Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, December 1, 2021: Mongolia has become a full member of rugby union’s international governing body World Rugby.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to welcome the Mongolian Rugby Football Union to full member status. The union has made great progress in a relatively short period of time and reflects the continuing ripple effect legacy of taking our blue riband event, the Rugby World Cup, to Asia for the first time in 2019.”
Beaumont added: “As a full member of the World Rugby family we will provide them with continuous support and a solid framework to further accelerate the growth of rugby in Mongolia.”
MRFU President Batbayar Purevjargal said: “Although traditionally as a nation we are renowned for our achievements in individual sports, we believe that rugby can lead Mongolia to become a true team sport nation.
“The MRFU is committed to the development of the game at grass roots level and to make rugby accessible to everyone in Mongolia with the long-term aim of sustainable development and becoming one of Asia’s top rugby nations,” he added.
The Mongolian RFU was set up in 2003 and became an associate member of World Rugby in November 2004.
The men’s team won Division Four of the Asia Rugby Championship in 2014 and finished fourth in the 2019 Asia Sevens Trophy.
The union has conducted age group and national championships and has also established a women’s rugby development programme for 2021-2025 which aims to double the number of female players and coaches over the next four years.