The official site of the Federation Rugby of Armenia

Representative of the FIRA-AER Technical Committee Pascal Lebraud, manager of the Armenian rugby team Patrick Otamian and head coach of the national team Jean Jacques Bos were in Armenia on April 16-22. They were accompanied by journalists of the well-known French sport magazine "Eguipe" Caroline Coq-Chodorge and Partrick Artinian.

The goal of the trip was to get acquainted with the country's state of affairs in rugby and with the course of the educational-training process in clubs, rendering methodological assistance to coaches and referees, studying the needs for subsequent provision of effective assistance in issues of the development of the Rugby Federation of Armenia (RFA) on the part of FIRA-AER.

While in Armenia the guests stayed in constant contact with the RFA President Yuri Beglaryan, Secretary General Armen Adamyan and Vice-President Petros Aslanyan.

A meeting was held with Deputy Chairman of the Government-attached State Committee on Physical Culture and Sport, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia Alexander Grigoryan. During the meeting the latter told the guests that the sport authorities of the country would try to find possibilities of supporting rugby in the country and promised full assistance in the organization of matches of the national team of Armenia.

During the reception at the Armenian Government-attached State Committee on Physical Culture and Sport:


left to right: A. Grigoryan and Yu. Beglaryan	left to right: P. Otamian, P. Lebraud and A. Grigoryan

The guests visited Yerevan Khachatur Abovyan secondary school N2 where in the sport hall they held a small class with a group of preparing commencing rugby-players. In the sport hall of the Center of Armenia's National Team a training was held with the rugby-players of the "Ararat" club. Trips were made to Garni and Vanadzor where the guests held educational-method classes with groups of beginning rugby-players. In the village of Khor Virap they also held classes and attended an exhibition match between the local Rugby-7 team and the "Ararat" club, which ended in the host team's victory.


Jean Jacques Bos at a training with a group of preparing commencing rugby-players at Yerevan Kh. Abovyan secondary school N2	at the training of the "Ararat" club at the sport hall of the Center of the National Teams of Armenia

Besides, on April 20, Pascal Lebraud, Patrick Otamian andJean Jacques Bos jointly with the "Ararat" club's coach Mikael Martirosyan held a training at the Yerevan "Spartak" stadium.

Before the start of the training at the Yerevan "Spartak" stadium. Left to right: head coach of the "Ararat" club Mikael Martirosyan, head coach of the national team Jean Jacques Bos, RFA Secretary General Armen Adamyan, manager of the national team Patrick Otamian, RFA Vice-President Petros Aslanyan, President of the "Ararat" club Ashot Papyan


Pascal Lebraud before the start of the training at the "Spartak" stadium	during the training of the "Ararat" club conducted by Pascal Lebraud

head coach of the national team of Armenia Jean Jacques Bos

The new head coach of the national team Jean Jacques Bos kindly agreed to answer several questions of the www.armrugby.am website: www.armrugby.am

- Mr. Bos, with what mood did you start to train the national team of Armenia?
- My goal together with Pascal Lebraud is to develop rugby in Armenia among players of all age groups and do everything possible for the national teams of Armenia to become one of the best.

- Your debut was quite successful and the Armenian team registered their first victory in an official match of the 2006-2007 season. What can you tell about the match held in Odence against the national team of Denmark?

- It was a very good game with very good players. I hope that we will be able to expand the technical and tactical arsenal of the team so that success should attend us also in future games. I think we will achieve even higher results.

- What are your expectations from the upcoming game with Serbia?

- I think that in this game the Armenian team will register a victory, as our players are preparing very seriously for the upcoming match. If they play the way they did against Switzerland, then, of course, success will be not on our side.

- If we beat the Serbs, we still can't take the first spot in the division, as we failed in the first two games. Can the Armenian team count on the top spot in "3A" Division in the next season?

- Yes, we can quite count on such a success, but very serious work is needed to rise up in the second division.

President of the "Help rugby Armenia" association, co-president of the Rugby Federation of Armenia (RFA) Raffi Yeramian, manager of the national team Patrick Otamian and its head coach Mark Abanozian were in Armenia from 8 to 15 August at the invitation of RFA President Yuri Beglaryan.

The guests from France held a series of meetings with the RFA leadership during which they discussed problems of the development of rugby in Armenia and ways to solve them. They also made trips around the country and held a number of theoretical and practical classes with coaches, players and referees.


Head coach of the national rugby team of Armenia Mark Abanozian (in white outfit) conducting practical training at the "Spartak" stadium together with senior coach of the "Ararat" club Mikael Martirosyan.

A special conference of the Rugby Federation of Armenia took place at the Sport Center of National Teams of Armenia on May 13. It was attended by: members of the Rugby Federation, representatives of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports attached to the Armenian Government, heads of rugby clubs operating in the country, coaches, representatives of the Help Rugby Armenia organization, as well as coaches, managers and players of the national team. Samvel Harutyunyan was elected chairman of the conference, and Ruzanna Poghosyan was elected secretary. Vice-President Petros Aslanyan made a summary report. The conference accepted the resignation of President Gagik Panikyan. Later it was suggested to hold the elections of a new membership of the Federation and President.

The candidacy of the Director General of the Center of National Teams of Armenia Yuri Beglaryan was nominated for the presidency. Beglaryan brought to the attention of those present a program of the Federation's work and development of rugby in Armenia. Speakers supported Yuri Beglaryan and the program he suggested.

The conference elected Yuri Beglaryan new president of the Rugby Federation of Armenia. A new composition of the Rugby Federation of Armenia was also elected.

An extraordinary meeting of the Federation of Rugby of Armenia took place at SIL Hotel on April 23. The open meeting was attended by 18 people of whom five were journalists. The meeting was presided over by the first vice-president, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Rugby Federation of Armenia Petros Aslanyan; Ashot Papyan was elected secretary.

Decisions were made on four of the six questions on the agenda, and decisions on two questions were postponed to May 10. A regular meeting of the Rugby Federation of Armenia is scheduled for that day. It will be held jointly with the leadership of the "HELP RUGBY ARMENIA" Association.

Replies have been received to the official letters with the appeal for help in developing rugby in the country in the light of the organization and development of children's-junior rugby sport school in the city of Yerevan addressed by the leadership of the Rugby Federation of Armenia to the government, president and sport leadership of the country. The letters sent to the leadership of the country had been forwarded with corresponding resolutions to the State Committee on Physical Culture and Sport. The refusal of the latter to help and render financial support was motivated by the fact that the 2006 budget does not envisage spending on supporting rugby.

The Armenian information company ("ARMINCO" LTD.) represented by Director Andranik Alexanyan responded to the request of the leadership of the Rugby Federation of Armenia to render financial assistance in the matter of paying the annual membership fee (of 250 euros) to the International Federation (IRB) and transferred 150,000 drams to the Federation's account. "ARMINCO" LTD. also paid from its funds for the hosting of the website of the Rugby Federation of Armenia after it was decided to renew its operation. The administration of "ARMINCO" LTD. expressed a certain interest in cooperation with the Federation in the event of the latter's holding competitions in memory of the National Hero of Armenia Vitya Ayvazyan.

During the period from January 18 to January 23, official letters signed by the President of the Rugby Federation of Armenia were addressed to the Chairman of the State Committee on Physical Training and Sports Ishkhan Zakaryan, President of the National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan and President Robert Kocharyan. The letters presented the achievements of the national rugby team of Armenia and contained a request for assistance in developing rugby in the country in the light of the organization and development of children's and youth rugby sport school in the city of Yerevan, as well as assistance in the organization of matches of the national team in Armenia.

As of January 1, 2007, in the world rugby rankings the national rugby team of Armenia, according to the website wrr.live555.com, occupies the 40rd place among 62 national teams included in the rating list.

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