Turkey defeated Bulgaria 38-16, posting eight tries, two of them to loose forward and captain, Serhat Keles. “We had a full team of debutants and it was very exciting for us to play,” he said. “Hopefully, after this, we will have an even better structure for rugby league in the country, we are extremely grateful to our visitors for coming and playing this beautiful game.”

The hosts ked 22-4 at the interval, scrum half Aras Kuyumcuyan with two tries in five minutes around the half hour mark, Bulgaria narrowing the lead just after the break when second rower Doicho Slavin crossed.

Bulgaria coach, Adrien Frigola, commented: “I am sad we lost but happy with the attitude. We had to travel for 12 hours  to get here and most of the guys were playing either their first or second international game. They come and train every week and we will continue to improve with practice. We are going to surprise a lot of people and cannot wait to play Malta in Sofia on October 8. It will be a massive event for us.”

TURKEY 38
Can Berk Uckuzular, Batuhan Duman, , Kerem Keskin, Atahan Kose, Berat Altun, Emin Erden, Aras Kuyumcuyan, Mete Sencer Gole, Ali Mert Ozbalak, Mustafa Can Aydin, Sefa Can Demir, Algan Yilmaz, Serhat Keles
(Subs): Kemal Yilmaz, Furkan Guney, Emirhan Bilek, Batuhan Kose

Tries: Kose (7), Duman (22, 63), Kuyumcuyan (28, 33), Keles (39, 59), Kose (67)
Goals: Ozbalak 3

BULGARIA 16 
Simeon Tsvetanov, Emil Savov, Veselin Peichev, Ilia Dimitrov, Amo Kehaia, Vladislav Parizov, Kostadin Debrenliev, James Mott, Tsvetan Rashev, Tinko Hristov, Mitko Atanasov, Doicho Slavin, Teodor Manchev
(Subs): Mihail Georgiev, Stilian Karchev, Stanislav Borisov, Tihomir Simenov

Tries: Dimitrov (37), Slavin (42), Atanasov (70)
Goals: Debrenliev 1, Rashev 1

Half time: 22-4