Following a meeting of the Rugby League European Federation Board, the Directors have expressed their thanks to Scott Carter for his work on behalf of the international game. The New Zealand Rugby League chairman recently announced his decision to step down as the Chairman of the Rugby League International Federation.

Consequently, the RLEF Board has confirmed that it will nominate Nigel Wood, current RLIF Deputy Chairman, to be Carter's successor.

Wood, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League, was tournament director of the hugely successful 2013 Rugby League World Cup. RLEF Directors Carlos Zalduendo and Graeme Thompson and England’s Maurice Watkins also sit on the 10-strong RLIF executive committee, which is due to meet on 2 May in Sydney.

Elsewhere, the European Federation’s organisation of the 2014 European Championship is ongoing. However, the RLEF still awaits RLIF funding confirmation before it can release the fixture schedule. France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are due to participate, with the winner qualifying for the 2016 Four Nations to be staged in the Northern hemisphere.

The Directors have also officially renamed the Middle East North Africa region, which has been administered by the RLEF since the reformations of 2010, as Middle East Africa, to reflect the direction in which the sport is heading and to cultivate opportunities in these important emerging markets.

The RLEF Board feels that a Middle East Africa operation is the next step in the sport’s growth and is keen to support local National Governing Bodies there further their development potential.