Lebanon Beat France in Golden Point at the Rugby League World Cup
Lebanon beat France 24-20 in the Rugby League World Cup on Sunday, winning a wild finish that went to golden point. Golden point is extra time with a twist: the first team to score in the added period wins the match. The game was played at CommBank Stadium in Sydney, and League Unlimited reported that it was Lebanon's first win in almost four years.
The result came without several of the team's best-known players. Mitchell Moses and Adam Doueihi, both NRL players, were among those missing through injury. Lebanon turned instead to players such as Alex Conti, a 20-year-old from the Canterbury Bulldogs who had never played for his country before this tournament. Jalal Bazzaz, who played in all three of Lebanon's matches at the 2022 World Cup in England, was one of the players who had a link to that last group.
That 2022 tournament was the last time this squad played together before this year. Michael Cheika's time as Lebanon's head coach ended with the France game, according to The Guardian. The Guardian also reports that Lebanon have lost their full-member status with the International Rugby League, and that they are still among the top eight teams in the world.
Rugby league has struggled to take root at home. Lebanon's domestic scene stopped after the Beirut port explosion in 2020, and players have had to build their game in other ways. Rugby activity has continued in the country in smaller forms, with a rugby nines tournament and a referees course held at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. The International Rugby League has set a deadline of March 2027 for consideration for the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
Syria were also in action in Sydney. They played Cook Islands at Ruse Park in Bankstown on Sunday 1 November, and hosted a series of friendlies at the same ground that day. Syria Rugby League began training for 2026 on 8 September, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Ruse Park.
Ukraine have been playing too, in a different part of the world. They competed in Euro B of the Rugby League European Championship, which was staged in Belgrade. On 18 October, Ukraine beat Serbia 30-14 at the FK Zemun Stadium, according to International Rugby League. It was Ukraine's first-ever win over Serbia. Serbia then faced the Netherlands in Belgrade on 24 October.
Taken together, the three teams show how far rugby league has spread beyond its traditional heartlands. For Lebanon, the French win gave a squad that was short of experience and missing key players something to hold onto. Lebanon's next steps will depend on what comes after the tournament, including the qualifying timetable for 2030.
