Nationaler Rugby League Deutschland has run a successful Level 1 coaching course as part of the EU-backed Training and Education Portal project. Twelve local candidates attended the two-day course which was led by NRLD coach educators Bob Mawuli Amefia, Simon Cooper and Bob Doughton, and overseen by Rugby League Ireland’s Mike Aughey and Wales’s Jon Ellis of their cluster group.

“It was good to see the work being done at grassroots level and the enthusiasm of those involved in German rugby league,” said Aughey. “Watching the Rugby League World Cup final live on German television with members of the German national squad and a German commentary - which referred several times to the domestic game - was an incredible experience.”

Two of the candidates were UK-based Nick Keinhorst and Dan Pearson, who are keen to help German rugby league progress.

“All of the candidates were extremely committed, as indeed were the children from the TuS Hattingen Rugby League club who provided the candidates for the assessments,” added Doughton. “I am sure that the weekend will help to consolidate the Steeden BundesLeague and strengthen our foundation for further growth.”

The TEP is a three-year, €723.000 investment into capacity building through good governance and technical training, funded by €466.000 from the EU’s Erasmus+ project and the remainder from the RLIF and five of its full members. It is intended to build the knowledge and skills of the RLEF’s 21 European members, divided into six regional clusters, through high quality training and mentoring, while granting opportunities to share experiences amongst fellow Europeans dedicated to rugby league development.