U16 Euro Cup

[langpark]

Here are the details from the RLEF site:

EUROPEAN UNDER 16s

Details have been released for the inaugural European RL under 16’s tournament which will take place at the end of June.
In another first for the sport, the matches will be hosted by the Serbian Rugby League, in Belgrade.
Six teams will contest the trophy, including the ’European Celts’ which will be made up primarily of youngsters from Wales and the Czech Republic; the Welsh Rugby League having offered to help out new nations developing the code.
All the games will be played at Stadium Ada Ciganlija in the Serbian capital.
The full draw and schedule is as follows:

GROUP 1:
England
Russia
Serbia
GROUP 2:
France
Scotland
European Celts

FIXTURES
Wednesday June 27th:
Russia V Serbia
Scotland V European Celts

Friday June 29th:
Serbia V England
European Celts V France

Sunday July 1st:
England V Russia
France V Scotland

Tuesday July 3rd:
Finals Day
1st Group 1 V 1st Group 2
2nd Group 1 V 2nd Group 2
3rd Group 1 V 3rd Group 2

Meanwhile; in Montpellier, a crowd of over 1,200 saw a young France B beat the Maroc Lions 18-8 after the sides had been level 6-all at the break. Morroccan second rower Ilyass Lamarti was voted man of the match but he was unable to prevent a late French victory onslaught fashioned by the breaks of excellent loose forward Yvan Fontes.

http://www.rlef.eu.com/newsstory.php?id=293

Interesting how there'll be a combined Welsh and Czech side. I assume there'll only be a few Czech players thoough, with most of the team being Welsh. It's still a good idea, coz some Czech players will get some benefit out of this tournament, while still being competitive (hopefully).

 

[brendothejet]

More great stuff coming out of europe.

Keep going guys and the fruit of your labours will flourish even more!

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

Looks awesome. Great to see it played in serbia.

 

[roopy]

Under 16s tournaments here have scouts for clubs hiding under every rock. I can see every ESL club having a scout at this tournament, which means it is a chance of a lifetime for Russian and Serbian kids.

 

[YANTO]

More great stuff coming out of europe.

Keep going guys and the fruit of your labours will flourish even more!

Dont want to burst the bubble BUT......

England.
France
Russia
Scotland
Serbia
Chez/Wales combination


Where are

Germany
Italy
Holland
Estonia
Georgia
Malta
Greece
Portugal
Ireland
Morroco
Lebanon
Norway

Of course all these nationa are ASSOCIATE members of the RLEF ( or at least Links on the RLEF website) but how many have
1) Been invited
2) Can afford it
3) Have the structure to put out an under 16 team.


I bet my last doller (Euro) that half or 75% of the countries listed above know nothing of this competition.

RLEF is an INCLUSIVE club

Enough said.

 

[brendothejet]

hey Yanto, nice to see you back.

I was wearing my Holland jersey at work the other day and the 1994 Dutch Rugby Union captain came into work. he was stunned to find they had a league team!

Hope all is travelling well over there mate!

 

[langpark]

Dont want to burst the bubble BUT......

England.
France
Russia
Scotland
Serbia
Chez/Wales combination


Where are

Germany
Italy
Holland
Estonia
Georgia
Malta
Greece
Portugal
Ireland
Morroco
Lebanon
Norway

Of course all these nationa are ASSOCIATE members of the RLEF ( or at least Links on the RLEF website) but how many have
1) Been invited
2) Can afford it
3) Have the structure to put out an under 16 team.


I bet my last doller (Euro) that half or 75% of the countries listed above know nothing of this competition.

RLEF is an INCLUSIVE club

Enough said.

the last thing you'd wanna do is rush teams in and they get slaughtered.

If this comp is held every 4 years, i can see Ireland and Lebanon having a good chance of being at the next one, then in another 4 years hopefully teams like Malta, Italy and Greece. Hopefully more. But for now i think 6 teams is a great start.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

i would like this concept to be an annual event... think about it, if its U16... 13yos, now, will be 17 by the time of the next cup... so whats the point?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Good stuff.

Should be every year in a different League playing country adding new members as they progress.

 

[magpie_man]

i would like this concept to be an annual event... think about it, if its U16... 13yos, now, will be 17 by the time of the next cup... so whats the point?

Good point.

 

[jvujosevic]

Dont want to burst the bubble BUT......

England.
France
Russia
Scotland
Serbia
Chez/Wales combination


Where are

Germany
Italy
Holland
Estonia
Georgia
Malta
Greece
Portugal
Ireland
Morroco
Lebanon
Norway

Of course all these nationa are ASSOCIATE members of the RLEF ( or at least Links on the RLEF website) but how many have
1) Been invited
2) Can afford it
3) Have the structure to put out an under 16 team.


I bet my last doller (Euro) that half or 75% of the countries listed above know nothing of this competition.

RLEF is an INCLUSIVE club

Enough said.

No comment :roll:

 

[Kurt Angle]

Yah, you can't have an u16 euro cup every 4 years.

Annually, or every 2 years at the most.

You would then have the winner face the winner of NZ vs Australia.

 

[roopy]

It has to be yearly.
I think a better format would be all the ESL sides put in teams as well as national sides from as many nations as want to send teams.
If all the ESL clubs chipped in 10k or so towards putting on this tournament they would possibly pick up a future firstgrader each - and 10k is nothing for that chance.
I could see the same thing in the southern hemisphere - adding the pacific islands to the Harold Mathews comp for instance would turn up a dozen future firstgraders a year for the cost of putting up 5 islander teams of 16 year olds in sydney for a month or two - cheap.

 

[NK Arsenal]

There's a European comp now?

 

[couerdelion]

the last thing you'd wanna do is rush teams in and they get slaughtered.

If this comp is held every 4 years, i can see Ireland and Lebanon having a good chance of being at the next one, then in another 4 years hopefully teams like Malta, Italy and Greece. Hopefully more. But for now i think 6 teams is a great start.

AFAIK Ireland doesn't have any competition for schoolboys. It's all union over here.

The Celts team is Wales/Czech and Ireland, although there is only one Irish schoolboy on the squad, Peter Carr, and he plays for a senior side, the North Dublin Eagles (A fair achievement at 15!)

This year an u18's competition has commenced and I think 4 teams have been formed.

I know my own club are looking into getting one together for next year but it's hard to recruit enough players. GAA is the major summer sport.

 

[Der Kaiser]

Sadly for Germany we cant send any kids even in the European celtic side as the kids are still at School at this time and it wouldnt be a very good idea especially as many 15 & 16 year old kids are busy studying for exams or taking them. This also wouldnt go down well with the Education Authorities in Germany who dont like people taking kids out of School for any reason. Maybe other Nations have similar problems.

Also we dont have any kids really playing at U16 level. The Kids in Heidelberg that learn Rugby League are for the most part under 10s and the same for the Kids I teach at the bavarian International School and due to insurance issues at the moment i teach Touch whilst giving them NRL and SL DVDs. A U16s workshop will commence in Bad Reichenhall for the first time later in the European Summer but even then the players wont be playing too Much but rather learning the basics of passing and tackling as they virtually have no idea of any form of Rugby.

Sending U16s to a Competition must be thought through properly as it could cause a major problem if you get a guy with virtually no experience playing against somebody who plays at a good decent standard each week. The inexperienced player could suffer a neck injury for example. I would rather get players properly trained instead of just sending some poor bastard to please people to say germany was represnted.

Its the same in Open Age Level. To put forward a German Amateur team who in the unlikely event qualified and play against a Welsh Side who have a number of Full Time Pros as well as many part time pros could result in a German Player who has little experience of playing League getting seriously hurt. We feel that by working with people more at our level is better-The Czechs, Serbians for example and the british Army Regiments based in Germany. The British Army are fast and Strong but also dont field their strongest side so there are no real blow out scores. A number of the Army guys are Union players as well and so can help educate our German Union players and help them understand the differances and the problems they have. We also have a couple of players that also are handball players and another Couple who play American Football which is very popular in the Rhineland and Frankfurt/Heidelberg areas of Germany

 

[YANTO]

the last thing you'd wanna do is rush teams in and they get slaughtered.

If this comp is held every 4 years, i can see Ireland and Lebanon having a good chance of being at the next one, then in another 4 years hopefully teams like Malta, Italy and Greece. Hopefully more. But for now i think 6 teams is a great start.

Im not rubbishing the comp.
Last time it was held in Russia,something like the same line up.

It's great getting all the senior teams playing World cups and European games but is it not the plan to get age groups at international level?

At the moment how can the game justify a combination team (Wales & Czech) and sustain credability??


England
France,
Russia
Scotland

These nations have been around for the best part of 20 years.

Serbia great stuff they seem to have an idea of development.

Wales .......FFS they can get an under 16 team (squad) out on their own going by their development.So why join with Czech?

Is this another RLEF pushing a developing nation (Czech) to far to early???

Celtic Crusaders are planning for Super League yet the Welsh want to (have been asked to) combine with Czech Republic????????????????

That is not a Super League Franchise in 2009 when they combine at under 16 two years earlier.

Look where Georgia (no matter what folks think they were a very very good League side and with support could have been a major force) and Holland have gone.

Germany,Estonia,Austria are ten years behind.
Czech Republic are the next team to come through BUT only if they are supported.

Jovan Im not knocking Serbia.....you have done fantastic...(despite 3-0 to Holland ;-) JOKING MATE ) Im worried about how the RLEF see development and are once again pushing teams before they are ready.

Looks good to have a European development BUT...............................................Is it really development or just jumping from nation to nation with no real plan??


Jovan
Send me a private email you have my contact.

 

[couerdelion]

Im not rubbishing the comp.
Last time it was held in Russia,something like the same line up.

It's great getting all the senior teams playing World cups and European games but is it not the plan to get age groups at international level?

At the moment how can the game justify a combination team (Wales & Czech) and sustain credability??


England
France,
Russia
Scotland

These nations have been around for the best part of 20 years.

Serbia great stuff they seem to have an idea of development.

Wales .......FFS they can get an under 16 team (squad) out on their own going by their development.So why join with Czech?

Is this another RLEF pushing a developing nation (Czech) to far to early???

Celtic Crusaders are planning for Super League yet the Welsh want to (have been asked to) combine with Czech Republic????????????????

That is not a Super League Franchise in 2009 when they combine at under 16 two years earlier.

Look where Georgia (no matter what folks think they were a very very good League side and with support could have been a major force) and Holland have gone.

Germany,Estonia,Austria are ten years behind.
Czech Republic are the next team to come through BUT only if they are supported.

Jovan Im not knocking Serbia.....you have done fantastic...(despite 3-0 to Holland ;-) JOKING MATE ) Im worried about how the RLEF see development and are once again pushing teams before they are ready.

Looks good to have a European development BUT...............................................Is it really development or just jumping from nation to nation with no real plan??


Jovan
Send me a private email you have my contact.

Yanto, I can see your point regarding credibility for a welsh side combing with other nations. However from an Irish prospective it's a good thing. We would have no chance of fielding a side as afiak know there is only one Irish resident u16 with any league experience (and that's only from this season).

He's know going to Serbia with the combined side. We can use this as positive press to get more youngsters involved and maybe even look to setting up an u16 competition in a couple of years time. With out this 'spark' to ignite interest then the game at that level would never be looked at. Hopefully those in a position to do so will now look at forming younger competitions.

 

[YANTO]

Yanto, I can see your point regarding credibility for a welsh side combing with other nations. However from an Irish prospective it's a good thing. We would have no chance of fielding a side as afiak know there is only one Irish resident u16 with any league experience (and that's only from this season).

He's know going to Serbia with the combined side. We can use this as positive press to get more youngsters involved and maybe even look to setting up an u16 competition in a couple of years time. With out this 'spark' to ignite interest then the game at that level would never be looked at. Hopefully those in a position to do so will now look at forming younger competitions.

So its a Welsh/Irish/Czech combination.
In other words a RLEF team (as entered in last years Middelsex 9's).

Thats great that young Irish Kid is going to play in a top european tournament.

Why do the guys at the top not then call it a "RLEF Development Under 16"s"
Then we all know whats going on.

As ive said before LETS BE HONEST and stop the BULL>

 

[BatiFan]

Will anyone be able to provide updates on how the comp is going and who the standout players are? 1st games kick off today.