The republic resumed the development of the “bully game” from the coast of the Caspian Sea. From 2005 to 2013, Azerbaijan was a member of Rugby Europe, playing in the third division of the European Championship. In 17 matches, the national team suffered 16 defeats, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005 (11:8). In the early 2010s, the Azerbaijanis began to have significant financial difficulties. Training sessions of clubs and the national team were suspended, followed by exclusion from Rugby Europe.Interestingly, then the national team was headed by a well-known Georgian specialist Malkhaz Cheishvili. However, over the past two years, the Azerbaijan Rugby Union has been active. For example, in 2020, three rugby clubs appeared at once: “Gabala”, “Sheki” and “Ganja”. There are five RKs in the national championship. In addition to the three mentioned, there are also “Baku” and “Karabakh”. The union has a functioning website in Azerbaijani and English languages, and even presents a development strategy until 2026, where a separate paragraph indicates the conclusion of a partnership agreement with the Rugby Union of Georgia. One of the main upcoming events of Azerbaijani rugby will be the return to the world family. World Rugby has confirmed that in the near future (probably in a year or two) Azerbaijan will become a member of Asia Rugby, which means it will be able to host and participate in official international tournaments.
Source: https://rugger.info/news/44060