The RLEF’s Middle East North Africa regional directorate has announced the dates and venue for the second annual MENA U16s Championship in Lebanon later this year. After the runaway success of last year’s inaugural event, patronized by the British Ambassador Frances Guy, and where Saudi Arabia RL Schools was crowned MENA champions after a thrilling final match against the host Junior Cedars, this year’s tri-series promises more of the same as the future stars of the game hone their skills at the American University of Beirut’s world class sporting facilities, located along the Mediterranean coastline in the heart of lively West Beirut.
The Charles Hostler Student Center will host the event from March 20 - April 2, bringing together the same three sides, for an event that will deliver a festival of international rugby league and culture.
LRLF Development Director, Faysal Jaber, is very excited about the upcoming competition: “I have no doubt the MENA U16 Championship will be a gala event that will help spread awareness and interest in the game throughout Lebanon and the Middle East. It will attract new players, coaches, referees, and fans to our rugby league family. We will see the most talented young guns playing in our country and there is no doubt we will enjoy a great rugby league party.”
Encouragingly, all three participants have experienced steady growth in their youth structures in the twelve intervening months since the debut competition. Lebanon’s federation has taken on a new development officer and started its Beirut schools development project in earnest; Palestine RL, still based around the refugee camps in Lebanon, has taken the sport to more UN schools and now has a considerable U14 presence as well; moreover, officials are also making progress obtaining recognition from the PA in Ramallah, a process the Palestinian RL, which is legally mandated by Fattah’s representatives in Lebanon, is undertaking with the UN’s assistance; while popular demand for rugby league in Saudi Arabia has seen the sport spread to a fourth school in Jeddah.
MENA Under-16s Championship:
Lebanon v Palestine RL XIII, March 20 2011, 2pm
Palestine RL XIII v KSA RL Schools, March 31 2011, 2pm
Lebanon v KSA RL Schools, April 2 2011, 2pm