Morocco is not the first country that comes to mind when the conversation turns to rugby, but the sport has been part of the country’s cultural fabric for over a century. It’s now experiencing a period of genuine structural growth at every level, from school pitches to the continental stage.

Roots that keep growing

Morocco’s relationship with rugby stretches back to the French protectorate era of the early twentieth century, making it one of the sport’s longer-established homes on the African continent. 

The Royal Moroccan Rugby Federation (FRMR) was established following independence in 1956, and thirty years later, Morocco was among the eight founding nations of the Confederation of African Rugby.

Sevens and domestic structure

The sevens game has provided Morocco with a more consistent record, with the national side winning the Arab Rugby Sevens Men’s Championship a record four times, most recently in 2024. 

Morocco also hosts its own sevens tournament, earmarked as a potential North African node in a proposed continental sevens circuit.

Domestically, the FRMR oversees a club championship drawing teams from across the country, giving the sport a competitive structure. 

The prominence of South African franchises across URC fixtures offers a benchmark for what sustained investment in the game can achieve.

The Atlas Lions

The national team, the Atlas Lions, claimed back-to-back Africa Cup titles in 2003 and 2005, reaching a world ranking of 20th in 2004. 

A difficult decade followed, marked by divisional relegations and a prolonged absence from top-tier continental competition. 

Morocco’s return came in 2025, when they defeated Tunisia 26-12 in a repechage final to qualify for the Rugby Africa Cup in Uganda, finishing sixth overall and signaling a credible rebuilding of the national program.

Grassroots and schools

Morocco’s commitment to growing the game from the bottom up was underlined in April 2025, when it hosted Rugby Africa’s International Seminar on African Rugby Development in Saidia, focused on school, university, and Olympic pathways. 

That focus is reflected in the FRMR’s own work, including a women’s program across senior, under-20, and cadet age groups, identifying around 40 players from French club rugby’s top divisions as potential internationals alongside domestic recruits.

Looking ahead

The structural foundations are now in place: a domestic championship, an active women’s program, grassroots engagement in schools, and a national team back competing at the top level. If Morocco can retain its players rather than losing them to French eligibility, the next few years could represent the most significant period in the Atlas Lions’ history.