(17 November 2025) Vientiane, Lao PDR — The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) has announced a landmark moment in Lao sport, with T1 Rugby officially selected as a full medal event at the 12th Lao National Games, taking place in Vientiane Capital in November 2025. This achievement makes Laos the first country in the world to recognise T1 Rugby as a formal medal sport in a National Games.
Through the Champa Ban youth rugby initiative, more than 3,000 young people aged 11 to 16 take part in rugby and life skills learning each year—over half of them girls—supported by more than 100 youth Coaches across four provinces. Champa Ban became the foundation for Laos to pilot T1 Rugby after being selected by World Rugby as one of only a few countries worldwide selected to test the new format.
T1 Rugby, a fast and inclusive tag-based game, is now used across all youth activities, strengthening core skills and creating a clear, accessible pathway into contact rugby. Its success has already supported expansion into Bolikhamxay Province, where 18 youth teams now train and compete, and its easy-to-learn format is helping rugby reach new communities where pitch access or facilities may be limited.
In 2025, T1 Rugby will be contested as a full medal sport in the Lao National Games—marking the first time globally that T1 Rugby has been formally recognised at this level. This moment underscores Laos’ emerging leadership in the development of the sport.
As an official part of the Lao National Games, four men’s teams and four women’s teams will compete in a one-day T1 Rugby competition on 17 November at the Lao National Training Centre in Sikeut. Teams from Vientiane Capital, Vientiane Province, Xieng Khouang Province, and Bolikhamxay Province will compete from 9:00 to 16:00, with finals running between 14:00 and 16:00 and the medal ceremony held directly afterwards.
“This is a proud moment for the entire rugby community,” said Mr. Virayouth Rathikoun, President of the Lao Rugby Federation. “We have built strong leaders, developed athletes, and expanded the game across the country — and in doing so, Laos has become a world leader, pioneering T1 Rugby as a formally recognised medal sport in a National Games for the first time anywhere.”
This achievement aligns with LRF’s long-term vision as Laos prepares to host the SEA Games in 2031. Strengthening the T1 pathway and expanding youth participation will be key to building a competitive national squad for the regional stage.
“This milestone sets Lao Rugby on a new trajectory, creating more opportunities for young people to lead, compete, and shine across the country and the region,” added Mr. Rathikoun. “We are already looking ahead to hosting the first international T1 Rugby competition and welcoming teams from across Southeast Asia to compete in this format. There is clear potential for Laos — and other emerging rugby nations — to make a mark on the international stage through T1 Rugby, and we are proud to be leading the way.”
ກ່ຽວກັບສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຫ່ງຊາດລາວ
About the Lao Rugby Federation
ສະຫະພັນກິລາຣັກບີ້ແຫ່ງຊາດລາວ (ສຣລ) ແມ່ນອົງກອນທີ່ກໍ່ຕັ້ງຂຶ້ນໃນປີ 2001. ສຣລ ແມ່ນໄດ້ຂຶ້ນທະບຽນນຳກົມກິລາລະດັບສູງ ຂອງກະຊວງສຶກສາທິການ ແລະ ກິລາ. ຕັ້ງແຕ່ນັ້ນມາ, ສຣລ ກໍ່ໄດ້ພະຍາຍາມສ້າງຜົນງານ ແລະ ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມເປັນສະມາຊິກສົມບູນຂອງສະຫະພັນ Asia Rugby ແລະ World Rugby ແລ້ວ.
The Lao Rugby Federation (LRF) was formed in 2001. Since then, the LRF has gone on to gain full membership of Asia Rugby and World Rugby and most importantly, registration with the Elite Sports Department of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sport (MoES).
ສຣລ ແມ່ນອົງການຈັດຕັ້ງສຳລັບທຸກກິດຈະກຳທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງກັບກິລາຣັກບີ້ພາຍໃນ ສປປ ລາວ. ບັນດາກິດຈະກຳຣັກບີ້ຂອງ ສຣລ ແມ່ນສຸມໃສ່ການພັດທະນາກິລາ ຜ່ານໂຄງການພັດທະນາໂຮງຮຽນ ແລະ ຊຸມຊົນ, ສະໜັບສະໜູນໃຫ້ທີມນັກກິລາທັງທີມທົ່ວໄປ ແລະ ທີມລະດັບສູງ ໄດ້ມີໂອກາດສ້າງສາ ແລະ ພັດທະນາທັກສະກິລາຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າຜ່ານການຈັດຕັ້ງປະຕິບັດງານທີ່ມີໂຄງຮ່າງການຈັດຕັ້ງຊັດເຈນ, ໂປ່ງໃສ ແລະ ເຊື່ອຖືໄດ້.
The LRF is the governing body for all rugby activities within the Lao PDR. LRF activities are focused on developing the sport through a school and community development programme, supporting domestic and elite teams to improve and developing a sound structure to provide transparent and accountable financial and administrative support to the sport.
ສຣລ ມີພາລະກິດອັນສຳຄັນຄື: ເພື່ອສ້າງໂອກາດໃຫ້ແກ່ທັງຜູ້ຊາຍ ແລະ ຜູ້ຍິງ, ເດັກຊາຍ ແລະ ເດັກຍິງ, ນັກກິລາທົ່ວໄປ ແລະ ນັກກິລາລະດັບສູງ ພ້ອມທັງປະຊາຊົນທີ່ຢູ່ໃນຕົວເມືອງ ແລະ ຊົນນະບົດ ໄດ້ມີໂອກາດເຂົ້າມາເປັນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງຂອງກິລາຣັກບີ້, ພ້ອມດຽວກັນນັ້ນ ເປັນໂອກາດໃນການເຂົ້າມາພັດທະນາທັກສະຊີວິດຂອງຕົນເອງ ແລະ ສ້າງພຶດຕິກຳທີ່ຊ່ວຍເຮັດໃຫ້ສຸຂະພາບດີນຳກິລາຣັກບີ້.
The LRF mission is: To provide opportunities for men and women, boys and girls, social and elite players and those in urban and rural areas to participate in the sport of rugby, whilst ensuring that health benefits and personal development opportunities are realised to their fullest extent.
ສຣລ ຮັບຮູ້ ແລະ ເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າຄວາມສຳເລັດຂອງພວກເຮົາຈະເກີດຂຶ້ນບໍ່ໄດ້ ຖ້າບໍ່ມີການສະໜັບສະໜູນການພາກລັດ, ຊຸມຊົນ, ບັນດາທຸລະກິດເອກະຊົນ, ໂຮງຮຽນ ແລະ ສະຖາບັນຕ່າງໆ ທີ່ຊ່ວຍສະໜັບສະໜູນພວກເຮົາໃຫ້ສາມາດຈັດຕັ້ງໂຄງການໃຫ້ມີຄຸນນະພາບສູງ ແລະ ໃຫ້ທຸກຄົນສາມາດເຂົ້າຮ່ວມນຳກິລາພວກເຮົາໂດຍບໍ່ມີການແບ່ງແຍກ (ທັງຄົນທີ່ເຂົ້າມາຫຼິ້ນ ແລະ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເຂົ້າມາຫຼິ້ນ)
The LRF understands that this can only be achieved by ensuring that we have the necessary capacities to deliver high quality playing and participation opportunities; this involves engagement with the government, communities, businesses, schools and other institutions to provide sustainable access to participation (playing and non-playing) opportunities.
ສຳລັບຂໍ້ມູນເພີ່ມຕື່ມ ກະລຸນາຕິດຕໍ່:
For more information, please contact:
ໂທລະສັບ: Phone: +856 21 315 795
ອີເມລ: Email: info@laorugby.com
ເວັບໄຊທ໌: Website: www.laorugby.com
ບັນນາທິການ: ຮູບພາບຕ່າງໆ ແມ່ນມີສະໜອງໃຫ້ເມື່ອທ່ານຂໍເຂົ້າມາ.
Editors: Images are available upon request.