The first ever Latvian rugby league championship kicked off at the weekend. Valmiera Fenix beat Grobina Vikings 62-18 in the first of a double header in the Upesciems stadium, in suburban Riga. In the second game, between Livonia RC and Kekava Warriors, the hosts, Livonia, won 42-34 in an exciting match.

The six-round competition finishes in mid-September, with a total of 12 matches scheduled. The Latvian Rugby League Federation has been an Observer of the RLEF since 2009 and will seek to become a member of the federation later this year.

“It is great to see the championship kicking off in Latvia,” said RLEF General Manager Danny Kazandjian. “In recent times we’ve seen several non-traditional rugby league nations like Ukraine, Serbia, Lebanon and Jamaica reach full membership level, and we’ve seen more nations join the RLEF as Observers. In line with our strategy, it is important for all these Observers to develop club competitions and become members. There’s no more important or effective way of putting down real rugby league roots in a country, and only with a club championship will an organisation truly develop a significant rugby league operation.”

Malta, which has played a four-team competition for two years, has also indicated its intention to seek membership, while Greece intends to commence a five-team club championship in October.