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The Mediterranean Cup is an annual rugby league tournament held in Lebanon. It is contested by Lebanon, France, Serbia and Morocco.
The competition was first concieved as a qualifying tournament for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and in 1999 was contested by Lebanon, Morocco and Italy. As the 2000 World Cup was not financially sucessful the tournament was cancelled for a number of years,
The Mediterranean Cup was resurected in 2002as a one-off match between Lebanon and France. It was played at Tripoli International Stadium on November 2, 2002 in front of a crowd of 9,713. Lebanon defeated France 36-6. In 2003 and 2004, it was expanded to a four team tournament.
On 2 October 2005 it was announced that the 2005 tournament was cancelled. According to Lebanon Rugby League official Danny Kazandjian: "It is with a sense of profound disappointment that we have had to face harsh reality and cancel the Mediterranean Cup, just one day before our official launch press conference at the Searock Hotel in Raouche, West Beirut, and just nine days before Lebanon was due to take on Serbia in the Olympic Stadium, Tripoli. The Lebanese rugby league feels extremely let down by certain parties."[1]
Mediterranean Cup grand finals edit
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lebanon | France | 42-14 | Tripoli International Stadium | October 9 2004 |
| 2003 | Lebanon | France | 26-18 | Tripoli International Stadium | October 25 2003 |
| 2002 | Lebanon | France | 36-6 | Tripoli International Stadium | November 2 2002 |
| 1999 | Lebanon | Morocco | 104-0 | France |
Sources edit
- Lebanon Rugby League (2005) "2005 Mediterranean Cup Cancelled" Lebanon Rugby League Offical Site, October 7, 2005. Retrieved December 19, 2005.