# 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.

## 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.
Initially a one-off play off match in the Dubai Sports City complex was announced. 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."

## 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. The Lebanese selected eligible NRL players along with other reserve grade, domestic and unattached players.

### South Africa

The South Africa squad as of 13 October 2015 was as follows:
* 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:
* 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.

## 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.