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Rugby Africa Cup

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Rugby Africa Cup
Current season or competition:
2024 Rugby Africa Cup
SportRugby union
Instituted2000
Governing bodyAfrica (Rugby Africa)
Holders Zimbabwe (2024)
Most titles Namibia (9 titles)
Websitehttps://tkt.ug/

The Rugby Africa Cup is a two-year men's rugby union tournament involving the top 16 African nations based on their World Rugby rankings, it is organised by Rugby Africa. The tournament was first held in 2000.[1] It was renamed the Rugby Africa Cup in November 2019, it was previously called the Africa Cup since 2006, the CAR Top 9 and CAR Top 10.

Due to South Africa being far stronger than any other African nation, South African teams have only competed five times, and won the competition three times. The winning South African teams on these occasions were the under 23 or amateur players (in 2000, 2001 and 2006).

History

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The African Cup of Rugby Union took place for the first time in 2000, with five teams taking part in the event, Morocco, Tunisia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and the hosts South Africa, the winner of the competition. In 2004, a second division called CAR Development Trophy and now named now African Development Trophy was formed, reserved for U19 national teams. In 2006, the Africa Cup was coupled with the Rugby World Cup qualification, the winner qualified for the Rugby World Cup. In 2011, a Division 1A was created and in 2014, the division took place as a four-team championship.

The winner of the 2022 Africa Gold Cup qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the runner-up qualified for its final qualification tournament in November 2022.

Structure

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The tournament was revamped in November 2019, this time the top 16 nations, based on their World Rugby rankings prior to the competition, will compete over a two-year period.[2] According to their website Rugby Africa explained the tournament as follows:

The first stage consists of a qualifying round: the teams ranked 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th will oppose the teams ranked 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th, respectively, in a single match at home. The winner of each of these four matches will progress to the group phase. In this second stage, the 12 teams are divided into 4 pools; inside each pool the 3 teams play against each other in a home or away game. The winner of each group will progress to the final tournament of the RAC. The top four teams from Africa will meet in one venue for the final stage of the RAC, which will include two semi-finals, a play-off for third place and, ultimately, the final to decide who will be the African champions.[3]

The 2019–20 Rugby Africa Cup was the first tournament after the restructuring,[4] but was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021–22 Rugby Africa Cup will double as a 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifier for Africa.

In addition to the main fifteens tournaments, an Under-20 competition featuring eight teams was held in April and a rugby sevens tournament involving twelve teams was held in November. A women's rugby sevens tournament is also to be scheduled.

Summary

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Below is a list of previous tournaments and final results:

Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third Score Fourth
Africa Cup
2000 Morocco
Casablanca, Morocco

South Africa Amateurs
44–14
Morocco
No third place
2001 Morocco
Casablanca, Morocco

South Africa Amateurs
36–20
Morocco
No third place
2002 Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia

Namibia
1
26–19
Tunisia
No third place
Tunisia
Tunis, Tunisia
17–24
2003 Morocco
Casablanca, Morocco

Morocco
27–7
Namibia
 Madagascar and  Uganda
2004 Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia

Namibia
39–22
Morocco
No third place
2005 France
Paris, France

Morocco
43–6
Madagascar
 Namibia and  South Africa Amateurs
2006 Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia

South Africa Amateurs
29–27
Namibia
 Madagascar and  Morocco
2007 Madagascar
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Uganda
42–11
Madagascar

Kenya
20–17
Ivory Coast
2008–09 Tunisia
Tunis, Tunisia

Namibia
2
18–13
Tunisia
 Ivory Coast and  Uganda
Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia
22–10
2010 Not assigned 3
2011 Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya

Kenya
16–7
Tunisia
No third place
2012 Tunisia
Jemmal, Tunisia

Zimbabwe
22–18
Uganda

Kenya
31–24
Tunisia
2013 Madagascar
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Kenya
29–17
Zimbabwe

Madagascar
48–32
Uganda
2014 Madagascar
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Namibia
n/a
Zimbabwe

Kenya
n/a
Madagascar
2015 Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia

Namibia
n/a
Zimbabwe

Kenya
n/a
Tunisia
2016 Namibia
Windhoek, Namibia

Namibia
n/a
Kenya

Uganda
n/a
Zimbabwe
Gold Cup
2017 Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya

Namibia
n/a
Kenya

Uganda
n/a
Tunisia
2018
Namibia
n/a
Kenya

Uganda
n/a
Tunisia
2019 Cancelled 4
Rugby Africa Cup
2019–20 Cancelled after the qualification stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.[5]
2021–22 France
Aix-en-Provence, France

Namibia
36–0
Kenya

Algeria
20–12
Zimbabwe
2024 Uganda
Kampala, Uganda

Zimbabwe
29–3
Algeria

Namibia
38–27
Kenya
^n/a A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.
^1 The aggregate results was drawn 33-33. Namibia won on tries scored.
^2 Namibia won the series with aggregate results of 40-23.
^3 In the 2010 Africa Cup no outright winner was declared. Morocco beat Tunisia 29–6 in the final of the north section, whilst Kenya won the 2010 Victoria Cup in the south.
^4 The Gold, Silver, and Bronze Cups of the 2019 season were cancelled due to a lack of funding, brought on by the loss of broadcast sponsor Kwese Sports.[6] The Victoria Cup was revived to replace it, which was won by Zimbabwe.

Overall

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The overall record of the teams are as follows:

Team Champions Runners-up Third Fourth Losing semi-finals
 Namibia 9 (2002**, 2004*, 2009**, 2014, 2015*, 2016*, 2017, 2018, 2022) 2 (2003, 2006*) 1 (2024) 1 (2005)
 South Africa Amateurs 3 (2000, 2001, 2006) 1 (2005)
 Kenya 2 (2011*, 2013) 4 (2016, 2017*, 2018, 2022) 4 (2007, 2012, 2014, 2015) 1 (2024)
 Zimbabwe 2 (2012, 2024) 3 (2013, 2014, 2015) 2 (2016, 2022)
 Morocco 2 (2003*, 2005) 3 (2000*, 2001*, 2004) 1 (2006)
 Uganda 1 (2007) 1 (2012) 3 (2016, 2017, 2018) 1 (2013) 2 (2003, 2009)
 Tunisia 3 (2002**, 2009**, 2011) 4 (2012*, 2015, 2017, 2018)
 Madagascar 2 (2005, 2007*) 1 (2013*) 1 (2014*) 2 (2003, 2006)
 Algeria 1 (2024) 1 (2022)
 Ivory Coast 1 (2007) 1 (2009)
* hosts
** home/away

Rugby Africa Gold Cup perpetual trophy

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The Rugby Africa Gold Cup is the perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Africa Gold Cup, a qualifier for the Rugby World Cup organised by World Rugby's African association, Rugby Africa, since 2000.

The Rugby Africa Gold Cup is the perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Africa Cup (Africa Gold Cup), an annual rugby union tournament involving Africa's top six national 15-man teams (excluding South Africa), organised by World Rugby's African association, Rugby Africa, since 2000.

The Rugby Africa Gold Cup perpetual trophy – a Rugby World Cup qualifier – has been officially unveiled during the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Congress in Brussels on May 8, 2018, in the presence of Abdelaziz Bougja, President of Rugby Africa, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder of APO Group and main official partner of Rugby Africa,[7] Gianni Merlo, President of the International Sports Press Association, AIPS [it],[8] and Mitchell Obi, President of AIPS Africa.

It has been presented to the winner of the Rugby Africa Gold Cup for the first time in August 2018.

Prior to this date, each winner of the Rugby Africa Gold Cup received a trophy.

The back of the trophy is engraved with the text "Presented by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder of APO Group; Abdelaziz Bougja, President of Rugby Africa".

Handmade by Swatkins, Great Britain's leading Trophy, Award and Silverware manufacturer since 1898, the Rugby Africa Gold Cup is a Gold Plated Perpetual Trophy Cup. Standing at a height of 47 centimetres (18.5 in) and weighing 3.3 kilograms (7.3 lb), it features a smooth Georgian-bodied design, complete with patterned handles, a stepped lid that is supplied complete with a circular solid African mahogany base. The Trophy has been engraved with the text 'Rugby Africa Gold Cup' and has the shape of Africa in pride of place on the main body. To complete, on the gold plated plinth band this holds the names of the winners. It's estimated there is enough space for at least 70 winning teams' names to be engraved on the base of the perpetual trophy, which would allow it to be used until at least the year 2080.

Lower level championships

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Second level

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Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third Score Fourth
Africa Cup 1B
2011 Kampala, Uganda  Zimbabwe n/a  Uganda  Madagascar
2012 Antananarivo, Madagascar  Madagascar n/a  Namibia  Senegal n/a  Morocco
2013 Dakar, Senegal  Namibia 45–13  Tunisia  Senegal 41–5  Botswana
2014 Nabeul, Tunisia  Tunisia 26–6  Ivory Coast  Senegal 32–31  Uganda
2015 Kampala, Uganda  Uganda n/a  Madagascar  Senegal n/a  Ivory Coast
2016 Monastir, Tunisia  Senegal 15–14  Tunisia No third place
Rugby Africa Silver Cup
2017 Casablanca, Morocco  Morocco 8–3  Ivory Coast  Madagascar 47–19  Botswana
2018 Mufulira, Zambia  Algeria 31–0  Zambia No third place
^n/a A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.

Third level

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Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third Score Fourth
Africa Cup 1C
2011 Yaoundé, Cameroon  Senegal 15–6  Cameroon  Zambia 17–12  Botswana
2012 Gaborone, Botswana  Botswana n/a  Ivory Coast  Mauritius n/a  Zambia
2013 Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast  Ivory Coast n/a  Morocco  Nigeria n/a  Zambia
2014 Gaborone, Botswana South Africa Impala RC n/a  Mauritius  Botswana n/a  Nigeria
2015 Lusaka, Zambia  Zambia n/a  Nigeria  Zimbabwe B
2016 Casablanca, Morocco  Morocco n/a  Nigeria  Mauritius
Rugby Africa Bronze Cup
2017 Mufulira, Zambia  Algeria 30–25  Zambia No third place
2018 Elmina, Ghana  Ghana 23–17  Mauritius  Rwanda 32–22  Lesotho
^n/a A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.

Fourth level

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Year Host Final Third place match
Winner Score Runner-up Third Score Fourth
Africa Cup 1D
2011 Johannesburg, South Africa  Mauritius 41–12  Nigeria No third place

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SA U23 away to Morocco for final". news24.com. June 26, 2001.
  2. ^ "Rugby Africa Cup". Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  3. ^ "Rugby Africa Cup". Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  4. ^ Newsroom, APO Group-Africa; Africa, Rugby. "Rugby Africa Cup 2020 Shines in New Light for Players, Teams and Spectators". rugbyafrica.africa-newsroom.com. Retrieved 2021-11-15. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "2020". Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. ^ Njiru, Eric. "Africa Gold Cup cancelled". ragahouse.com. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  7. ^ "APO partners with Rugby Africa". Bizcommunity (South Africa). Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  8. ^ "AIPS Media - Executive Committee". Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
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