From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Czech Republic National Rugby League Team were established to continue the spread of the game of rugby league throughout Central Europe. The team has competed in a number of competitions and hosted the Slavic Cup in 2006. The Czech's European ranking in 2007 has risen from 15th in 2006 to 12th in 2007 according to the Rugby League European Federation rankings.

History

The Czech Association of Rugby League (CZARL) began life in early 2006, under the guidance of former Czech rugby union international Milan Mrtýnek and Englishman Iain Sellers. After seeing a professional rugby league game in England, and eager to give the sport a try, Mrtýnek and Sellers contacted Jan Sluka, a Czech who had played rugby league in Ireland, and began to put a squad together.

The squad's first training session, in February 2006, was held in an indoor basketball hall because of an extremely fierce Czech winter. From these modest beginnings, the Czech team, with support from the Rugby League European Federation, went on to play four full games in their debut season.

Perhaps inevitably, given the unfamiliarity of the game, the Czech Republic lost all four matches, but the margins of defeat were surprisingly narrow. The Czechs played their first two games against the touring British Student Pioneers team. A 29-8 loss in Prague was followed by a more encouraging 34-22 defeat in Olomouc.

This was followed by the first away trip to Rotterdam to face the Netherlands Tasman team, where the newcomers were narrowly defeated 34-28. In their final game of the season, also in Prague, the Czechs were beaten 36-28 by Serbia, in the inaugural "Slavic Cup" match between the two countries.

In 2007 The Czech Republic played in the European Shield tournament against the Germans and Serbians. This saw them travel to Belgrade to play Serbia and Germany traveled to Prague. Both games were lost. The Serbia game doubles again as a Slavic Cup match. In 2008 the Czech team will once again compete in the European Shield along with Italy and Germany, with a domestic competition in u16, u18 and Senior level.

National team

The following is a summary of tournaments and results for the Czech Republic National Rugby League Team.

Results

2006

The year 2006 saw the inaugural entrance of the Czech Rugby League team. Playing two games against the Dutch team Netherlands Tasman . This was a close and competitive match with against a team that is competing for a place in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. The Czech's eventually going down by a converted try 34-28. Also in 2006 was the establishing of the annual Slavic Cup tournament, contested by the Czech's and Serbia. Serbia were the inaugural winners 38-26 in what was also a close match.

OTHER

• Netherlands Tasman 34-28 Czech Republic - (4 August 2006)

SLAVIC CUP

• Czech Republic 26-38 Serbia - (12 August 2006)

In all the first year of international competition for the Czech's was deemed a success.

2007

In 2007 the Czech's saw them enter into the European Shield tri-nations tournament. This was the successor to the central development tournament the previous year that had Germany, Austria and Estonia. The European shield is seen to be part of a multi level (tier) structure of tournaments that teams will be promoted and relegated in. The Czechs had to face the Serbians and Germans in this years tournament and were looking to get some revenge on the Serbian team from the previous years loss. The Serbian game would also dub as the Slavic Cup game.

Alas this was not to be the Czech's year. Despite some fantastic play in offence in both games the battle hardened Serbians who had just come off a World Cup campaign and Germans proved a bit too strong. Still it showed that the seeds in the Czech Republic have taken hold and they will have a good core of young players to call upon in the coming years. The first game against the Germans was on home soil and Germany just having had a stinging loss to the Serbs were out to make amends and some valuable points. The Czechs after having a strong lead in the first half went into the half down by 6 points. In the second half the Germans experience came through and they ran away with the win 44-22. The next match was in Belgrade against the Serbians who showed why they were in World Cup contention. With and early try to the Czech's, the Serbians then muscled up in defence and moved the ball in attack to use their advantage. With the win secured the Serbians not only took away the European shield but also the Slavic Cup.

EUROPEAN SHIELD

• Czech Republic 22-44 Germany - Prague Czech Rep. - (4 August 2007)
• Serbia 56-16 Czech Republic - Belgrade Serbia - (18 August 2007)

• Other European Shield game: Germany 06-38 Serbia - Heidelberg Germany - (7 July 2007)

SLAVIC CUP

• Serbia 56-16 Czech Republic - Belgrade Serbia - (18 August 2007)

2008

The Rugby League European Federation recently announced the fixtures for the 2008 European Shield Tri Series. This tournament once again features the Czech Republic along with Germany and newcomers Italy. Last year's winners, Serbia, have been promoted into the European Med Cup with Lebanon and Russia.

The Czech republic are looking to go two steps better this year, to get a maiden win in international competition and one over local international derby rivals Germany. With the advent of regular touring teams to Prague and Berouin and also a junior structure there is much confidence in the Czechs becoming a local force to be reckoned with this year and the coming years.

EUROPEAN SHIELD

• Italy 58-26 Germany - Padova Italy - (13 June 2008)
• Czech Rep. 18-38 Italy - Prague Czech Rep. - (12 July 2008)
• Germany 62-20 Czech Rep. - Karlsruhe Germany - (2 August 2008)

2009

The Czech Rugby League Association announced a 20 man squad and traveling party selected from four of the sides that competed in the inaugural domestic Championship to form a ‘Czech President's XIII’ to play a European Tour. The tour commenced with a game against Catalonia, then to European Shield matches against Germany at home in Olomouc on the 4th of July and in Padova against Italy national rugby league team a week later.^[1]

The first match took place at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona as a curtain raiser to the engage Super League Round 17 clash between Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves, which attracted a crowd of 18,150.^[2] Over 3,000 watched the international at kick-off, and the crowd grew steadily through the game.

The first match of the 2009 European Shield was played between Germany and the Czech Republic in Olomouc. Before a home crowd, the Czech team came away with their first international win.^[3] They subsequently lost to eventual champions Italy, but the win over Germany was enough to earn second place in the tournament.

EUROPEAN SHIELD

• Czech Rep 30-4 Germany - Olomouc - (4 July 2009)
• Italy 38-8 Czech Rep. - Padova - (11 July 2009)
• Germany 30-42 Italy - Hurth - (18 July 2009)

Tour Matches

There have been several touring sides that have been on development tours to the Czech Republic.

2006

• Czech Rep. XIII 08-29 British Students - Prague Czech Rep. - (9 July 2006)
• Czech Rep. XIII 22-34 British Students - Olomouc Czech Rep. - (16 July 2006)

2007

• Czech Rep. XIII 18-64 Shaw Cross Sharks - Prague Czech Rep. - (27 April 2007)
• Czech Rep. XIII 10-22 Crigglestone All Blacks - Olomouc Czech Rep. - (5 May 2007)
• Czech Rep. XIII 10-68 British Police - Beroun Czech Rep. - (23 May 2007)

2008

• TBA

See also

• http://www.czechrugbyleague.com/
• Rugby league in Czech Republic

References