Rugby League Asian Cup
The Rugby League Asian Cup was a rugby league football tournament for Asian nations that was held in 2012 and 2013. Both editions of the tournament featured the Philippines and Thailand playing each other once. It is run by the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation and the Trophy itself was donated[1] by the RLIF.
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2012 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Region | Asia-Pacific (APRLF) |
| Holders |  Philippines (2012) |
| Most titles | Philippines (2 titles) |
History
On October 21, 2012 the Philippines Tamaraws defeated the Thailand Stars to win the inaugural Rugby League Asian Cup.[2] and on October 23, 2013 the Philippines again defeated Thailand at the second Asian Cup.[3]
Trophy
On October 21, 2012, after beating Thailand in the Asian Cup final, Philippines captain Luke Srama was presented with the first Asian Cup trophy. Srama was also presented with a Friendship Cup as a good gesture between the two teams.
Format
The format of the inaugural Rugby League Asian Cup involved a one off match held in Bangkok between Thailand and the Philippines to decide the champion of the tournament.
Future
It is expected in the future editions of the Asian Cup that the Japan national rugby league team and Singapore will compete in the tournament. It is also hoped that other Asian nations will compete in the future. Japan has planned hosting the tournament in 2014 [4]
Results
Asian Cup summaries
| Year | Host nation(s) | Teams | Final result | Final details | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance | |||||
| 2012 Details |
Thailand | 2 | Philippines |
86 - 0 |  Thailand |
Royal Thai Police Stadium, Bangkok | 150 | ||
| 2013 Details |
Philippines | 2 | Philippines |
44 - 10 | Thailand |
Philippine Merchant Marine Academy Stadium, San Narciso, Zambales | 2000 | ||
Successful national teams
The Philippines is the only nation to have won the Asian Cup.
The following list, are all the teams that have competed in the Asian Cup tournament since its inception; the number of times they have appeared; their most recent appearance; consecutive appearances and their highest result:
| Nation | Number of appearances | First appearance | Most recent appearance | Most consecutive cups | Best result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines |
2 | 2012 | 2013 | 2 | Champion, 2012 and 2013 |
| Thailand |
2 | 2012 | 2013 | 2 | Runner-up, 2012 and 2013 |
Records and statistics
Overall top 5 pointscorers
As of the 2012 edition
| Points | Scorers |
|---|---|
| 16 | Matt Srama |
| 16 | William Dreves |
| 12 | Kevin Gordon |
| 12 | Dennis Gordon |
| 8 | Luke Srama |
| 8 | Brett Clarke |
Asian Cup winning captains and coaches
As of the 2013 edition
| Year | Captain | Coach | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Luke Srama |  Clayton Watene |
Philippines |
| 2013 | Luke Srama | Clayton Watene |
Philippines |
See also
- Rugby League International Federation
- RLIF World Rankings
- List of International Rugby League Teams
- European Cup
- Mediterranean Cup
- Pacific Cup
- Asian Rugby League Federation
External links
References
- http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/rlp-nations/thailand/682-rugby-league-planet-interviews-andrew-charles-from-thailand-rugby-league
- Rea, Marie (27 October 2012). "PAL Tamaraws' Inaugural Asian Cup Win in Thailand". Ausinformer. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- "Philippines Tamaraws Back to Back RL Asian Cup Champions - Match Report". 23 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- http://www.rugbyleagueinternationalscores.com/index.php/2013/08/growing-rugby-league-in-japan/