Morocco national rugby union team

Morocco

Union	Fédération Royale Marocaine de Rugby
Nickname(s)	Atlas Lions
Coach(es)	Francis Was
Captain(s)	Djalil Narjissi
Team kit Change kit
First international
Spain 14 - 6 Morocco (25 December 1931)
Largest win
Namibia 0 - 49 Morocco (5 November 2005)
Largest defeat
Romania 89 - 0 Morocco (17 November 1976)
World Cup
Appearances	None (First in -)

The Morocco national rugby union team are a national sporting side, representing Morocco in rugby union. The team is also known as the Atlas Lions. Morocco is governed by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Rugby. Morocco competes in the Africa Cup annually. The team has won the competition in 2003 and 2005. They usually play their internationals in Casablanca.

Morocco has thus far not qualified for a Rugby World Cup, but have participated in the qualifying tournaments since the early 1990s. For the 2007 world cup tournament in France, Morocco failed to qualify when they lost to Portugal, home and away meaning they would not make the Repechage 1 play-off against Uruguay.

History

Morocco played their first international match on December 25, 1931 in Rabat, which Spain won 6 to 14. Another match was held three days later, and Morocco managed to hold Spain to a 10-all draw. Morocco met Spain again in April of the next year, though this time in Madrid, losing 8 to 14. The two teams met again that December, Spain winning 14 nil. After playing four internationals, no official matches would be played by Morocco until 1967.

Making their return to the international rugby stage, Morocco faced off against their old opponents of the 1930s - Spain, losing 3 nil. Morocco then won their first match, at home in Casablanca, where they defeated Spain by one point. In late 1970 they were beaten by a non-cap French XV in Casablanca. The following year Morocco defeated Italy in Naples, and lost 25 to nil to Romania at home, and in 1972, were defeated 73 to 6 by a non-cap French XV. In 1975 in Brussels they defeated Belgium. Morocco they found wins against teams like Italy and West Germany, and lost games to touring French sides, as well as teams like Romania. Morocco played a French XV in 1983 in Casablanca, losing 9 to 16.

Morocco entered the 1991 Rugby World Cup qualifyings, in a three games pool, in 1990, losing to Zimbabwe by 0-16, and to Tunisia by 12-16, finally winning their last fixture to Côte d'Ivoire by 11-4. Their qualifying competitions for the 1995 Rugby World Cup started in group 2 Africas, winning their first game over Tunisia by 6-5, in October 1993. They lost their second game to Côte d'Ivoire but did go through to round 2, where they lost to Cote d'Ivoire again, as well as Zimbabwe, and drew with Namibia.

Morocco were a part of Round 4 for the 1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying for Africas, again playing Namibia, Zimbabwe and Côte d'Ivoire. Morocco finished second in the round, behind Namibia, and went through to a repechage round. Uruguay won a home and away series. In 2000 Morocco were included in the inaugural European Nations Cup for Tier 2 rugby nations . They performed well and the highlight was when they defeated Romania 18 to 10 in Casablanca. In the same season, Morocco also played an under-23 Springboks side. In qualifying tournaments for the 2003 world cup, Morocco played in the six nation split third round, losing to Tunisia by one point and defeating Côte d'Ivoire. In February 2003 Morocco defeated France Amateurs 32 to 22 in Rabat.

Morocco's bid to qualify for the 2007 world cup in France kicked off in June 2006 in pool 2 of round 2 of the Africas qualifying tournament. They defeated Uganda 36 to 3 in their first match, and then drew Côte d'Ivoire 9-9. They then lost 25-7 in Windhoek and 8-27 in Casablanca to Namibia. Morocco advanced to the Repechage Round as Africa 2, to play Europe 4 - Portugal who won the home and away series.

Morocco failed surprisingly the early stage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifyings, after a 9-21 loss at home to Côte d'Ivoire.

Current squad

• Samir Amechtane (Poitiers, France)
• Nicolas Benoit (SC Albi, France)
• Abdellatif Boutaty (US Montauban, France)
• Aziz Chahid Cigogne (Clermont Auvergne, France)
• Youness Derraz (Bera Bera, Espagne)
• Lemrhoti Alae Eddine (FUS de Rabat, Maroc)
• Mounir El Hadji (Stade Toulousain, France)
• Mounir El Hamzaoui (Poitiers, France)
• Kamal Essaoui (US Montauban, France)
• Jaouad Eziyar (Aurillac, France)
• Mohamed Gouasmia (Côteaux de l'Arrêt, France)
• Youness Ho (Châteaurenard, France)
• Mounir Jaoui (Châteaurenard, France)
• Mickaël Mokhtar (US Bergerac, France)
• Djalil Narjissi (Capt) (Agen, France)
• Sofiane Qelai (Métro-Racing, France)
• Moushine Tajer (St-Jean-de-Luz, France)
• Hamid Arif (Auch, France)
• Hicham Laouni

World Cup record

• 1987 - Not invited
• 1991 - 2011 - Did not qualify

See also

• Fédération Royale Marocaine de Rugby
• World Cup

External links

• IRB Ranking
• List of Morocco Official Games