AC 1B 2016
AC 1B 2016 – This tournament boasted exciting fixtures ! Although Zambia might lack some international exposure due perhaps to a lack of competitionsand infrastructure ; we knew that the shock between Madagascar and Senegal would be a titanic one. The match delivered indeed far above expectations !
The final of the pool A was nailbiting ! Both teams fought hard and spentthe match neck to neck until the Senegalese took the lead in the last minutes. Nevertheless the Makis’ supporters came in number and cheered for their team all along. On Sunday, June 19th, 25000 spectators were jam-packed in the stadium ; bringing the total tournament attendance to over 55000. No doubt, Madagascar won'tlose its reputation of big rugby nation.
The Lions and Makis thus electrified the crowd, under the watchful eye of the south-african referee Lourens van der Merwe, refereeing for the third time already in Madagascar. After 80 intense minutes, Senegalfinally won the matchby 30 points to 24, depriving the Malagasies of any chance to go backin group A.
However all is not done yet for the Senegalese who will have to meet the winner of the poolB in November. Indeed, judging the previous format somewhat unfair, Rugby Africa decided on a new format for the Africa Cup1B 2016. This year the 6 teams were separated in 2 poolsof 3 based on their ranking ; in the poolA : Zambia, Madagascar and Senegal, in the poolB : Tunisia, Botswana and Ivory Coast. The tournament for the poolB will take place from June 26th to July 2nd in Monastir (Tunisia).
Reminder for the AC pool A:
June 12th : Madagascar 24 - 15 Zambia June 15th : Zambia 3 - 54 SenegalJune 19th : Madagascar 24 - 30 Senegal
Ranking :
- SENEGAL = 9 points
- MADAGASCAR = 5 points
- ZAMBIA = 0 points
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About Rugby Africa:
Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) is the governing body of rugby in Africa and one of the regional associations under World Rugby. It unites all African countries that play rugby union, rugby sevens, and women’s rugby. Rugby Africa organizes various competitions, including the qualifying tournaments for the Rugby World Cup and the Africa Sevens, a qualifying competition for the Olympic Games. With 39 member unions, Rugby Africa is dedicated to promoting and developing rugby across the continent. World Rugby highlighted Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia as three of the six emerging nations experiencing strong growth in rugby.
