MEA Rugby League Championship

MEA ChampionshipCurrent season or competition:
2022 MEA Rugby League Championship

Sport| Rugby league
Instituted| 2015
Number of teams| 4
Region| Middle-East and Africa (MEARL)
Holders|  Nigeria (2022)
Most titles|  Nigeria (2 titles)
Tournaments

* 2015
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2022
* 2023

The Middle East-Africa Rugby League Championship (MEA) is a rugby league football competition for national teams from the Middle East and Africa which is organised by Middle East Africa Rugby League a sub-branch of the European Rugby League. The first tournament was held in 2015 as a part of the qualification process for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, and was followed by tournaments in 2019 and 2020 with an expanded structure.

## History[edit]

The MEA Championship began in 2015 as a part of the qualification process for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in order to determine the sole participant from the Middle East and Africa. Lebanon defeated South Africa in both fixtures and secured world cup qualification in addition to winning the first championship title.

The tournament was reborn in 2019 as a championship between select nations in the Middle East and Africa. The 2017 edition featured national teams only from West Africa including eventual winners Nigeria, as well as Morocco, Ghana and Cameroon.

The Rugby League European Federation announced in 2020 that an additional tournament was planned for 2020,[1] and that thereafter the tournament would be held on a bi-annual basis.[2] The 2020 edition will be held at Tuks Stadium, in Pretoria, South Africa and will see the return of current title holders Nigeria, alongside previous participants Morocco, Lebanon and South Africa.[2]

## Appearances[edit]

Seven nations have taken part in the three MEA Championships held to date:

* South Africa \- 1 appearance
* Lebanon \- 1 appearance
* Nigeria \- 2 appearance
* Morocco \- 1 appearance
* Ghana \- 2 appearance
* Cameroon \- 2 appearance
* Kenya \- 1 appearance

## Results[edit]

Year  | Host  |  | Winner  | Score  | Runner-up  |  | Third and Fourth place or losing semi-finalists  |  | Number

teams

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2015 |  South Africa |
Lebanon | 90 – 28[a] |
South Africa | N/A  | 2
2019 |  Nigeria |
Nigeria | 38 – 10  |
Morocco |  Ghana and  Cameroon | 4
2020 |  South Africa | Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. | 4
2022 |  Ghana |
Nigeria | 30 – 4  |
Ghana |
Kenya |
Cameroon | 4

### Results by nation[edit]

Team | Titles | Runners-up | Semi-finals

|
|
|

Nigeria | 2 (2019, 2022)  | 0  | 0
Lebanon | 1 (2015)  | 0  | 0
Ghana | 0  | 1 (2022)  | 1 (2019)
South Africa | 0  | 1 (2015)  | 0
Morocco | 0  | 1 (2019)  | 0
Cameroon | 0  | 0  | 2 (2019, 2022)
Kenya | 0  | 0  | 1 (2022)

## See also[edit]

* Sports portal

* International Rugby League

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Aggregate over two matches

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Lineup Confirmed for 2020 MEA Championship". RLEF. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
2. ^ a b "Draw Confirmed for 2020 MEA Championship". RLEF. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

## External links[edit]

* v
* t
* e

Middle East-Africa Rugby League Championship

* Cameroon
* Ghana
* Lebanon
* Morocco
* Nigeria
* South Africa

* 2015
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2022
* 2023

* v
* t
* e

International Rugby League

Full members|

* Australia
* Cook Islands
* England
* Fiji
* France
* Ireland
* Italy
* Jamaica
* Lebanon
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Russia
* Samoa
* Scotland
* Serbia
* South Africa
* Tonga
* Ukraine
* Wales

Affiliate nations|

* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Czech Republic
* Germany
* Ghana
* Greece
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Nigeria
* Norway
* Spain
* Turkey
* United States

Observer nations|

* Albania
* American Samoa
* Argentina
* Austria
* Belgium
* Bosnia
* Bulgaria
* Colombia
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Georgia
* Hong Kong
* Hungary
* Japan
* Latvia
* Mexico
* Moldova
* Morocco
* New Caledonia
* Niue
* Norfolk Island
* North Macedonia
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Slovakia
* Solomon Islands
* Sweden
* Thailand
* Tokelau
* Uruguay
* Vanuatu

International
competitions|

* Men's World Cup
* Women's World Cup
* Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup
* Four Nations
* Anzac Test
* The Ashes
* Asian Cup
* Baskerville Shield
* European Championship
* European Championship B
* European Championship C
* European Championship D
* Griffin Cup
* Mediterranean Cup
* MEA Championship
* Americas Championship
* Pacific Cup
* Pacific Rugby League International
* Oceania Cup
* Saint Patrick's Day Test
* Slavic Cup
* Peter Leitch QSM Challenge Trophy
* Atlantic Cup
* Colonial Cup
* Nordic Cup
* Milan Kosanovic Cup
* Balkans Cup

Awards and rankings|

* Hall of Fame
* RLIF Awards
* World rankings
* men
* women
* wheelchair

Teams list|

* Men's
* Women's

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