A ‘Team of the Tournament’ has been announced following the completion of the European U19s Championship and Shield, held at the CREPS Performance Facility in Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees last week.

The Championship was won by France, who are represented in the notional side by prop Leo Ricard and back rower Giordano Descalzi, while Greece picked up the Shield, centre Will Giovas included, with all nations having a representative, drawn up principally from man of the match awards.

The celebratory XIII was revealed at the event’s closing ceremony, hosted by the Font Romeu Tourism Office at the Font Romeu Casino.

It welcomed delegates from each of the competing nations together with Font Romeu mayor Alain Luneau, director of the Font Romeu Tourism Office, Christian Sarran, and Aurélie Martinière of the CREPS facility, where all the games were staged and the teams accommodated. 

All three gave speeches recognising the contribution the staging of the tournament made to Font Romeu, whilst FFRXIII President Dominique Baloup and IRL Secretary General Danny Kazandjian also spoke, recognising the efforts of all of the teams, the tournament staff and volunteers.

Each of the 12 match officials were presented with a commemorative medal and, poignantly, the final place in the team was presented in memory of Emil Grindheim, the Norway U19s captain who sadly died weeks before the tournament.

Emil was also remembered on the first day of competition with a minute’s silence prior to each game, with the entire Norwegian delegation joining the pre-match ceremony for the France v England Championship decider for a further minute of applause in celebration of his life, before his parents took part in a ceremonial kick off.

“I would like to congratulate all of the teams and especially the players recognised in the ‘European XIII’ for their performances during the week. and add my particular congratulations to France and Greece for winning the Championship and Shield respectively,” said ERL chair, Dean Andrew.

“I am also pleased to hear that the European Rugby League family came together so well to support the Norwegian team and Emil Gridnheim's family at this very sad time.”

Andrew added: “This staging of the ERL U19s has undoubtedly been the biggest and best event so far and has taken it to new heights. We will review and begin planning for 2028 in the coming weeks."

U19s ‘European XIII’ Team of the Tournament:
1 Joshua Silverstone-Utheim (Norway)
2 Alexander Paddle (Canada)
3 Sam Douglas (Ireland)
4 Will Giovas (Greece)
5 Zaric Saban (Serbia)
6 Cruz Death (Ukraine)
7 Connor McGuinness (Scotland)
8 Ioan Herbert (Wales)
9 Zac Bennett (England)
10 Leo Ricard (France)
11 Eligh Wilkinson (England)
12 Giordano Descalzi (France)
13 Emil Grindheim (Norway)