Rugby union in Côte d'Ivoire

Rugby union in Côte d'Ivoire is essentially amateur, with some degree of semi-professionalization in its top flight league and the national rugby union team.

The sport is popular among school children, but the rugby union playing population in Côte d'Ivoire is still relatively small with only 10 clubs and around 11,000 registered senior players.

Governing body

Rugby union in Côte d'Ivoire is administered by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Rugby. It was founded in 1961 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1988.

National team

The Côte d'Ivoire national rugby union team, nicknamed "Les éléphants," French for "The elephants", is a third tier rugby union side representing Côte d'Ivoire.

With a small player base, and starved of strong competition, the team has deteriorated in recent years. Recent defeats to Morocco mean they are ranked below the North African side. Their record in the World Cup has been poor, and they haven't managed a win. Their record defeat, 89-0 against Scotland in the 1995 tournament, led to some questioning the presence of the minor teams at the tournament. The Tonga match in the 1995 World Cup also saw a major tragedy, as Max Brito suffered a cervical spine injury that left him a quadriplegic.

ee also

*Sport in Côte d'Ivoire