Cyprus - International Rugby's World Record Holders

Cyprus, a major tourist location; the third largest island in the Mediterranean; located east of Greece, South of Turkey and north of Egypt – an area not well known for its rugby prowess, particularly on the international stage.

However, the Cypriot national rugby side, known as ‘the Moufflons” (a kind of horned sheep which is also the Republic’s national animal), currently hold the World Record for the most consecutive international rugby union wins, with 20 – so far.

The small Mediterranean island has made a name for itself on the international stage, losing only one game since their forming in 2007 and having World Champions New Zealand chasing them for the world record, with 12 consecutive international wins at this point.

Rugby was first brought to the island in the 1950s, when it was played by the British Armed Forced there, who still contribute teams for the countries league, from both the Akrotiri and Dhekelia bases.

The game was predominantly played by the British military and expatriates up to 2003, when three local teams – the Paphos Tigers, Limassol Crusaders and the Nicosia Barbarians – joined the country’s main league, run by the Cyprus Rugby Federation.

Although rugby plays second fiddle on the island to a number of other favoured sports, particularly football, the national side’s remarkable success since 2007 has vastly promoted the popularity of the game.

The Moufflons wear the motto ? τ?ν ? ?π? τ?ς, on their shirts, which translates to the famous Spartan phrase “Son, either with this or on this”. The phrase was spoken by ancient Spartan mothers to their sons before battle. In other words, the idiom effectively means victory or death.

Although, perhaps a slightly dramatic thought to take into an international sporting event, the Spartan code seems to be working for the Cypriots, who have raced to an incredible win record since their first game in 2007.

On that day the Moufflons played local rivals Greece in Paphos, who they easily dispatched by 39 points to 3, in front of 2,500 fans.

The side proceeded to win their next three games in the 3D league of the European Nations Cup, with comfortable victories over Azerbaijan, Monaco and Slovakia. Though, in the 3C/3D play-off final, the Cypriots suffered their only defeat to date, with a close 23-14 loss to Israel away from home.

However, since the loss in September 2008 the side haven’t looked back, now playing in the higher 3C league, with 20 straight victories to their name.

Most recently, this weekend, the Moufflons travelled away from home to Slovenia, where they were decisive victors with a final score line of 34-3.

The Cypriots broke the world record in April with their 19th straight victory, when they beat league rivals Hungary away from home.

The record was held by Lithuania with 18 victories in a row, who took the title from previous joint leaders New Zealand and South Africa, who led with 17 up to 2010.

Though, as with any world record, it didn’t come without a fight. In a brutal, punishing example of international rugby, the current record holders took their crown by the narrowest of margins, with a 16-15 victory.

Talking Rugby Union spoke to Cyprus’s Head Coach, Paul Shanks, who first stepped into the role in 2008.
Paul, born in Wales, is a military man in the Royal Airforce, who has previously coached a number of representative sides within the services; namely, the RAF U21s and the Combined Services U21s.

In 2006 the Welshman “was posted out to Cyprus and, although, probably past my playing days”, he admitted, “I was playing out there and got speaking to one of the Cyprus coaching set-up after a game.

“I mentioned I had coached in the past at a good level and it really all came from there.

“I got a phone call a couple of weeks later as the team prepared for their first ever fixture, which was against Greece in 2007, and was asked to be the national side’s forwards coach.

“Then, a year later the original coach moved on and I was asked if I would like the role of head coach – which I snapped up with both hands. As a coach I think you would be silly to not take up the opportunity and challenge of coaching a national side.”

Paul added that it’s almost a dream come true to coach an international rugby side – especially one that doesn’t lose, although it didn’t quite come with the dream start that he was hoping for:

“My first game in charge was actually the side’s only ever loss, when we were beaten 23-14 by Israel in 2008.

“Six weeks prior to the fixture I received a call with the ‘challenge’ of getting a team together ready to travel to Israel for a playoff game.

“I had absolutely nothing. As an assistant coach I knew a few names and faces but I didn’t have any contact details, or anything like that, being so new in the role.

“Trying to get everything and everyone together was hard work, I have to say, and unfortunately, six weeks later we lost the game.

“However, after that we picked ourselves up and have moved on from there.”

As mentioned, Cyprus have recently beaten Slovenia this last weekend, with their 20th consecutive victory.
Head Coach Shanks added that it was “another great win for the team, with a particularly young side.

“We had three new caps and two new guys who are only 18 debuting as well.”

Although the title of international rugby coach does sound glamorous, Paul maintained that the job also comes with a lot of hard work:

“Because of the wide dispersal of Cypriots throughout Europe, we have a squad of about 50 players who are split between about eight or nine different countries. So selection and getting everyone together can sometimes be a bit of a struggle.

“We pull players together a few days before the game; have a mini training camp and then get on with the fixture.”

In addition, Paul remembered the “great achievement” of breaking the world record in April this year; however, he did admit that the feat was greeted with “mixed reactions” from both Cypriots and the wider rugby public.

“There is the one side that say it isn’t really an achievement because we are only playing third tier national sides; but then there is the other side, who believe it’s a great achievement to achieve something like that, over such a long period of time, with so little resources and finances available.

“People shouldn’t forget that it’s not just a good season, we have been building on this as a side since 2008, so the winning streak has lasted for over five years now.

“Potentially, at the moment”, Paul continued, “It is New Zealand who are hot on our tails and could overtake our title. They’re on 12 at the moment and could easily get another eight won in the space of a season.”

The island rejoiced as their names of players and the team itself went down in international rugby history. However, heartbreak struck the national side as they found out, due to IRB technicalities, that they couldn’t compete in the 2015 World Cup qualifying rounds – qualifying, which on form alone, they had done enough to partake in.

Paul explained that the side had “applied for associate membership to the IRB and this goes back to February 2012, we’d gone through the process, which went through the European Governing body and on to the IRB, but because they only meet twice a year there was a delay in them reviewing the application.

“There were a lot of mixed messages that came from the IRB in the interim, most of which highlighted our success and said that we would possibly compete in the qualifiers.

“However, due to trouble with our associate membership and other technicalities, we were eventually told we wouldn’t be able to compete.

“The team and fans were terribly disappointed but one of the main stumbling blocks it boiled down to for us, on island, is the pathway criteria of needing at least four teams competing in a league, and unfortunately we only have three, with the other four teams all being military sides.

“We applied for an exemption, but sadly it was not granted.”

Finally, moving past the disappointment of the World Cup, looking forward, Paul said that the side are “focussing on winning the league this year”, which they are currently top of.

Furthermore, “we want to try and gain promotion and do our best to compete at a higher level.”

Finally, though, Paul continued by explaining one of the “main objectives is to inspire younger kids on the island to get involved with the sport and fill a vacuum of pulling players through the age groups and raise the profile of the sport in Cyprus.”