Further to a board meeting of the LRLF, president Mohamad Habbous has commented: “On the back of a successful World Cup campaign - and year generally - we are looking forward to ushering in an exciting new era. For the first time in its 17-year history the LRLF is debt free, meaning that we have stability to grow through the next period.

 He added: “We have a strong stable of committed sponsors who believe in our mission; to positively impact Lebanon’s civil society through its citizens. We acknowledge that there is a lot of work to do with our structure and we have reached out to all our stakeholders to discuss the future.

 “It is also my intention not to stand for re-election as president later this year. I have been involved with Lebanese rugby league since its inception in the country and, prior to the World Cup, I had taken this decision with my family. I am happy to have given everything for this sport and watch it grow to what it is today.”

 Habbous continued: “I will look back and be proud of what we have accomplished at the LRLF, especially with all the headwinds Lebanon has faced over the years. But I look forward to the future even more: Lebanese rugby league has even more potential to grow and become an increasingly important sport in the country.”

 Governance reform will feature as part of a new four-year strategy which will introduce amendments to the federation’s operating structure including new membership requirements, performance related funding packages and compliance, to ensure better organised and structured community clubs.

 The appointment of a new technical team including a head coach and a performance director – who will be responsible for preparing all junior representatives teams, including targeting qualification for the U19 European Championship in 2020 – is also underway.