See....this is why many of the people that comment on the international section are seen as fruit loops.



There are no Rugby League clubs in Italy, and yet here you have someone going on about Italian Rugby League.

They see a few union players having a slap and tickle try at the game. Maybe it was a bunch of blokes from Sydney who used it as a trip to see where their Grandparents lived many years ago....I don't know and I don't really care.


The fact is, they don;t play Rugby League in Italy. You can believe in fairy tales all you like, but don't expect the grownups here to listen to your bullsh*t and not respond.

Not many, just a select few, of which you seem to be making a claim to be captain.



Italy are playing in the European Cup. Look at the title of the thread. You're the duck egg bringing up Italian clubs. Making yourself look even dafter by then saying they don't exist.
I wouldn't bring up leprechauns and fairies... cos they don't exist.



Didn't rugby league start in the colonies when a few union players had a go? Wasn't rugby league first played in almost every country by union players at the start?



You're right. The game in Padova on 17th October against Scotland will be a figment of our imagination.

Um...no. The game of Rugb y League was started with the formation of clubs you idiot.

geez, he doesnt even know the most basic history of this game!



There are no Rugby League clubs in italy. Its all bullsh*t.

Interesting debate guys being actually played?

According to the RLEF, to become an associate member you need to fufill, amongst others, 2 key criteria:
1. a domestic comp
2. a junior development policy

To my knowledge:

we have:

England
Russia
France

fulfilling this criteria -

also Wales
Scotland
Ireland
Serbia
Lebanon

And that is IT!

Catalunya started to run a domestic 9team comp in 2009 - it was relatively easy to implement given the structure of the Spanish/Catalan sporting organisation - clubs are multi-sport hubs - benfiting from numerous members and great facilities - all having a RU section, they opened a RL section once the Rahrah season has finished

Czech Republic and Germany are implementing some actions to spread the gospel amongst the youth -

But unfortunately, what people calls a "country playing RL" is most of the time, a single bloke with the best will in the world trying to gather players with more or less connection with the relevant country on sporadic occasions - and this is the case for Italy - unfortunately

I am more than happy to be proven wrong and be brought evidence of Local domestic comps elsewhere - I mean regular fixtures not one day events

Thanks

case 1. "My Grand Ma was Italian!" You're in! "Never been there - don't speak Italian "- Don't matter - you're in!
case 2 "I bought a house near Venice "- you're in!
case 3 "I just bought a Fiat" you're in!
etc...

Case 1 on and 2 are true! Heritage rule + residency rule!

The rugby league competition started before the rugby union season had finished.



Sadly this happens in many sports.

Catalancs, Thank you for the information -

So, the season started in Catalunya before RU has finished!
That is good that they could achieve it - did it clash with RU?

To follow up on your despised comments:
The fact that once or twice a year, someone pulls together a dozen of guys with more or less connection with the country to prentend the game is played ther is simply foolish.

We are fooling ourselves meanwhile the long, hard and patient development work is not done and the roots are not laid!

RU is miles in advance over RL in Europe. Not to mention other popular team sports...

No worries. There were a couple of clashes with the rugby union, but games of both codes were rearranged to accomdate the other.
All the teams that took part in this year's competition have asked to take part next year.

[[iquote]Rugby league is a a minority sport that is only just starting out in some of the few European countries were it is played.
[/i
Agreed! It is just interesting to see how the RFL/RLEF market this with grandiloquent emphasis FACT

Since the RFL is investing money - I guess - I would wonder if the Ratio £ invested vs. hours of RL played by new people is good value!

Try that again. I genuinely can't make head nor tale of it.

I simply don't care what some pom trying his hardest to pretend there are a heap of European countries says about places where they don't play Rugby League!



If a country has Rugby league clubs, then they play the game. If they don't, then its just union players wasting everyone time and fooling easily led idiots.

Sorry Catalancs

I was saying that if we consider RL being a minority sport - or nearly not existent in the majority of european countries, one could question the spin made about it

I am talking about 20 blokes playing in a field -with the best intentions in the world -and called after a country without the approval of their government, nor a genuine selection process for the so called representative side.

Then I also questionned the effectiveness of the funds invested in European development?

No worries and I can see what you're saying.

I can't comment on many of the countries that reportedly play rugby league.
As far as Catalonia goes the funding they have received has been minimal. The have their own association, a league and board of selectors.
The selection process for this summer's Euro Med Cup was carried out over the course of the season with the top 50 or so being invited to a weekend training camp in Barcelona. From there the final squad was chosen.

Hopefully players with professional experience will make themselves available and strengthen the team. While NRL players like Campese and Laffranchi will be in the frame for Kangaroo selection, others would do a good job, like
* the Minichiello brothers (fullback/standoff Anthony and lock Mark),
* Paul Franze Chris Nero (centre),
* Grant Rovelli (halves/hooker),
* Rocky Trimarchi (hooker),
* Cameron Ciraldo (backrower)
and more

FWIW Italy RU also recruit foreigners. The current 30 man Italian test Rugby Union squad contains 12 foreign born and bred players (more than a third) - 5 Argentinians, 2 Australians, 2 NZers, 2 South Africans and a Frenchman. One of those Australians is former League star Craig Gower.

The Observer -

This exactly what we are talking about -

We can look at all NRL team sheets and pick all the Italian sounding names (you could do that in France too) -
We can have a team that might even win the comp -

And still have not a single club/organisation based in Italy -

We are just simply fooling ourselves -

Not to mention the fact that this is Illegal, since I do not think that the Italian government has approved a team bearing it's name...

-like most other European countries trying to "play" league actually!