Tashkent, January 10, 2025
Today, the Annual General Meeting of the Rugby Federation of Uzbekistan was held in the hall of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. The conference was attended by members of the Executive Committee of the Rugby Federation of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Minister of Sports, heads of regional rugby federations, as well as representatives of sports clubs of the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, the Customs Committee, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The event was opened by the Chairman of the Rugby Federation of Uzbekistan, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodik Safoev, who emphasized the importance of developing rugby as a mass and professional sport, and also noted the successes of 2024 and ambitious plans for 2025.
Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan № PP-421
On December 4, 2024, the Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan № PP-421 “On measures to develop team sports and improve the system of selection of talented youth” was issued. This document was an important step in the promotion of rugby and other team sports, setting the main directions for the development of infrastructure, training of specialists and popularization of sports.
Key directions of development
The resolution provides for the creation of new sports clubs in universities and schools, the development of the “School League”, the “Student League” and the “Rector’s Cup”, which is aimed at strengthening the infrastructure and systematizing competitions. The programs of the “Makhalla League” are designed to attract residents of mahallas to sports, contributing to the development of mass sports in the country.
Training of specialists and development of rugby in the power block
Particular attention is paid to the advanced training of coaches and judges through specialized courses, as well as to attracting foreign specialists to exchange experience. The resolution focuses on the development of rugby among law enforcement officers and the Armed Forces, which helps to strengthen physical fitness and popularize sports in departments.
Support of federations and construction of facilities
To support sports federations, it is planned to hold leagues for all clubs, regardless of their organizational and legal forms, with the financing of events through the republican calendar plan. The emphasis is also on the completion of long-term projects, such as the sports base in Charvak, which will create a modern infrastructure for training athletes and holding competitions.
Results of 2024
GIR coordinator Egor Lebed reported that in 2024 the Rugby Federation of Uzbekistan organized 15 tournaments covering 9 regions of the country. The total number of participating teams was 212 (127 men’s and 85 women’s). Teams from Bukhara took part in the republican competitions for the first time. Among the key events are the Championships and Cups of Uzbekistan in rugby-7 in various age categories, including U-14, U-16, U-18 and U-20, the Uzbekistan Rugby-15 Championship among men’s teams, as well as the traditional international tournament “Open Central Asia Rugby-7 Tournament” and the women’s tournament dedicated to the International Women’s Day on March 8.
Significant efforts were made to train coaching staff, develop youth rugby and conduct training camps, including 4 local and 3 international.
Report of the head coach of the national teams
The head coach of national rugby teams Danil Kulikov noted that in 2025 the main emphasis will be on participation in international tournaments, including the Trophy Tour of the Asian Rugby Championship-7, Borneo-7 and Dubai-7, as well as the preparation of reserves through the Asian Championships U-18 and U-20. To improve the level of training, local and international training camps are planned, including the involvement of foreign specialists.
The main goal is to create competitive teams and fight for a license for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Overview of the activities of regional federations
Reports of regional rugby federations were heard at the conference. Particular attention was paid to the activities of the rugby federations of Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya and Djizak regions, which were criticized for low performance and insufficient activity. At the same time, the federations of Fergana, Khorezm, Namangan regions and Karakalpakstan showed good results, becoming an example of successful organization and promotion of rugby in their regions.
Financial report
The conference heard the report of the Control and Audit Commission of the Rugby Federation of Uzbekistan, which provides information on the funds received and spent for 2024. In total, 4.45 billion soums were spent in 2024. It was noted that 64.7% of the budget was spent on sports and mass competitions, 24.9% on staff salaries (including a foreign coach-consultant), 7% on taxes, 1.1% on administrative cost, 2.3% was returned to the budget.
Participation of law enforcement agencies
Of particular interest were the performances of representatives of sports clubs of the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard. It was emphasized that rugby is actively developing in their structures, where employees demonstrate a high level of physical fitness and sports spirit. Plans for the organization and participation of these departments in rugby and rugby-7 competitions for 2025 were also announced. The Rugby Federation expressed its readiness to deepen cooperation with these organizations to exchange experience and improve the overall level of rugby in the country.
Plans for 2025
In 2025, the priority tasks will be the implementation of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan № PP-421, the creation of sports clubs in educational institutions and law enforcement agencies, the development of mass sports through the “Makhalla League” and the “School League”, the completion of the construction of the base in Charvak, as well as preparation for the Asian and Olympic Games of 2026 and 2028. Instructions were given to activate the Get Into Rugby program in the regions to popularize rugby among children and youth, to conduct advanced training courses to improve the level of training of specialists, as well as to strengthen work with the media in order to attract attention to rugby, its popularization and coverage of the achievements of athletes.