Archive | September 2021

Germany and Netherlands name squads for Griffin Cup

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 30 September, 2021

GERMANY AND NETHERLANDS NAME SQUADS FOR GRIFFIN CUP

The eighth Griffin Cup clash between Germany and the Netherlands will take place this Saturday (2 October) at Düsseldorf Dragons (kick off 4pm CET). Last year – in the only international rugby league fixture played because of the pandemic – the Netherlands extended their winning run over their neighbours to three consecutive games, thanks to a stirring second half performance in Zwolle which saw them triumph 20-18 to lead the series 4-3, centre Joran Schoenmaker the star performer.

With neither side fully back to playing regular domestic competition because of the on-going restrictions, this clash will be played over three 30 minute periods and involve unlimited substitutions to give all those selected a chance of meaningful game time and will not, therefore, count for world ranking points.

Germany’s selection comes after their Origin fixture last week, with all their players coming from either the North or South sides that competed, together with two players from the English community game, Connor Hampson and Eoin Bowie.

Their new director of performance, former Great Britain international Andy Hay, commented: “The CooperCup and GermanOrigin have presented us with a raft of new players alongside some of the established ones. They all have a wonderful opportunity against the Netherlands to showcase their skills and undergo these first post-Covid steps in preparation for taking us further up the competitive ladder.”

NRLD president, Bob Doughton, added: “We are really looking forward to this encounter and to helping our Dutch friends to prepare for their upcoming Euro D competition. Something that makes me really proud of our rugby league family is that there are people born in 14 different nations all participating in this match.”

Netherlands head coach Kane Krlic noted: “We are really looking forward to this annual fixture. Every year the quality of the game gets better which is credit to both countries’ emphasis on their domestic competition. This year we have approached this game with a different philosophy to previous and it will be used as the next step in our development preparing for Euro D. That being said, Germany will be wanting revenge after suffering close defeats in the last few years, it’s always an intense encounter. I’m really looking forward to seeing how some of our less experienced players cope under pressure against a strong, tough German side."

Team manager Matt Rigby continued: “The Griffin Cup is a really important match for us each year, not only does this offer opportunity to players but also our match officials and board members to compare notes with our counterparts. Last year we had the honour of hosting Germany in the only international fixture of the year. The passion and enthusiasm from both nations to put on a great show improves on every occasion, we cannot wait to see what Dusseldorf has to offer this year.”

Scottish referee Moray Gilland, who lives in Belgium, will officiate assisted by tough judges Colin O’Shaughnessy (Ireland) and Niklas Packlin (Germany).

GERMANY SQUAD

Connor Hampson (Featherstone Lions), Lion Dohm, Liam Doughton, Bene Esser, Renko Flemming, Jannek Hagenah, Cord Hartbecke, Aarre Heinrichsen, Ben Lima, Conor Mac Con Iomaire, Henri Moch, Eddy Moroseti, Malte Rohmoser, Vivi Seelweger, Fabian Wikander (all Nord), Eoin Bowie (Shaw Cross Sharks), Mawuli Améfia, Martin Apostel, Duarte Figueiredo, Simon Jung, Max Keller, Josh Leutenecker, Kilian Martin, Georg Molz, Christophe Ngondi, Alex Nyahoe, Adewunmi Ologungbiri, Basti Paassen, Felix Rau, Philip Steinkirchner, Christopher Weeks (all Süd)

NETHERLANDS SQUAD

David Schram, Bram Tjalma (Amsterdam Cobras) Paul Dirkzwager, Romeo Goldman, Lucas Gout, Frank Longhurst, Maurits Thomson, Bonne Wilce (Den Haag Knights) Trevor Rode, Daniel de Ruiter, Ruben Stuifzand, Arie-Tjerk Razoux Schultz (Harderwijk Dolphins) Ben Dommershuijsen, Auke Idzerda, Shadan Lavia, Edson Neves, Isaac Ngirbiu (Rotterdam Pitbulls) Paul Kuijpers, Mauricio Gomez Pazos, Laury Renac, Joran Schoenmaker (Zwolle Wolves)

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

Squads announced for Rugby League Euro B Championship

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 29 September, 2021

SQUADS ANNOUNCED FOR RUGBY LEAGUE EURO B CHAMPIONSHIP

The three squads have been announced for Euro Championship B, which begins this weekend in Belgrade when hosts Serbia take on Russia on Sunday (3 October) at Paracin City Stadium (kick off 2pm CET). Russia then face Ukraine on the following Wednesday, with Serbia and Ukraine completing the schedule on Saturday 9 October, both of those game at the FC Heroj Polet Stadium.

Serbia has announced a new head coach for the tournament, former Spain boss Darren Fisher (pictured) taking over from Stuart Wilkinson. Serbian RLF general secretary, Vladan Kikanovic, commented: “I want to thank Stuart for all his time and efforts, it was great experience and honour that our national team was run by such high-quality coach.

“Unfortunately, his professional work obligations as a lecturer at UCLAN University prevent Stuart from continuing working with us, but we want him to stay a part of the Serbian Rugby League Federation team together with his wife Amanda, to assist the pathways for our youth and best domestic national team players and our coaches, like he did it in Wales.

“We spotted Darren a long time ago as a devoted coach, great enthusiast and rugby league lover. We think Darren can do well with Serbia, he showed that with some great results for Spain in past.”

The Serbs have already played a number of Test matches and U20s fixtures in 2021 in preparation for the tournament which will see the winners promoted to Euro A for 2022.

Russia player/head coach Roman Ovchinnikov, who made history by becoming the first from the country to play in Australia with Wests Tigers in 2007 having been spotted by Tim Sheens, said: “I and my team are very happy to be back. We haven’t had a lot of games coming out of the pandemic, but we have trained with our hearts and souls. I hope our team will show what it’s capable of, it is the start of the sport rebuilding again in the country.”

Ukraine Rugby League president, Artur Martyrosian, confirmed: “We are so glad to back in the European Championship. Our Federation has a strategy of development for five years and the one of the main objectives is the successful participation of our national team in official competitions.”

Their head coach, Gennadiy Vepryk, added: “International rugby league finally comes to life again. We have the opportunity for the first time since 2018 to play such matches. The guys are very motivated, we have a chance to play with very strong teams. I hope everything goes well for us and we enjoy playing the games and meeting old friends.”

The match official panel has also been appointed with James Jones (Wales), Stephane Vincent (France), Andrew Pilkington (Spain) and Stefan Stamenic (Serbia) selected.

All the games will be live-streamed via www.Facebook.com/EuroRugbyLeague

SERBIA SQUAD

Stefan Simovic (RLC Dorcol Tigers), Aleksandar Pavlovic, Djordje Krnjeta, Dragan Jankovic, Dzavid Jasari, Enis Bibic, Nemanja Manojlovic, Stevan Stevanovic, Vladimir Milutinovic (RLC Partizan 1953), Lazar Zivkovic, Mihajlo Jovic, Stefan Arsic (RLC Radnicki Nis), Aleksandar Djordjevic, Marko Jankovic, Milos Calic, Milos Zogovic, Miodrag Tomic, Nikola Djuric Rajko Trifunovic, Stefan Nedeljkovic, Vojislav Dedic (RLC Red Star)

RUSSIA SQUAD

Ilia Danilov (RC Dinamo), Evgenii Chevankov, Artem Egorov, Roman Ovchinnikov, Sergei Sazonov, Pavel Smirnov, Dmitrii Strukov, Ivan Suracov, Ivan Troitskii, Artem Tiutrin, Ivan Vabishchevich, Andrei Zdobnikov (RLC Locomotive), Egor Petukhov (RC Moscow Dragons), Vadim Buriak, Igor Chuprin, Aram Gazarian, Anton Matiushkin, Zakir Prizniakov (RLC Olimp), Andrey Perin (RC Spartak), Kirill Bozhko, Maxim Martynov (RC Zelenograd)

UKRAINE SQUAD

Liubomyr Beznoshchuk, Vitalii Boichuk (Carpathian Trinity), Anatolii Hrankovskyi, Taras Kolisnyk, Vitalii Puchkov, Dmytro Semerenko, Oleksandr Shcherbyna, Oleksandr Skorbach, Oleksandr Syvokoz, Mykhailo Troian, Evhenii Trusov, Bohdan Vepryk, Ihor Yurkin (Kharkiv Legion XIII), Valentyn Korchak, Orest Adamyk, Valentyn Koval, Danylo Kozak, Igor Vashchuk (Lviv Tigers), Volodymyr Radchyk (Rivne Giants)

EURO B SCHEDULE

Serbia v Russa

Sunday 3rd October

Paracin City Stadium (2pm CET)

Russia v Ukraine

Wednesday 6th October

FC Heroj Polet Stadium (1pm CET)

Serbia v Ukraine

Saturday 9th October

FC Heroj Polet Stadium (2pm CET)

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

Ghana Rugby League name national squad after completing Origin series

RUGBY LEAGUE FEDERATION GHANA – PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

Date: 24 September, 2021

Contact: Hilaria Wuaku | info

GHANA RUGBY LEAGUE COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL ORIGIN SERIES

Ghana Rugby League head coach Andy Gilvary has named a 20-man squad for Sunday’s game against a President’s XIII select side, and in preparation for the 2022 Middle East Africa Championship.

It comes after the successful completion of a three game Origin Series. The Origin sides were named after pioneers of the sport in the country, with team Giwa-McNeil taking the men’s series by two games to nil with one drawn over team Safi, and the women finishing equal with one win each and one game drawn; the contests played at the University of Ghana’s Field Ajax 1 and Mensah Sarbah Field, in Legon.

Captain of the Safi XIII women’s team, Rosemary Sewornu, said: “Origin Cup is one of the best games I have played. The teamwork from both teams was impressive. Rugby league and female contact games are here to stay. Though there is a visible improvement in the gameplay of both teams, there’s more room for improvement.”

Gilvary was present for the last round of matches and noted: “It is fantastic to see the development in both men and women’s rugby league in Ghana and hopefully in a couple of years we’ll see both play in a high level international tournament.

“The three-match Origin series, which recognises the contributions of the phenomenal Giwa-McNeil family and Africa development manager Remond Safi, is part of establishing that pathway and I’m looking forward to being able to continue the work of talent identification. I sent them the programme for it in May and they immediately took steps to get it off the ground.

“I like to play to their strengths, they are big, fast, strong, physical and aggressive, raw rugby league but an untapped source of talent – there are some very early discussions with Super League clubs about linking up to capitalise on that pipeline; it would be a huge return for very little resource.”

Gilvary added: “Ghana RL got back up and running in January this year, the government halted it again until March but they’ve been flying ever since getting the domestic championship going, along with women’s and girls and juniors, which are flourishing. They just want to get out there and play and everyone works tirelessly to give that opportunity, the committee get there first to put out the substitute benches and leave last after picking up the rubbish, the game doesn’t survive without them.”

His visit has also enabled him to further a Kits for Ghana project. “My university mates sponsored the jerseys for Origin and part of this has allowed me to do something I’ve wanted to for ages and that’s start the 1jersey project (www.1jersey.co.uk) to get unused kits over here, which is starting to come to fruition.

“I’ve been round collecting donations from such as Burtonwood, Derby, Warrington, Glasgow, the match official’s department at St Helens, Penketh, Oxford University, Castleford Masters, Richmond and London RL, Wigan Bulldogs, Sheffield Hallam Alumni, Garswood Stags, Leeds and Optimum Sports and brought over as much as I can.

“Luke Srama, a good friend in Australia, is helping me out on promoting the scheme and getting some kit shipped over from there. It’s all self-funded, like so much of the development work that goes on in the game, but it’s been brilliant. The beauty of Africa is that so many nations seem to be accelerating at the same pace, which is great for the sport.”

Sara Giwa-McNeil commented: “We continue to be delighted with how well rugby league is being received in Ghana. Being of mixed Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage, it’s an honour and privilege to see the impact that our sponsorship is having on the game.”

GHANA 20-MEN SQUAD

John Bless Mensah, Jonas Moorkaar (Accra Panthers); William Pearce-Biney, Jordan Annan, David Nartey, Richard Amevor, Nana Kwesi Boateng, Chris Da Gama, Michael Quaye, Yakubu Mohammed, Riddick Alibah, Emmanuel Acheampong (Ghana Skolars); Oliver Puman, Anthony Agbemenu, Jonathan Adotey (Nungua Tigers); Akuamoah-Boateng Kwasi, Collins Ofosu, Martin Oko Buabeng, Nigel Sackey, Desmond Geotrah (Bulls RLFC).

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

First rugby league Origin clash played in Germany

RUGBY LEAGUE DEUTSCHLAND – PRESS RELEASE

For immediate distribution

Date: 21.09.2021

Contact: Bob Doughton | Doughton

SÜD WIN FIRST-EVER GERMANORIGIN MATCH

In a trial for their forthcoming Griffin Cup Test match with Netherlands in Dusseldorf on 2 October, the first GermanOrigin match saw Süd defeat Nord 36-16 at the BSC 1899 Club in Offenbach.

In a rare concept in the country, the selection demarcation was along the so-called Uerdinger Line, pitching the nine northernmost federal states against the seven southern ones, which also included two that lie in the south of the former East Germany.

“It was a great game, played in a very positive spirit and really well refereed,” commented new NRLD director of performance Andy Hay, who was also coach of the victorious ‘Golds.’ “Our power and experience proved too much for the much younger Reds team, who never gave up and started a comeback rally in the last 10 minutes of the match,” he added. “There were a lot of positives out there today.”

“The great thing is that you can only play for the state where you were born or where you first registered as a resident if you originate from outside of Germany. So we had lads playing against their club teammates for the first time, which gave it a new dimension.”

NRLD president Bob Doughton, coach of the Nord team, was excited by the future prospects for this fixture. “It is fantastic to see how the lads have embraced the concept of a North v South challenge match – something which is new to the sporting scene in Germany – and I can see that we have established the roots of what is going to become a major tradition. Congratulations to everyone who took part in this momentous match – GermanOrigin 1!” he stated. “Andy and I now have the difficult task of selecting our squad for the upcoming Griffin Cup match against the Netherlands in two weeks’ time.”

“Following what I have seen here, I think that we can go into the Test with the confidence that we can bring the trophy back to Germany,” observed Hay. “I am really looking forward to working with the 30-man squad.”

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

Suite of rugby league international fixtures confirmed

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 16 September, 2021

SUITE OF RUGBY LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES CONFIRMED

Eight nations across ten men’s, women’s and wheelchair fixtures are set to meet this autumn, in a programme of northern hemisphere rugby league Test matches during October and November.

The action kicks off on Saturday 2 October with the annual men’s Griffin Cup clash between Germany and Netherlands in Dusseldorf, a repeat of the only international rugby league contest played in 2020 due to Covid-19, which the Netherlands won 20-18 in Zwolle.

On Friday 15 October, Jamaica’s men will face England Knights at Castleford in Jordan Turner’s testimonial match, with the Reggae Warriors – who have qualified for next year’s World Cup for the first time – then taking on Scotland the following Sunday at Featherstone’s Millennium Stadium.

The day before, on Saturday 23 October, in a double-header at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan, France’s men and women will clash with England.

The two nations will also meet in wheelchair Test matches, both at Medway Park in Gillingham, on Wednesday 10 November and again the following Saturday. Their last meeting was a two Test series in France in 2019, England inflicting a first-ever home defeat on the reigning World Champions in Apt, with the series being drawn.

Wales host two wheelchair matches, against Ireland on Saturday 16 October and Scotland a fortnight later at Glyndwr University, Wrexham, having recently met both in the Celtic Cup.

Wales women will make history when they play their first home Test at Colwyn Bay against Ireland on Sunday 17 October, who are on debut.

Chair of the Rugby Football League, Simon Johnson, noted: “It has been a priority to secure competitive international fixtures for our three England teams – men’s, women’s and wheelchair – this autumn as they refocus on the Rugby League World Cup in 2022. With French Rugby League on a high following the success of Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique this season, and their wheelchair team the reigning world champions, we are delighted to have arranged these fixtures and we thank Luc Lacoste and his team for confirming them. We are also delighted that our Knights side will receive a competitive outing, providing important opposition for Jamaica in their World Cup preparations and also supporting Jordan Turner’s testimonial.”

France head coach Laurent Frayssinous said: “We are excited about playing a strong nation like England. During our last get together, I could feel the investment of all the players at the prospect. The players of Catalans and Toulouse have had tremendous seasons and want to take their form into the men’s match. For both our teams, this is a first step to the World Cup and is an excellent opportunity for the fans to make the Stade Gilbert Brutus a hostile atmosphere for our rivals.”

Jamaica coach Jermaine Coleman commented: “We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to play two games and spend some time together as a group. The England Knights game will be special to celebrate the achievements of Jordan and his career so far. The Scotland Test is a fantastic chance for us to measure our progress against a seasoned international team. That will be a great challenge that we are all looking forward to.”

Ollie Cruickshank, Scotland RL operations director, confirmed: “Following the delay of the World Cup we are looking forward to playing our first men’s international match since 2019 and our first senior Test against Jamaica. Wheelchair head coach Mark Roughsedge can’t wait to get his side back together again.”

Wales RL CEO Gareth Kear is keen to see more history made. “Wales Rugby League has put a large focus on equality and we are delighted to see our women’s team play their first fixture at home, and to build on the efforts that have gone into the women’s game during 2021. We’ve been working closely with our friends at Rugby League Ireland and are thrilled that the co-operation between us includes being able to play them in their first match. We’re equally excited to see our wheelchair side build on their Celtic Cup victory earlier this year and seeing them continue go from strength to strength.”

Jim Reynolds, president of RL Ireland, is especially looking forward to the launch of the national women’s team. “After completing our first women’s domestic competition in 2021 and trials thereafter, we can’t wait for the Ireland women’s team debut and break new ground for the sport here. We’re also very much looking forward to seeing our wheelchair side in action and building on their sensational victory over Scotland earlier this year.”

Germany president Bob Doughton said: “The Griffin Cup clash has become a well-established part of the rugby league calendar in Europe and is a fine example of nations working together for all to prosper.”

Matt Rigby, Netherlands’ team manager, added: “The match is a great occasion for both nations but also the respective governing bodies to work together and continue our relationship and mutual development. It will be our only international before we head out to Turkey for Euro D and we are excited to see how our players go.”

AUTUMN TEST FIXTURES

Men

Germany v Netherlands (Düsseldorf Rugby Club, Düsseldorf) – Saturday 2nd October – KO 16.00

Jamaica v England Knights (Wheldon Road, Castleford) – Friday 15th October – KO 19.00

France v England (Stade Brutus, Perpignan) – Saturday 23rd October – KO 16.30 CET / 15.30 UK

Jamaica v Scotland (Millennium Stadium, Featherstone) – Sunday 24th October – KO 15.00

Women

Wales v Ireland (Colwyn Bay) – Sunday 17th October – KO TBC

France v England (Stade Brutus, Perpignan) – Saturday 23rd October – KO 14.00 CET / 13.00 UK

Wheelchair

Wales v Ireland (venue TBC) – Saturday 16th October – KO TBC

Wales v Scotland (Glyndwr University, Wrexham) – Saturday 30th October – KO 12.45

England v France (Medway Park, Gillingham) – Wednesday 10th November – KO 19.30
England v France (Medway Park, Gillingham) – Saturday 13th November – KO 18.00

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

10 September, 2021 07:09

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 10 September, 2021

ERL LAUNCHES MEN’S AND WOMEN’S EUROPEAN BEACH RUGBY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

In a bold new initiative, European Rugby League (ERL) has sanctioned the launch of the first official European Beach Rugby League Championships for men and women, which will be held in Turkey in the summer of 2022.

ERL is partnering with Turkish agency Melonise in the delivery of the inaugural tournaments, and they will also lead on the commercial side for the project. As the championships grow, the ERL and Melonise plan to expand the annual tournament to a series of city events.

Negotiations are currently on-going with Turkish cities and venues for the 2022 championship, with more details to be announced soon.

ERL board member, Paul Nicholson, commented: “The European Beach Rugby League Championship is an exciting concept, and we hope our federations will embrace the opportunity as we seek to build a new series of European Rugby League events.

“These have obviously been difficult times, not helped by the disappointing late postponement of the Rugby League World Cup, which has impacted our calendar significantly, However, it has not changed the desire or commitment of our federations to develop the sport in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Nicholson added: “In that regard, we unveil the European Beach Rugby League Championships and look forward to welcoming new media and commercial partners to our sport. We are confident that with our Turkish partners we will deliver a spectacular and positive addition to the rugby league schedule.”

The Turkish Rugby League Association (TRLA) has run a number of Beach Rugby tournaments for club sides, most recently in July in Kadikoy, Istanbul and is hosting European Championship D in October – featuring Turkey, Malta, Ukraine and Netherlands – in Bodrum.

Gurol Yildiz, president of the TRLA and a director of Melonise, said: “Our Beach Rugby League events have been a great success and attracted international club participation. We are proud to be able to bring the first official European Beach Rugby League Championship to our country in 2022.”

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

European Rugby League releases new four year strategy document

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 8 September, 2021

EUROPEAN RUGBY LEAGUE RELEASES NEW FOUR-YEAR STRATEGY DOCUMENT

European Rugby League (ERL) has released its new strategy document coving the period from 2021 to the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, which has been bid for by France. The plan aims to continue to build on the growth of the sport that has taken place in the regions under its stewardship in recent years, whose members make up over three-quarters of rugby league playing nations globally.

The strategy has three key themes, competition structure; developing and enhancing membership; and improving overall governance standards, summarised as follows:

  • Competitions – Deliver an inclusive competition framework which will cater for the needs of all nations and their variety of teams, with a focus on profitability and visibility.
  • Developing Members – Facilitate the growth and sustainability of members with the aim of increasing the number of affiliate and full members of ERL.
  • Organisational Excellence – To be recognised as the leading confederation in international rugby league and manage in a sustainable and value-led manner.

Each of those over-arching goals has four strategic objectives contained within them, which will drive the focus, prioritisation of resources and efforts of the organisation over the cycle.

ERL general manager, David Butler, commented: “We are pleased to be launching our new strategy and vision and to be able to demonstrate the direction that European Rugby League intends to take to continue to move forward. Our members have had their say in the development of the strategy over an extended period begun in 2019, and we will strive to enable further growth and improvement, and act as a positive influence upon all those involved.”

The European Rugby League 2021–2025 Strategy can be download by clicking here.

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

Competitive rugby league returns to Germany

RUGBY LEAGUE DEUTSCHLAND – PRESS RELEASE

For immediate distribution

Date: 2 September, 2021

Contact: Bob Doughton | Doughton

COMPETITIVE RUGBY LEAGUE RETURNS TO GERMANY

Under the watchful eye of newly appointed NRLD performance director Andy Hay, and for the first time in two seasons because of the pandemic, domestic rugby league returned to Germany at the BSC 1899 Club in Offenbach.

The match was between select sides the Rhinos and Silverbacks for the CooperCup – named after the founder of rugby league in Germany, Simon Cooper, who sadly passed away in 2020 – with the Rhinos taking the spoils 20-16; Silverback’s Christophe Ngondi scoring a hat-trick of tries in his very first game.

“It was great to see players turn up from – literally – all the corners of Germany to support this event,” commented NRLD president Bob Doughton. “We welcomed those who live near the Polish, Swiss, Austrian, Czech and Dutch borders, as well as some from around the corner!”

It gave former Great Britain international Hay the chance to see the players in action for the first time. “There were some fine performances and there is a lot of talent to work with,” he noted. “I am really looking forward to helping the lads get some rapid improvements before we face the Netherlands in October in the Griffin Cup.”

Before that there will be the inaugural GermanOrigin match, where the North will take on the South, with places up for grabs in the national squad.

(Pic – Andy Hay presenting the CooperCup trophy to Rhinos’ captain Mawuli Améfia)

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

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E: phil.caplan

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