European Rugby League

Rugby League European Federation
	File:Rugby league euro fed.JPG
Abbreviation	RLEF
Formation	1 January 2003; 21 years ago
Type	Sports organisation
Headquarters	Leeds, England
Region served	Europe, Africa, Middle East, North America
Membership	14
Official language	French, English
Chairman	Maurice Watkins
Parent organization	RLIF
Website	www.rlef.com

The Rugby League European Federation (RLEF) is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere.^[1] It supports the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).^[1] The RLEF "oversees and co-ordinates the development of the sport in all its member countries and those neighbouring organisations that choose to link to the RLEF".^[1] The RLEF operates several competitions, most notably the European Cup.

History

The federation was founded January 2003 following an initiative between Richard Lewis, Executive Chairman of Britain's Rugby Football League (RFL) and his French counterpart Jean Paul Ferre.^[1] The RLEF's first constitution was approved in January 2004 and the federation's first Board of Directors was elected.^[1] This first Board of Directors consisted of Jean Paul Ferre as President/Chairman and Richard Lewis as Deputy Chairman with Nigel Wood and Nicolas Larrat being the other Board members.^[1] Representatives for Morocco, Italy, Serbia, Russia, Lebanon, Ireland, Scotland and Wales attended.^[1] Russia became a full member of the RLEF, joining Britain and France, and the RLIF soon after.^[1]

At the time of its foundation, the RLEF placed a "particular emphasis on generating development funding within each country".^[1] Historically, much of the development work conducted in Europe had been funded by the RFL.^[2] Following the profitable 2008 World Cup, the RFL and RLEF prepared to bid for funds to enhance their activities.^[2]

In December 2009, Kevin Rudd, a former Scotland rugby league international, stepped down as Executive Officer of the RLEF after more than five years in the post.^[3] RLEF Chairman Richard Lewis stated that Rudd "has done an outstanding job and created a platform, structure and competitions framework that can take us into the future".^[3] Rudd was succeeded by Danny Kazandjian.^[4] Kazandjian had previously been a key figure in the establishment of rugby league in Lebanon and had led the RLEF's development drive in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions as Director of Development for the Euro-Med region.^[4]

Competitions

Competitions	Champion	Title
European Championship	Wales	7th
European Championship B	Serbia	3rd
European Championship C	Spain	1st
Balkans Cup	Greece	1st
Nordic Cup	Denmark	3rd

RLEF board

Current Board

Member	Position	Nationality
Maurice Watkins	Chairman	England
Nicolas Larrat	Vice Chairman	France
Gary Tasker	Board member	England
Jean Alain Rives	Bord member	France

Membership

Currently seven nations are full members of the federation; there are also seven associate members and six official observers. Full members are entitled to a greater proportion of voting rights and to become members of the Rugby League International Federation.

In order to become an associate member, a nation must meet the following criteria:

Implementation of a constitution and rules that commit the governing body to acting in the best interest of rugby league, throughout the whole of their country.^[1]
Production of an annual financial report.^[1]
Running a league competition with at least four teams.^[1]
Implementation of a junior development programme.^[1]
The production of a Business Development Plan outlining an organisation's future aims, including aims to find part funding for staff positions.^[1]
A communications strategy.^[1]
An administrators, match officials and coach education strategy.^[1]

The RLEF stipulates that continued associate and full membership of the federation is subject to a check every two years to ensure that the minimum criteria are still being met.^[1]

Full members

Association	National team	Founded	RLIF affiliation	RLEF affiliation
Rugby Football League	England Great Britain	1895	1948	2003
Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII	France	1934	1948	2003
Rugby League Ireland	Ireland	1988	2000	2003
Jamaica Rugby League Association	Jamaica	2004	2013	2004
Lebanese Rugby League Federation	Lebanon	2003	2012	2003
Russian Rugby League	Russia	2010	2013	2013
Scotland Rugby League	Scotland	1994	2011	2003
Serbian Rugby League	Serbia	2004	2012	2004
South African Rugby League	South Africa	1998	1998	2003
Ukrainian Federation of Rugby League	Ukraine	2008	2013	2013
Wales Rugby League	Wales	2005	2010	2010

Associate members

Association	National team	Founded
Canada Rugby League	Canada	2010
Czech Rugby League Association	Czech Republic	2005
Hellas Rugby League Federation	Greece	2003
Federazione Italiana Rugby League	Italy	2008
Latvia Rugby League	Latvia	2009
Maltese Rugby League Association	Malta	2008
Norway Rugby League	Norway	2009
Asociación Española de Rugby League	Spain	2013
USA Rugby League	United States	2011

Official observers

RLEF national team results at World Cups

Team	1954	1957	1960	1968	1970	1972	1975	1977	1985-88	1989-92	1995	2000	2008	2013	2017
Belgium	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Canada	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Czech Republic	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Denmark	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
England	-	-	-	-	-	-	2nd	-	-	-	2nd	SF	SF	SF	Q
France	2nd	Group Stage	Group Stage	2nd	Group Stage	Group Stage	Group Stage	Group Stage	Group Stage	Group Stage	Group Stage	QF	Group Stage	QF	Q
Germany	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ghana	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Great Britain	1st	2nd	1st	Group stage	2nd	1st	-	2nd	Group stage	2nd	-	-	-	-	-
Greece	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hungary	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ireland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	QF	QF	Group Stage
Italy	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage
Jamaica	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Latvia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Lebanon	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage	-	-	Q
Malta	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Morocco	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Netherlands	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nigeria	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Norway	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Palestine	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Russia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage	-	-
Saudi Arabia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Scotland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage	Group Stage	QF	Q
Serbia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sierra Leone	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
South Africa	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage	Group Stage	-	-	-
Spain	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sweden	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Trinidad and Tobago	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ukraine	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
United Arab Emirates	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
United States	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	QF
Wales	-	-	-	-	-	-	Group Stage	-	-	-	SF	SF	-	Group Stage

Official RLEF Seedings

Rank	Movement	Team
1		England
2		France
3	1	Ireland
4	1	Scotland
5	2	Wales
6		Italy
7	2	Serbia
8		Canada
9	2	Russia
10		Germany
11		Norway
12		Ukraine
13	1	Belgium
14	4	Greece
15	2	Lebanon
16	1	Malta
17		Netherlands
18	1	Denmark
19	3	Jamaica
20		Spain
21	1	Czech Republic
22	2	Sweden
23	2	South Africa
24	1	Hungary
25	2	Latvia
26		Morocco
27	NEW	Ghana
28		Trinidad and Tobago
29		United Arab Emirates

External links

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q RLEF. "Overview". Rugby League European Federation. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
^ ^a ^b Michael Fisher (2009-01-02). "RFL chief executive Nigel Wood backs Super League to flourish". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
^ ^a ^b rugbyleague.com (2009-12-18). "Euro development boss to step down". rugbyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2010-08-06.
^ ^a ^b rugbyleague.com (2010-05-21). "RLEF appoint new development exec". rugbyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2010-08-06.

[rlef-accessdate=2009-06-30-overview-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q RLEF. "Overview". Rugby League European Federation. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2009-06-30.

[Fisher02-01-09-2] Michael Fisher (2009-01-02). "RFL chief executive Nigel Wood backs Super League to flourish". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2009-07-26.

[rl.com2009-12-18-3] rugbyleague.com (2009-12-18). "Euro development boss to step down". rugbyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2010-08-06.

[rl.com2010-05-21-4] rugbyleague.com (2010-05-21). "RLEF appoint new development exec". rugbyleague.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2010-08-06.

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v t e Rugby League European Federation
Members	Full England France Ireland Italy Jamaica Lebanon Russia Serbia South Africa Ukraine Wales Affiliate Cameroon Canada Czech Republic Germany Ghana Greece Malta Morocco Netherlands Norway Nigeria Scotland Spain Turkey United States Observers Albania Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Burundi DR Congo Denmark El Salvador Ethiopia Hungary Kenya Latvia Libya Montenegro North Macedonia Palestine Poland Saudi Arabia Sierra Leone Slovakia Sweden Former Observers Catalonia Trinidad & Tobago UAE
National teams	Albania Austria Bosnia Belgium Cameroon Catalonia Czech Republic England Estonia France Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Jamaica Kenya Latvia Lebanon Malta Moldova Morocco Netherlands Nigeria Norway Portugal Russia Scotland Serbia South Africa Spain Sweden Turkey Ukraine United States Wales
Competitions	European Championship European Championship B (second tier) European Championship C (third tier) European Championship D (fourth tier) Under-19 European Championship Euro Med Challenge (defunct)