[urlhttp://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/09/09/02/RUGBYL_Italy.html[/url

Italy, twice winners of the Rugby League European Shield, have been drafted into the European Cup following the withdrawal of Russia.


[urlhttp://www.firl.it/[/url

What the hell is going on in Russia?

Does Italy have a club competition.

because if they dont, its just another made up side.

The Simone Franchini Nine's Tournament is a big success attracting local media and speccies. I used to live in Padova and rugby of both codes is followed keenly.
The league final was played there in June.

But do they have Rugby League clubs?

Doesnt sound like it.

Not good for Russia they need to sort themselves out. But very good for Italy to get to play yet more games this year.

Are there rugby league CLUBS.


Very simple question. Stand alone League clubs. yes or no.

No

nope

Then lets stop the bullsh*t then.

No bull$h!t here. Italy are definitely in the European Cup.

They dont play Rugby league in Italy.


A bunch of uni brow fellas from Sydney is not an international side.

Padova isn't in Sydney. Do a bit of research before you flop it out onto your keyboard.
And don't do the lazy thing of asking me to prove your point. Do your own looking.

Yeah, lets google the name of a place in Italy. Thats proof the game exists there!




No clubs.

None.

Nothing.

Lived there. Saw rugby league played with my own eyes flower.


What else have you got?

Enough said.

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 :

Let's concentrate on the definition : what does it mean a sport 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.


Despised?

Can't say to much on rugby union as I'm not a big follower of the sport and don't really know how popular it is in the different countries.
I'd be surprised if it's anything less than miles ahead of rugby league. Union is a global sport attracting big name sponsors and corporate audiences that at times come close to approaching football.
Rugby league is a a minority sport that is only just starting out in some of the few European countries were it is played.

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

"Macedonia qualified for the Euro Spoon final after a fantastic win over Lichtenstein!"
sounds like there is a massive thing going on out there?

The reality is that there is actually less than 20 people who gets to get actually a few hours of RL practice/game per year in each of those countries! 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.