Following the devastating events of August 2020 in Lebanon, Lebanon Rugby CEO, Sol Mokdad and his teammates knew they had to spring into action quickly; helping to rebuild by instilling what they describe as the “values of rugby” into their community.

By Ahmed Gabr.

In the months leading up to the Beirut explosion, Lebanon had been going through unprecedented times. From the protests in October, through to the collapse of the banking sector, the devaluation of the currency, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has been through relentless challenges throughout the past year.

“The explosion was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And as I’m sure you have seen from the footage and carnage caused by the explosion, it was much more than just a straw,” says Sol Mokdad, CEO of Lebanon Rugby, the organisation promoting the competitive sport in the country.

The explosion was a devastating experience for Mokdad. But while he was fortunate enough to have survived the incident with no considerable damage to his property, many others weren’t as fortunate.

“Seeing our capital in pieces and the tragic loss of lives has taken a toll on all Lebanese citizens, in Lebanon and abroad. It was a challenge holding back tears for the first few days, just dealing with the trauma and the aftermath,” he says.

But Mokdad and his teammates knew they had to spring into action quickly; they started to help with the relief and rebuilding efforts by instilling what they describe as the “values of rugby” into their community.

LEBANON RUGBY DISASTER FUND

As a federation, the group launched Lebanon Rugby Disaster Fund with help from one of their board members based in the United Kingdom. A GoFundMe campaign was set-up with the aim of collecting donations from the global rugby community.

At the time of writing, the campaign has successfully collected almost GBP 15,000 so far, with the federation planning on donating the money to trusted relief organisations, such as the Lebanese Red Cross.

The team also raised funds internally to support one of the players who lost his home in the explosion. The required amount needed to rebuild the house was raised almost instantly.

Additionally, Lebanon Rugby players contributed to the physical relief efforts by volunteering with organisations to clear up the rubble from affected areas, cook food for displaced families, and deliver medicine to people who need it.

“Rugby Union is a beautiful sport, and the culture that it brings to its participants both on and off the field is unlike any other sport,” Mokdad proudly describes.

As football maintains its position as the most popular sport in MENA with a huge fan base, generous investments and billions of dollars in revenue, more niche sports such as rugby struggle to secure the resources they need to survive.

“When it comes to Lebanon Rugby and our efforts to develop Rugby Union in Lebanon, it has always been an uphill battle,” Mokdad explains.

The sport faces similar challenges all around the region; rugby is arguably more popular in Lebanon than anywhere else in MENA. Lebanon Rugby gained official status from the government in 2009 and is currently a full member of Asia Rugby and an associate member of World Rugby. Only six other nations from the region are members of the World Rugby Federation.

The sport built a successful community in Lebanon with little to no funding, relying solely on volunteers and annual player fees to operate. Lebanon Rugby also runs a fledgling Junior Rugby section with over 300 kids playing regularly at their schools and academies.

The fact that the region organisationally falls under Asia Rugby further complicates things for the sport in MENA.

“The challenges we face here are very different from a country like Thailand, which falls under the same banner. Asia Rugby covers a huge area, and efforts need to be made to split Asia geographically to be able to focus on specific regions,” Mokdad states.

While rugby may still be a long way from competing with more established sports in the region, recent achievements for The Phoenix, the Lebanese Rugby Union national team, in addition to many local initiatives around the region have already increased awareness of the sport.

Mokdad is hopeful about the future of the sport in the region.

“The formation of the Arab Rugby Federation, and the appointment of Qais Al Dhalai - President of UAE Rugby - as the President of Asia Rugby has given a boost to development in the region,” he concludes.