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The World Rugby Council has approved the membership applications of Guatemala and Slovakia. The two countries applied through their respective national governing bodies of the Asociacion Deportiva de Rugby de Guatemala and Slovenská Rugbyová Únia and are now associate member unions.
Both applications were made with the guidance and backing from their respective regional associations, Sudamérica Rugby and Rugby Europe. Their addition sees the total number of World Rugby members now stand at 121, of whom 103 are full members. Guatemala and Slovakia join sixteen others with associate membership.
Guatemala became a full member of Sudamérica Rugby in 2013 and is currently fast-tracking the women’s game in an effort to meet the standards to obtain full membership. The Guatemalan men’s team will be playing against Ecuador in August with the winner qualifying for the South American B Championship against Colombia, Peru and Venezuela in August.
In announcing the successful applications of Guatemala and Slovakia World Rugby also confirmed that Asia Rugby has expelled the Cambodian Federation of Rugby based on the union’s failure to comply with membership criteria. The World Rugby Council consequently approved the expulsion of the Cambodian Federation of Rugby from World Rugby membership with immediate effect.
