2017 Rugby League World Cup qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)

The 2017 Rugby League World Cup Middle East-Africa qualification play-off was a two-match rugby league series, with the winner qualifying for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. The matches were between South Africa and Lebanon and were played at Brakpan Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa on 25 and 31 October 2015.

2017 RLWC qualification (Middle East-Africa play-off)

South Africa Lebanon 28 90
On aggregate (Lebanon wins series 2–0)
First test
South Africa Lebanon 12 40
Date	25 October 2015
Venue	Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match	Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee	Phil Bentham (England)
Second test
Lebanon South Africa 50 16
Date	31 October 2015
Venue	Bosman Stadium, Brakpan
Man of the Match	Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)
Referee	Phil Bentham (England)

Overview

On 3 October 2014, the 2017 Rugby League World Cup qualifying competition was announced with one qualification spot being granted to the Middle East-Africa region.^[1]

Initially a one-off play off match in the Dubai Sports City complex was announced.^[2] However the match was cancelled after the head of the Emirates rugby league, Sol Mokdad, was arrested following a complaint from UAE rugby union officials.

South Africa was subsequently given the hosting rights for the qualification fixtures. South Africa RL president Kobus Botha stated that the "SARL is extremely excited about hosting this highly prestigious World Cup Qualifier... We hope that this is the first of many such tournaments and a small glimpse into what South Africa can offer as a potential host country for the 2021 World Cup."^[3]

Squads

Both teams picked preliminary train-on squads with the South Africans picked what they believed was "a strong, healthy and balanced train-on squad" which contained domestic players as well as eligible South African players based in Australia's reserve grade competitions.^[4] The Lebanese selected eligible NRL players along with other reserve grade, domestic and unattached players.^[5]

South Africa

The South Africa squad as of 13 October 2015 was as follows:^[6]

• Coach: Brian Greige

Club Team	Players
Barberton Bulldogs	Jaice Terblanche
Burleigh Bears	Shane Gillham
Cape Town Hyenas	Shuab Samaai
Emerald Tigers	Jason King
Harlequins Rugby League Club	Deon Kraemer, Jean Coetzer, Jean-Pierre Nel
Northern Bulls	Marcell Viljoen, Rudolph Prinsloo, Theo Rhodes
UP-Tuks RLC	Christo Louw, Dwayne Botma, Johan Joubert, Nardus Raubenheimer, Ruaan Du Preez, Rupert Wells
Wentworthville Magpies	Louis Musson
West Coast Pirates	Bradley Williams, Halvor Harris
Wynnum Manly Seagulls	Gideon Mzembe

Lebanon

The Lebanon squad as of 17 October 2015 was as follows:^[7][8]

• Coach: Darren Maroon

Club Team	Players
AUB	Toufic El Hajj
Asquith Magpies	Mark Daoud
Auburn Warriors	Jamie Clark, Richard Coorey, Ead Kassem, Elias Sukkar
Guildford Owls	Chris Saab
Hills	James Boustani
Immortals RLFC	Ray Finan, Robin Hachache
Melbourne Storm	Travis Robinson
Newcastle Knights	James Elias
Newtown Jets	Daniel Abou Sleiman, Ahmad Ellaz, Tarek El Masri, Ray Moujalli
Wentworthville Magpies	Nick Kassis, Mitchell Mamary
Wolves RLFC	Wael Harb
Unattached	Adham El Zbaidieh

First test

25 October 2015

South Africa	12 – 40	Lebanon
Try: Joubert 12' King 56' Raubenheimer 73' Goal: Williams (0/2) Coetzer (0/1)	Report	Try: Robinson (3) 3' c, 33', 78' c Saab 17' c Abou-Sleiman 21' c Mamary 59' c El Masri 63' c Goal: Boustani (6/7) 4', 18', 22', 60', 64', 79'

Bosman Stadium, Brakpan Referee: Phil Bentham Player of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)

FB 1 Jason King RW 2 Gideon Mzembe RC 3 Johan Joubert LC 4 Jean Coetzer LW 5 Shuab Samaai SO 6 Theo Rhodes SH 7 Bradley Williams PR 8 Jaice Terblanche HK 9 Marcell Viljoen PR 10 Louis Musson SR 11 Dwayne Botma SR 12 Halvor Harris LF 13 Shane Gillham Substitutions: IC 14 Nardus Raubenheimer IC 15 Rupert Wells IC 16 Rudolph Prinsloo IC 17 Jean-Pierre Nel Coach: Brian Greige

FB 1 Daniel Abou Sleiman RW 2 Adham El Zbaidieh RC 3 Tarek El Masri LC 4 Chris Saab LW 5 Travis Robinson FE 6 Mark Daoud HB 7 James Boustani PR 8 Mitchell Mamary HK 9 Ali Allouche PR 10 Ray Moujalli SR 11 Elias Sukkar SR 12 Nick Kassis LK 13 Ahmad Ellaz Substitutions: IC 14 Richard Coorey IC 15 James Elias IC 16 Wael Harb IC 17 Robin Hachache Coach: Darren Maroon

Notes:

• Ali Allouche was a late replacement for suspended hooker Jamie Clark.^[9]

Second test

31 October 2015

South Africa	16 – 50	Lebanon
Try: Mzembe 36' Wells 54' Viljoen 76' Goal: Williams (2/3)	Report	Try: Abou Sleiman 2' Robinson (3) 11', 19', 44' Daoud 26' Sukkar 32' El Masri 60' Boustani 63' Kassis 74' Goal: Boustani (7/10)

Bosman Stadium, Brakpan Referee: Phil Bentham Player of the Match: Elias Sukkar (Lebanon)

FB 1 Jason King RW 2 Gideon Mzembe RC 3 Johan Joubert LC 4 Jean Coetzer LW 5 Rupert Wells SO 6 Theo Rhodes SH 7 Bradley Williams PR 8 Jaice Terblanche HK 9 Marcell Viljoen PR 10 Rudolph Prinsloo SR 11 Dwayne Botma SR 12 Halvor Harris LF 13 Shane Gillham Substitutions: IC 14 Shuab Samaai IC 15 Louis Musson IC 16 Deon Kraemer IC 17 Christo Louw Coach: Brian Greige

FB 1 Daniel Abou Sleiman RW 2 Adham El Zbaidieh RC 3 Tarek El Masri LC 4 Chris Saab LW 5 Travis Robinson FE 6 Mark Daoud HB 7 James Boustani PR 8 Mitchell Mamary HK 9 Ali Allouche IC 10 Richard Coorey SR 11 Elias Sukkar SR 12 Nick Kassis LK 13 Ahmad Ellaz Substitutions: IC 14 James Elias IC 15 Wael Harb IC 16 Robin Hachache IC 17 Ead Kassem Coach: Darren Maroon

Notes:

• With the win, Lebanon qualified for the 2017 World Cup after a 2–0 series victory.