The Iranian Rugby Association runs the Iranian Rugby League under the supervision of the “sport for all” Federation. Rugby in Iran has little popularity.
Before the Islamic revolution in Iran, the military forces informally held Rugby as their physical education.
After the Islamic revolution, between 1979 to 1997, no effort was made to develop this sport. In 1997, Bijan Safaei and a group of Physical Education students started Rugby in the Enghelab Sport Complex of Tehran by worn balls belonging to 1945 and 1960.
After two years of activity, in 2000, Alireza Fazlollah Arabi, a physical education student, in collaboration with Dr. Zolfagharian, the head of the Baseball Federation at the time, established the Rugby committee in this federation.
Unfortunately, the intervention of politics in sport in the Islamic Republic of Iran, knowing this sport as American Football and having political issues with the USA, resulted in the authorities’ inattention and refusing to found a national team for this sport.
However, Alireza Fazlollah Arabi’s continuing efforts resulted in a change in the sports authorities and clergymen’s mentality about this sport and founding an independent national team.
In 2007, the Rugby Federation was founded as an independent federation.
For some reason, since 2011, the Rugby Federation has changed to Rugby Association and is now under the Iran Federation of sports associations’ supervision.
Currently, more than 1000 male and female athletes in 10 states of Iran exercise Rugby.
By: Javid, Farzam, Roshan, Mohammad/Podium Photos
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