Rugby League World Cup: Greece's incredible journey to World Cup debut

[talaipwros]

Rugby League World Cup: Greece's incredible journey to World Cup debut

Rugby League World Cup 2021 - France v Greece

Venue: Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster Dates: Monday 17 October Kick-off: 19:30 BST

Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Report and highlights on BBC Sport website & app

They played matches at midnight and in secret in the Athens mountains to avoid detection by police - Greece's journey to their first Rugby League World Cup was anything but straightforward.

It was only in August, almost three years after Greece qualified, that the Greek Rugby League Federation (GRLF) was recognised by the country's government as the independent governing body for rugby league there.

Before then, the team had been banned from playing matches on home soil for several years.

"One day they'll probably write a book about us," says captain Jordan Meads.

"It's been one heck of a journey, but we wouldn't have it any other way, and we take our hats off to other emerging nations that had to join us on that journey.

"We're a few months down the track of having rugby league as a legal entity within the country and, for us, we're keen to shed that victim mentality and see rugby league develop in a country that we know will respond really well to a sport like this."

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Head coach Steve Georgallis has been at the forefront of the journey since Greece's first match in 2003.

Helping to grow rugby league in the country of his heritage has been motivated by wanting to give something back to his family; notably his father, who emigrated from Greece to Australia in the 1950s.

He confessed that he will be "quite emotional" when Greece walk out in Doncaster on Monday to make their World Cup debut against France.

IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES

Image caption,

Steve Georgallis (right) has held coaching positions with several NRL clubs in Australia

What happened?

In our conversation, Georgallis joked that it would take three weeks to tell the full story.

In 2016, the Rugby League European Federation (RLEF) voted to suspend the Hellenic Federation of Rugby League for "wilfully acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the overall governing body and international rugby league". It was later expelled.

The breakaway Greek Rugby League Association (GRLA, now the GRLF) was granted affiliate member status by the governing body of European rugby league early in 2018, allowing Greece to attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

Crucially though, the Hellenic Modern Pentathlon Federation was legally recognised as the controlling body of rugby league in Greece, not the GRLA.

Any rugby league played on Greek soil under the GRLA banner, by domestic clubs or the RLEF-endorsed national team, was forbidden. There were even occasions when police arrived to halt matches.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/63236572

ιδέα δεν ειχα

[Ίακχος]

Θα την καλύψω την πορεία της Εθνικής Ελλάδας στο παγκόσμιο κύπελλο Rugby League αλλά στο τόπικ του ράγμπι.

[panos291]

Rugby League World Cup: Greece's incredible journey to World Cup debut

Rugby League World Cup 2021 - France v Greece

Venue: Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster Dates: Monday 17 October Kick-off: 19:30 BST

Καταλαβαίνετε πως θα παει αυτο ε?

[Japetus]

Καταλαβαίνετε πως θα παει αυτο ε?

Εντάξει, δεν κυνηγάμε κάποιο τρόπαιο αλλά όχι και να παραθέτεις το ρανκιγκ μετά από μόλις 1 παιχνίδι σε όλη την ιστορία της ομάδας..

BTW, το kythera που διαφημίζουν στις φανέλες τί είναι;

[Yochanan]

ΦΑΕ ΤΗ ΣΚΟΝΗ ΜΑΣ ΒΑΝΟΥΑΤΟΥ!

GO BLUES
GO BLUES