Asia and The Middle East
Rugby league is a growing sport in Asia and the Middle East, with a large growth in players since the 1990s, some of which have played at the game's elite levels in the National Rugby League and Super League. The game in the Middle East is one of the fastest growing sports with regular internationals played against European and Mediterranean teams. Although Russia has a growing rugby league presence and extends into Asia, the main competition is in Europe.
Countries that meet current World Cup qualification criteria:
| Country | Overview | National team | Status | Governing Body | Main league competition(s) | Best International Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Rugby league in Japan | Samurais | Affiliate | Japanese Rugby League Association | Japanese Rugby League | Emerging Nations - Pool Round |
| Lebanon | Rugby league in Lebanon | The Cedars | Affiliate | Lebanese Rugby League Federation | Bank of Beirut Championship | World Cup - Pool Round |
Other countries with a history of the game:
| Country | Overview | National team | Status | Governing Body | Main league competition(s) | Best International Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Non-Affiliate | China Rugby League | ||||
| Indonesia | Non-Affiliate | Indonesia Rugby League | Bali 9's/West Papua | |||
| Israel | Non-Affiliate | |||||
| Pakistan | Rugby league in Pakistan | Observer | ||||
| Palestine | Non-Affiliate | |||||
| Qatar | Observer | |||||
| Saudi Arabia | Observer | |||||
| Singapore | Non-Affiliate | Singapore Rugby League | ||||
| United Arab Emirates | Rugby league in UAE | Falcons | Observer | Emirates Rugby League |
Read more about this topic: Rugby League Around The World
Famous quotes containing the words middle east, asia and, asia, middle and/or east:
“There’s no telling what might have happened to our defense budget if Saddam Hussein hadn’t invaded Kuwait that August and set everyone gearing up for World War II½. Can we count on Saddam Hussein to come along every year and resolve our defense-policy debates? Given the history of the Middle East, it’s possible.”
—P.J. (Patrick Jake)
“I have no doubt that they lived pretty much the same sort of life in the Homeric age, for men have always thought more of eating than of fighting; then, as now, their minds ran chiefly on the “hot bread and sweet cakes;” and the fur and lumber trade is an old story to Asia and Europe.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I have no doubt that they lived pretty much the same sort of life in the Homeric age, for men have always thought more of eating than of fighting; then, as now, their minds ran chiefly on the “hot bread and sweet cakes;” and the fur and lumber trade is an old story to Asia and Europe.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“We hear the haunting presentiment of a dutiful middle age in the current reluctance of young people to select any option except the one they feel will impinge upon them the least.”
—Gail Sheehy (b. 1937)
“Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it. Many will read the book before one thinks of quoting a passage. As soon as he has done this, that line will be quoted east and west.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)