Catalunya national rugby league team

Infobox rugby league nation
Name = Catalonia
Badge =
Badge_size = 100px
Association = Associació Catalana Rugbylliga
Region = Europe
Coach = Eric Delherbe
Captain = Albert Homs
RLIF Rank = N/A
First game = flagicon|Languedoc-RoussillonLanguedoc-Roussillon 24 Catalunya 0flagicon|Catalonia Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque 26 January 2008
Largest win = No wins
Largest loss = flagicon|Catalonia Catalunya 12 Morocco 62 flagicon|Morocco Perpignan 21 June 2008

History

The Catalan national rugby league team consists of Catalan players from both sides of the Spanish-French border.Although rugby league only started in Spanish Catalonia in the autumn of 2007, the French side of the border has been playing rugby league since the 1930s.Although there are a small number of clubs playing rugby league in southern Catalunya on an ad hoc basis, including FC Barcelona, Aligots Girona and Nord-Català, there is still, as yet, no organised club competition. There are plans to begin one in the spring of 2009.

Catalonia is an unranked member of the Rugby League European Federation [http://www.rlef.eu.com/news_archive.php] , however, though their participation in some international rugby league competitions, such as the Rugby League World Cup, is open to question, since Catalonia is not a sovereign nation. There is, however, a history of non-sovereign nations taking part: the teams from the British Isles in previous world cups have either been a joint Great Britain and Ireland team, or separate teams representing England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Catalonia made their debut in January 2008, when they participated in the French Interleague Championship held near Perpignan, in France.

In April of the same year, the first domestic competition took place in southern Catalonia, the Copa Catalunya de Rugby Lliga, with FC Barcelona emerging victorious from the three-way contest. The results from the competition were:

* FC Barcelona 22-20 Aligots Girona
* Aligots Girona 24-0 Nord-Català
* Nord-Català 4-24 FC Barcelona

In their most recent match, Catalonia lost to Morocco in a match played prior to the Catalan Dragons vs Warrington Wolves Super League game. The Catalonia team included David Berthezene, who had Super League experience with the Dragons.

National Team Squad 2008

National Team Matches to Date

ee Also

*Rugby League European Federation
*French Rugby League
*Catalan Dragons

External links

* [http://www.rugbylliga.cat/ Catalan Rugby League Association]
* [http://www.rlef.eu.com/ Rugby League European Federation]