Ahead of the domestic Grand Final, which will be held in Rotterdam on 7th July, Netherlands Rugby League Bond head coach Kane Krlic has announced his 24-man squad for the nation’s upcoming internationals.
The Orange will take on Germany, also in Rotterdam, on the 1st September and head to Gothenberg on 22nd September to face Sweden.
“After winning our first Test matches in eleven years since formation by beating Germany and Sweden last year, I felt it was important to reward that group of talented players, who form the bulk of the squad,” Krlic said.
“I am really excited to not only see how much they have improved by being exposed to a higher level of domestic rugby league this season but also to see what the sprinkling of newcomers can add; it is a really young squad.”
Krilc added: “When I first took over as coach four years ago, we made a conscious decision to make the domestic competition the priority and I believe that now we have started to see the fruits of that. We are growing the game organically and not only has the player pool increased, the standard also rises each year.”
The NRLB Grand Final will see Amsterdam Cobras take on Den Haag Knights, which will ensure a first-time champion. Rotterdam Pitbulls face Harderwijk Dolphins – who have the most representatives in the national squad - in the third-place play off.
NETHERLANDS 24-MAN SQUAD
Adam Braksator, Thieu Heuijerjans, Daan van Rossum, Joran Schoenmaker, David Schram (Amsterdam Cobras); Paul Dirkzwager, Lucas Gout, Robbin van Wijk, Bonne Wilce (Den Haag Knights); Benji van Bodegraven, Gydo van den Heuvel, Rick Huther, Santino Landus, Daniel de Ruiter, Arie-Tjerk Razoux Schultz, Ruben Stuifzand, Hans Verveer (Harderwijk Dolphins); Hannes Bavius, Ben Dommerhuisjen, Patrick Funk, Shadan Lavia, Isaac Ngirubiu, Dominic Stuivenberg, Emerson de Werk (Rotterdam Pitbulls)