Turkey Rugby League will stage their sixth international beach rugby league tournament at Kalamis Park, Kadikoy this weekend. A total of 30 teams and over 330 players will compete across men’s and women’s competitions with 19 of them local and 11 flying in from Bulgaria, Netherlands, Serbia, Iran and Lebanon to take part.

Gurol Yildiz, president of TRL, said: “Our tournaments offer great excitement and are followed with interest among sports fans. In the first, held in 2016, 15 teams took part and this year, back after restrictions, we will double that number.

“As a fruit of the successful works and initiatives of the Turkish Rugby League Association, the European Beach Rugby League Championship will also be held in our country in the summer of 2023, in partnership with European Rugby League.”

In the men’s competition, the Turkish sides will be joined by: RLC Lokomotiv Sofia, Iran 125 Rey Rugby, Iran Sardar Rugby, Lebanon Lycans Black, Tatini Lavovi from Serbia, Amsterdam Cobras and Iran Adele Rugby.

In the women’s tournament, the guests are Lebanon Aconites and Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade.