The Belgian Rugby League Association hosted the latest stage of the joint RLEF-EU Leadership Devolution Project in Brussels led by RLEF Coaching Manager Martin Crick, and involving delegates from Belgium and the Netherlands. Following completion of the programme, which commenced in Delft, Holland, last year, nine Belgians qhave ualified as Level 1 coaches and three more - Idriss Tiogum, Mohamad Belakhdar and Seif Abdelkefi - continue to receive training for their coach educator qualification.
The Dutch tutors were on hand to gain important on-the-job training, assess the Belgian tutor-trainees and strengthen ties with their neighbours. Two of the three Dutch tutor-trainees received their tutor status, marking a major step forward in the game in the Low Countries.
Crick said: 'There was a lot of youthful enthusiasm that promises a bright future for rugby league in Belgium. The sport is still very new there and the nominated technical leaders are drawn from a varied sporting background, predominantly martial arts, but also tennis, so it is interesting to see the progress the trainee educators are making. The Dutch tutors have also clearly worked hard in the interim and their knowledge of the course and their delivery had improved markedly since Delft last April.”
Belgian Rugby League Association president Yves Michael Kazadi was pleased with the results of the programme. “I thank the Netherlands who came to support us. Collaboration is essential,” he noted. “From where we started we now have nine qualified coaches able to spread the basics of rugby league. It's important for us to continue to make small steps and continue to develop the game.”
One of the new coaches, Adam Bahemou said, “I really appreciated the amount of information we got during these two days. Coaching involves more than coming onto the field and we aim to apply it in the different clubs we are building in Brussels.”
Pictured: Martin Crick (back left) and the Dutch coach tutor corps (back row, right) look on as Belgian Level 1 coaching candidates listen to a lecture.