For the first time in CZRLA history two successive championship matches were controlled by Czech referees when Czech rugby league 'founding father' Milan Mrtynek took charge of Beroun against Prague and Petr Sedina ruled on Vrchlabi Mad Squirrels versus Pardubice Jets. Beroun won 44-8 to retain the league leadership while Pardubice’s 20-10 success saw them consolidate second place.

There was added significance to the latter match, on a day Czech Development Manager Andy Mulhall referred to as “momentous”. Vrchlabi recently welcomed back the club’s founder and player-coach David Lahr, who has spent much of the last year in the UK, gaining rugby league experience with leading community club Sharlston Rovers.

Lahr was disappointed to lose in front of a healthy crowd that had turned out to celebrate the Mad Squirrel’s new rugby league-specific facility, the direct result of the CZRLA’s strategy to create community clubs in areas outside Prague. “We played like a team today, we helped each other, we regained some confidence after a disappointing start to the season and the mood in the changing room was awesome,” Lahr commented.

Pictured: Petr Sedina (left) and David Lahr (right) both had big days.