HISTORY OF THE AGRFU
The History of The Arabian Gulf RFU
By David Jenns
Rugby in the Middle East is a surprising phenomenon. Its beginnings from the sand pitches for which it is famed now stand as a testament to the spirit and ingenuity of the players that embodies the game in this region. From its humble origins to the dizzy heights of world rugby, the development of this beautiful game is a truly remarkable story. The first indication of the game being played was over half a century ago in the previous millennium. The employees of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in need of recreation created a desert clearing for cricket, known as the Magwa Oval in 1946.Later changed to the Magwa Cricket Club a year later then renamed to the Kuwait Cricket Club before finally settling on Hubara Cricketers. First indications of rugby being associated with the club were in 1946. The first reports of a game were in 1947 when military personnel played members of KOC.
Rugby was also introduced in to Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai and Sharjah and then Muscat before, in 1974, representatives of the clubs got together and decided to set up a union. The amended constitution of 1979 states the founder clubs as being: Abu Dhabi, Dubai Exiles, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah Wanderers were all from the UAE, Bahrain Rugby Football Club, Doha Rugby Union Club, and Dhahran in Saudi Arabia. Bahrain held the post of Chair, Dubai that of secretary whilst other duties were farmed out between the other members. Meetings would often be held at during Dubai 7s and Muscat 7s tournaments then later at the Sharjah Floodlit and Bahrain XVs.
A league was established for the 1975/76 season. This was sponsored by the Gulf Mirror with teams playing for the Gulf Mirror Coffee Pot. Games were arranged on an ad hoc basis with very little opportunity of a return game. Dubai and Bahrain regularly played each other at home and away, as did Dubai and Sharjah. The league champions were often determined in an informal manner. The season’s victors were often decided upon by these head to head matches and any other games that teams were fortunate to play.
It was not until 1983 that the league system was introduced providing a formal structure to the game in the region the seven teams that formed the league were required to play each other on a home and away basis.
Merit table introduced
During 1985/86 season a merit table was introduced which encouraged teams to play return games although they were only required to fulfil one match with each team in the league. As with the five nations the home venues would alternate every season.
Since the end of the seventies, clubs have been involved in a comprehensive season consisting of both league and cup competitions. The initiation of the Sharjah Floodlit XVs tournament in 78/79 season with The Bahrain XVs being inaugurated the following year together with the Dubai and Muscat sevens certainly complimented a full rugby calendar. By 1985 Gulf rugby had expanded considerably since its foundation a decade earlier.
The Union boasted 11 member clubs with nine other clubs emerging within the Unions geographical catchment. Members as far as Cairo in Egypt, with Sanaa RFC in Yemen and Jordan RFC was recognised as participating in rugby in the region. The Saudi clubs were also starting to emerge with established teams such as Dhahran and Al Khobar frequently playing teams in neighbouring Gulf countries. Clubs from The Kingdom tended to travel to Bahrain (and also later to Dubai) to play fixtures, as these were major Air routes out of the country. Flights were not cheap, a trip to Dubai would cost in excess of a 1000 Riyals (US0) per player incurring a 100 Riyal visa.
Towards the end of the eighties clubs could enter cup fixtures for first and second teams that complimented respective leagues. The cup competitions, initially both sponsored by the GRFU, were initiated in 1983/84 season. Muscat were crowned champions of the first XV cup whilst Dubai Exiles carried away the Second Team Shield in its inaugural year. The league since its birth in 1975/76 season had been dominated by Bahrain RFC, who were crowned champions eight times over the initial fourteen seasons.
Time for changes
Eventually the appropriateness of the existing Merit Table was in question and a more equitable system discussed. A proposal by Dubai at the AGM in October 1989 to abolish the Merit Table and revert to a home and away league structure was favoured. As with the Merit Table a points system would be administered that encouraged teams fulfil their away fixtures. The new GRFU committees were aware of the rather informal and social status that Gulf rugby clubs represented and were willing to turn it into a union of some respect amongst its other members in the rugby fraternity. The new Chair Ken Burrell and Union secretary, Allan Malcolm set about a series of new initiatives keen to change the face of Gulf Rugby.
The GRFU were keen to focus on three areas; funding, representative rugby and effective communication between clubs and with the Union. Without funding the ambitious plans would remain merely a pipe dream. By the end of the season Gray Mackenzie had become a sponsor of the Gulf cups.
In addition the Union also selected a representative side that was sent to compete in the Singapore and the Hong Kong 7s. The team performed admirably in the plate and earned an invitation to the following seasons tournaments.
However Ken Burrel, the recently appointed chair, was suddenly relocated to Pakistan as contract manager of Karachi Airport. Malcolm, who had been promoted to Major, took over as acting chair to which he was later officially elected at the upcoming AGM in June 90.
Membership of the IRB
Keen on establishing the Union firmly within the fabric of world rugby Malcolm applied for membership to the International Rugby Football Board. The GRFU at that time had been an overseas member of the English Union (RFU) who were full members of rugby’s governing body, the IRFB. The GRFU sought independence by successfully applying for membership of the IRFB. The IRFB, at that time, had a membership of eight unions and thirty-six other unions held associate membership.
In order to gain such recognition it was important that the Union developed a competent representative full fifteen. A Gulf select side was traditionally picked from the annual North v South game, better club players who were from the Northern region of the GRFU played against their Southern counterparts. This select side in previous years had played against Gulf clubs or touring clubs. The event had traditionally been played at Abu Dhabi, however Kuwait who were the most committed travelling team in the Union had received little recognition for their endeavours. Representatives of the Nomads proposed a motion at the June AGM to host this event. It was decided to alternate between the two venues starting with Kuwait in the following January.
The Gulf War
However the fixture did not take place. Six weeks after the AGM on 2 August, Iraqi troops invaded neighbouring Kuwait.
The country was decimated. Fortunately many westerners had left the country a few days earlier to escape the extreme summer temperatures in cooler more comfortable climes.
Despite the problems in Kuwait, the Union were initially prepared to carry on with business as usual. Malcolm sent out a memorandum to all clubs requesting their ability to fulfil the season. The Bahrain XVs, Dubai 7s and the Sharjah Floodlit (which had taken on a 10s format the year before) all went ahead. Steve Hill, an insurance agent and integral member of the Kuwait Nomads, was on leave during the initial invasion. In an act of defiance and in a spirit typical to Gulf rugby the remnants of the exiled team planned to travel to Dubai to participate in the sevens that November. Robert Hughes, chair of the Dubai Exiles RFC and still a prominent figure in the sevens, managed to arrange sponsorship for the team and flew them all in from the UK. In their first game the ten-man squad ran onto the field to receive an emotional standing ovation from the crowd.
Only the second team cup actually ran to its full term with Dubai beating Muscat in the final 13-0. Despite its minor setback the GRFU began plans to enhance and develop rugby for the following season. On the financial front Fosters was secured as sponsors of the cup competitions. This funding enabled a full representative 7s to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore and compete in the Catania 7s, Sicily, which evolved the into the qualifier for the inaugural Rugby World Cup 7s.
The cost of sending a representative fifteens squad was quite substantial so the Union decided to invite the newly formed Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to play in a series of games. The CIS sent a representative team to play a GRFU XVs squad that proved to be a benchmark in the development of rugby in the Gulf.
The 1991/92 season was not only a milestone in Gulf Rugby but also in world rugby as the second Rugby World Cup (RWC) took place in Europe and was deemed a huge financial and sporting success.
The RWC 91 was acclaimed as a truly global sporting event. RWC Ltd. generated a surplus of 5.5 million pounds sterling together with gate receipts from the home unions produced a figure twice that amount. With such a huge success behind them the IRFB focused their attention on the another particular brand the abbreviated game, sevens. The IRFB decided to hold the 1993 inaugural RWC sevens took place at Melrose, the birthplace of the sevens.
A qualifying tournament was held in Catania in which the newly named Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU) had been invited to and duly attended. The Gulf side were allocated in group A alongside Namibia, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. The AGRFU played six games with their only win of the tournament against Morocco 18-6 in their last game.
On the World Stage
The AGRFU had finally managed to elevate itself onto the world stage. Having performed in the World Cup corporate backing and tournament invitations became more forthcoming. Preparations for the 92-93 season had proved to be fruitful, Standard Chartered Bank sponsored the 1st XV league, Fosters continued its involvement in the Cup competitions with Emirates Airlines providing support.
With the increase of activity in representative games the profile of the Union was also raised within the world rugby community. The IRFB keen to promote the game amongst emerging Unions expanded the Rugby World Cup tournament to provide all member Unions with the opportunity to participate. The IRFB offered an invitation for the AGRFU to participate in the Rugby World Cup 1995, competing against Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia in the qualifying rounds at the end of the 92-93 season.
The first match in Nairobi saw Namibia trounce the Gulf 64-20, the second game Zimbabwe claimed a 47-21 win. However, this game was not without its sparkle from the Gulf who had immediately gained a reputation as “the team that never gives up”. Muscat’s Ayman Razek weaved his way through Zimbabwe team from 10 metres inside his own half to score a memorable try.
The last game proved to be the closest of the tournament. For the first time the Gulf squad were ahead 23-21 against the hosts until the referee awarded a penalty to Kenya in injury time condemning the Gulf to the wooden spoon.
However the tournament proved to be a monumental occasion in the history of rugby in the Middle East. Although the origins of the Union had spanned almost twenty years the objectives successfully set by the 1989 committee was impressive. Since its first representative game in Singapore in 1990 the AGRFU had played a series of representative games at sevens, tens and fifteens culminating in participating in both forms of Rugby World Cup Tournaments.
These successes have now been proven to be the foundation on which the AGRFU has built on. The AGRFU in 1996 were appointed host Union for a qualifying tournament for second Rugby World Cup Sevens. Chair Martyn Gulliford taking over from Allan Malcolm, showed that the AGRFU could work effectively with the IRB, Sponsors and other organisations to produce a world class tournament. The AGRFU were also the first venue for the inauguration of the progressive IRB World Sevens Series, and has been successful every year in hosting one of the rounds.
A year after the RWC7s qualifier the IRB were able to approve their support of a part-time development officer to the Union. Promoting the game within a wider audience was one of the AGRFU key objectives, however realising the enormity of the task a full-time post was created in 1998. The arrival of Darryl Weir as the first professional in AGRFU history helped to expand the game to the wealth of nationalities that live within the Union’s catchment. Priority was given to the youth as well as to the senior ranks, as this is where the future of rugby in the region lies.
The introduction of an under 19s squad proved to be another monumental development. In December 2000 the squad played in their first overseas tournament and rose to the challenge admirably. Participating in the Asian Championship in Sri Lanka the Colts came away champions of the Plate competition beating finalist Singapore 31-19.
The senior team, not to be outdone by the young bloods, recently secured the Asian Bowl in a triangular tournament that was successfully run in Bahrain. Each year the AGRFU seems to be breaking new ground, the future is no different. The wonderful winter climate and location proves to be an ideal venue for international events and tournaments.
