Arabian Gulf rugby union team
The Arabian Gulf rugby union team was a combined team of players that represented the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council in international rugby union competitions. The team competed in international matches between 1993 and 2010, and was governed by the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union (AGRFU). Associate members were Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.
| Union | Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Arugby, Soundos | |
| Coach(es) | Matt Trail | |
| Captain(s) | David Clark | |
| ||
| First match | ||
| Arabian Gulf 20–64 Namibia 3 July 1993 Last international Arabian Gulf 21–19 South Korea 14 May 2010 | ||
| Largest win | ||
| Arabian Gulf 97–3 India 27 April 2001 | ||
| Largest defeat | ||
| Japan 114–6 Arabian Gulf 3 May 2008 | ||
The Arabian Gulf participated in the highest tier of the inaugural 2008 Asian Five Nations alongside Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan. After losing all four of their matches and subsequently finishing last, the team was relegated to Division One for the 2009 tournament. The team proceeded to win Division One in 2009, securing promotion to the Asian Five Nations for 2010.
However, on 16 January 2009, the sport's international governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), announced that the AGRFU – and the combined Arabian Gulf team – would be split into separate national entities and cease to exist by the end of 2010. The first new union to be formed was that of the UAE, which became a full IRB member in November 2012.
The team's final tournament before the breakup was the 2010 Asian Five Nations, which doubled as the final stage of Asian qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Arabian Gulf team won two of their four matches, including a 21–19 win in their final match in history at The Sevens in Dubai against Korea.