ecuador is Miguel Ángel Coronel Densy who plays for the current Spanish champions La Vila in the División de Honor and the Amlin Challenge Cup. Ecuador national rugby union team The Ecuador national rugby union team represents Ecuador in international rugby union play. Ecuador recently became a member of the Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby in 2011. but not yet the International Rugby Board (IRB), and will not play qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup until it is. The Ecuadorian Rugby Federation governs the sport of rugby in the country.

neg: Rugby league in Fiji Rugby league in Fiji Rugby league, or "rakavi saumi" as it is also known there, is a popular team sport played in Fiji since 1992 when the country was included in the World Sevens. There has been a long history of Fijian rugby union players making their mark in rugby league, most notably in the 1960s when Joe Levula and Laitia Ravouvou joined Rochdale Hornets and became household names in the English competition. However, rugby league was only introduced in Fiji in 1992. The man who was responsible for its introduction and who went on to become General Manager in