Greece and Norway have named their 19-man match day squads for tomorrow’s European Championship C Final, which also acts as a qualifier for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. The nations meet for the first time tomorrow (Saturday) at the home of London Skolars’ New River Stadium, Haringey (kick off 1pm) before the hosts play their League 1 fixture with Doncaster.
Greek Rugby League Association president, George Stilianos, commented: “We have been looking forward to this match ever since we won our last qualifying game in September. We have been concentrating on beating Norway and nothing else beyond that. There are fans travelling over from Greece, plus the Greek community living in London that will join forces to make some noise for the team and hopefully get them over the line.“
Lee Johnson, Rugby League Norge’s chariman noted: “The build up to this game has been intense with all players training at their peak for this momentous occasion in rugby league Norway’s history, on its tenth anniversary. We all know what a mountain we have to climb to make the final qualification stages, but everyone is giving it their all.
“Throughout these last months of behind-closed-doors talks with the RLEF and Greece, it has been great to see all parties wanting the same thing, to put on the best show we can and make this a day for all players to remember for rest of their lives. Both nations have struggled with outside forces trying to deny them the right to play, but this game is a statement to tell everyone that Norway and Greece are here to stay and look forward to bright futures in the sport, no matter what the outcome.“
The match will be live-streamed on the on the RLEFTV Youtube site -http://po.st/RLEF-NORvGRE -and in Norway via major broadcast provider Amedia.
GREECE 19-MAN SQUAD
Aris Dardamanis, Grigoris Koutsibogiorgos, Ioannis Dimakas, Ioannis Rousoglou, Thodoris Nianiakas (Aris Eagles), Iasonas Kourkakis, Ioannis Nake, Eugenios Malai (Attica Rhinos), Jordan Meads (Beerwah Bulldogs), Stefanos Bastas (Doncaster RLFC), Robert Tuliatu (London Skolars), Dimos Kartsonakis, Georgios Tsiakos, Kostas Katsidonis, Michail Bosmos, Nikos Bosmos, Pantelis Tsattalios (Rhodes Knights), Peter Mamouzelos (South Sydney), Terry Constantinou (Sunbury Tigers)
NORWAY 19-MAN SQUAD
Brett Harvey (Bardufoss Badgers), Casey Diggs, Bendik Kalvik, Sam Mullins (Bodø Barbarians), Harald Mikalsen (Flekkefjord Tigers), Sonny Mellor, Joshua Skidmore-Hornby, Lucas Zuniga (Lillestrøm Lions), Nils Kristian Holte, Kristoffer Milligan, Simon Viljoen (Oslo Capitals), Kevin Båtnes, Chris Stalsberg (Porsgrunn Pirates), Kristoffer Borsheim, Nathan Cummins, Ezra McIntyre, Fredrik Nordtun (Stavanger Storm), Stephen Stepanek Mwikaria (Trondheim Rugby Klubb), Kristian Nordin-Skipnes (Woden Valley Rams)