| Lithuania playing Israel | |
| National team | Lithuania |
|---|---|
| First played | Mid 20th Century |
| Registered players | 1,650 [1] |
| Clubs | 15 |
| Competitions | |
| National | |
| Rugby World Cup | |
| Rugby World Cup Sevens | |
| IRB Sevens World Series | |
| European Nations Cup | |
| Club | |
| Lithuanian Open Rugby XV Championship | |
Rugby union in Lithuania is a minor but growing sport.
Contents |
The Lithuanian Union was founded in 1961, and joined the IRB in 1992, after Lithuanian independence. [2] Although the union was formed in the sixties, it was not considered a proper national union until after the breakup of the USSR.
Rugby union arrived in Lithuania during the post-War Soviet period. Lithuania was never a stronghold of rugby in the USSR - the game was mainly played in Russia and Georgia - but has experienced some growth in the post-independence period.
Lithuania was an independent country between World War I and World War II, but shortly after it was annexed by the USSR, in 1949, rugby union was forbidden in the USSR during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism". The competitions were resumed in 1957, and the Soviet Championship in 1966. In 1975 the Soviet national team played their first match.[3]
Lithuania had its own rugby team in the USSR, but it was not treated as a proper national side.
Like many other minor rugby nations, the game is centred on the capital, Vilnius.[2] The climate of the country also hinders the game, as pitches may be under snow for large parts of the year.[2]
There is some rivalry with neighbours Latvia who beat them in the qualifiers for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, as did Germany.[2]
In the 1990s, there was some promotion of the game by player-coach Vladimiris Nikonous.[2]
Although Lithuania's women have not yet played test match rugby, they have been playing international sevens rugby since 2005. (Current playing record).
The main national competition is the Lithuanian Open Rugby XV Championship, currently disputed by 7 teams in the I Group[4]. They are:
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