Lebanon’s rugby players step up to help tackle rebuilding effort
In the months leading up to the Beirut port blast, Lebanon was already going through unprecedented crises. From the widespread protests of Oct. 2019 to the collapse of the banking sector, the devaluation of the currency and the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has faced relentless challenges throughout the past year.
For Sol Mokdad, CEO of Lebanon Rugby, the explosion was a devastating experience. Although he survived the blast with no considerable damage to his property, many others were less fortunate. “Seeing our capital in pieces and the tragic loss of life has taken a toll on all Lebanese citizens, both 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 said.
But Mokdad and his teammates knew they had to act quickly, joining the relief effort by instilling what they describe as the “values of rugby” into their community. As a federation, the group launched the Lebanon Rugby Disaster Fund with help from one of their board members based in the UK. A GoFundMe campaign was set up to collect donations from the global rugby community. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised almost £15,000 ($19,500), with the federation planning to donate the money to trusted relief organizations such as the Lebanese Red Cross.
The team also raised funds internally to support one of the players who lost his home in the blast. The amount needed to rebuild the house was raised almost instantly.
Lebanon Rugby players also contributed to the physical relief effort by volunteering to clear rubble, prepare food for displaced families and deliver medicine. Lebanon’s growing legion of women players also joined the clean-up, as well as helping to collect food and clothing, which was then distributed to families affected by the explosion and to charities.
“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 said.
As football remains the most popular sport in the MENA region, courting a huge fan base, generous investments and billions of dollars in revenue, more niche sports such as rugby struggle to secure the resources they desperately 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 said. The sport faces similar challenges elsewhere in the region. Lebanon Rugby gained official recognition 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 in the region are members of the World Rugby Federation.
And the sport has built a successful community in Lebanon with little to no funding, relying on its volunteers and annual player fees to operate.
Lebanon Rugby also runs a fledgling junior section, with more than 300 young people playing regularly at their schools and academies.
The fact that the region organizationally falls under Asia Rugby further complicates things for the sport in MENA.
“The challenges we face here are very different from a country such as 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 said.
While rugby may still be a long way from competing with more established sports in the region, recent achievements for the Phoenix, Lebanon’s national team, in addition to initiatives around the region, have already increased awareness of the sport. Mokdad remains hopeful about the future: “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.”