​Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League submits application to join International Rugby League
 
 
Asia Pacific Rugby League has received an application for full membership from Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League. The application will now be reviewed by the APRL board and then progress to the board of International Rugby League (IRL) before being sent to the IRL full members for final approval.
 
The TMTRL application signals the dissolution of the implementation committee which was formed by three members of the Tongan rugby league community who volunteered to assist an APRL representative to facilitate Tonga’s smooth return to the world stage as an IRL member.
 
IRL Global Operations Manager Danny Kazandjian said; “I would like to sincerely thank the members of the implementation committee, Gareth Holmes, Konrad Hurrell, Suliana Mone and Ikani Taliai.
 
“They managed to bring together several parties who had an interest in Tongan rugby league and helped them form a coherent group, under mutually acceptable rules, structure and leadership.
 
“The IC achieved that with great professionalism and skill whilst working under close media scrutiny, especially in Tonga."
 
The previous member has appealed against its expulsion to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. IRL has responded fully and will keep it under consideration whilst assessing the new application.
 
Elsewhere, the Rugby League European Federation’s Middle East Africa section has received three applications from African nations – Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria - to move from observer to affiliate status.
 
Kazandjian said: “It’s encouraging to see the sport gaining traction in west Africa and when a member receives affiliate status on that continent it will be historic as it allows them to  enter into the World Cup qualification process.
 
“We are dealing with all three applicants to ensure their organisations are as robust as possible before they take this significant next step.”
 
All three nations played their first official internationals last year, in Lagos at the MEA Championship, paving the way for their applications.
 
 
These applications, and others that are being actively prepared from countries in three continents, assist IRL in its quest to become a full member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations, (GAISF).
Kazandjian concluded: “We need to achieve 40 approved rugby league nations recognized by their own government or Olympic Committees. GAISF currently validates 24 of our members, from a start point in 2018 of 15 nations. I am cautiously optimistic that by the end of the year we will have reached 26 nations, at least.”
 

SARLSA/Middle East Africa Competition October 2020

It was with great disappointment that the South African Rugby League Sporting Association had to make the decision to postpone the Middle East Africa Competition. The decision will be revisited in March 2021.
These decisions were taken in collaboration with MEA confederation and the RLEF and were based on the uncertainties that surrounds the Covid-19 pandemic. All indications are that South Africa will experience a peak of infections near August and September 2020.
Other factors that were taken in consideration is the likelihood that international travel will still be restricted in October, and possibly quarantine requirements for travelling players and administrators.
This was a sad but necessary decision and was taken in the interest of our members.
 
Dr Frans F. Erasmus​

​15th May 2020
Board nominations complete ahead of General Meeting
Nominations have been completed for members of the new Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League (TMTRL) board, which will now be elected by the members in general meeting.
Representatives from the rugby league clubs have ensured compliance with governance recommendations approved by the clubs following a broad consultation with Tongan rugby league instigated by the sport’s governing body, International Rugby League.
The meeting will confirm the adoption of a new TMTRL constitution, elect an independent chair and finance director, as well as the election of two player directors (already confirmed as Sika Manu and Will Hopoate) and five club directors, one of whom will serve as deputy chair.
Once the board has been ratified, it is expected to apply for membership of IRL.
Current TMTRL President, Mr Saia Penitani, said: “We at TMTRL look forward to our AGM on Friday where we will elect and appoint our new board of directors and implement a new governance structure for our organisation. 
“We are grateful to the Implementation Committee for their support and assistance throughout this process. We congratulate the four nominated candidates for the two independent Director positions and thank them for their willingness to be a part of our organisation.
“We, the club membership in Tonga, have nominated from amongst ourselves individuals who we think would serve the whole of Tongan rugby league best on the board. All our nominees have been long standing supporters of rugby league in Tonga. 
“We thank Kristian Woolf and his team for their support of this process and we look forward to fielding a strong and experienced team at international level should TMTRL be granted membership of IRL. We are excited as we see this process as a leap forward for rugby league in Tonga and for renewed relations based on unity between everyone involved with Tongan rugby league.”
Further, media reports in Tonga on Wednesday 13 May suggested that the IRL has been issued an injunction by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following an appeal lodged with CAS by Tonga National Rugby League (TNRL), the former governing body of rugby league in Tonga, which was expelled from IRL in March 2020.
IRL has confirmed these reports are categorically untrue. It has also confirmed that TNRL’s appeal, which IRL will contest at CAS, is against the international federation alone.

International Rugby League (IRL) continues to monitor events in Tonga and expects to receive an application for membership from a new organisation imminently.

IRL Global Operations Manager Danny Kazandjian said:
“We understand that the active Tongan rugby league community has been working closely with one another to create an organisation that will best represent it, at home and internationally. The nomination of Sika Manu and Will Hopoate last week was a good sign of that cooperation, and it’s pleasing to see further signs of collaboration from the dozens of clubs in the kingdom.
​
“An Implementation Committee has worked to bring together the various elements of the Tongan rugby league community and will help facilitate an application by an organisation for IRL membership in due course. The IRL will then assess any application against our membership rules and will make the decision on whether to admit a Tongan member to our register. We appreciate the supportive correspondence from the Tongan government, which has committed to working closely with the IRL to restore Tonga to the international rugby league community.”

Implementation Committee member Ikani Taliai will attend a meeting on Friday where the clubs will consider the results of the process to recruit two independent directors. The candidates for chair are Semisi Sika, a current MP and former Acting Prime Minister of Tonga, and Lord Fakafanua who is currently the Speaker of Parliament. The candidates for the finance director are John Paul Chapman and Ipolito Lasalo, both successful businessmen who have held prominent directorships in the public and private sector.

Konrad Hurrell, one of the four members of the IC, welcomed the latest developments:
“It is so encouraging to see the quality and the experience of the candidates for the new Board. This process has been a fantastic opportunity for the whole Tongan rugby league community to have their say, elect a new and really talented board who will lead the whole of a united Tongan rugby league forward.”

The Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC) will hold its Annual General Meeting for members in Parramatta, Sydney on Thursday June 20th. The confederation is the Associate Member of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) which represents the nations in the southern hemisphere.
 
 
As this year is a voting year, the meeting will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair who will serve for the next three years. The current Chair and Vice-Chair are Tagaloa Faafouina Su’a (Samoa) and Charles Carlson (Cook Islands)

The RLIF Southern Hemisphere General Manager, Jeremy Edwards recognises that this is an exciting period of history for rugby league in the region saying:
 
“This is a really important gathering for the rugby league community in the Southern Hemisphere. We will have delegates at the meeting from four continents, Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania. A truly inspirational gathering.
 
“The game in the Pacific region has developed immensely in the past 10 years to the point where, arguably, some of the great stars of our sport have their roots in the Pacific Islands. 
 
“After the very strong showing from the Asian nations at the RLIF Emerging Nations, it will be a pleasure to welcome contributions from that region to our conversations.
 
“As General Manager for the Southern Hemisphere, I am looking forward to working with the chair and the board to deliver the most exciting programme of competitions, games and development ever seen in the region.”
 
Upcoming fixtures
Rugby League World Cup Qualifier 2021

• Cook Islands vs South Africa - Wentworthville Rugby League Ground, Wentworthville, Western Sydney - Friday 21st June 2019 KO 19:00

Oceania Cup

• New Zealand vs Tonga - Mt Smart, Auckland New Zealand - Saturday 22nd June 2019 17:40

Women’s International

• Kiwi Ferns vs Samoa Women - Mt Smart, Auckland New Zealand - Saturday 22nd June 2019 – 15:10
• Kick off time: 3.10pm 

Pacific Tests -Leichardt Oval - Saturday 22nd June

• PNG Orchards vs Fiji Women’s
• PNG Kumuls vs Samoa
• Fiji vs Lebanon

In the lead up to the second Middle East and Africa Championship, to be held in Nigeria for the first time from 2-5th October 2019, bids have been received to host the 2020 tournament from four nations.

They are Lebanon - who won the first MEA tournament; South Africa - who are following up their 2015 involvement,  debutants Burundi; and Nigeria who will participate t=for the first time this year.

Competing this year in Lagos are the hosts, Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco, whilst the 2020 Championship will see the competition revert to a regular two-year cycle.

“South Africa can be significant for rugby league internationally,”  said SARL president Frans Erasmus. “We have the potential to become a major player and a lot to offer as a destination. Hosting the MEA Championship will support developing our presence on the sporting landscape here.”

Chairman of Burundi Rugby League XIII, Jean de Christ Rusiga noted: “Sport is our nation’s best ambassador and staging the 2020 MEA Championship would see all the people get behind us and the game of rugby league, we have some special things planned for our guests if we were to be selected.”

Chris Thair, RLEF general manager and responsible for the organisation of the Championship commented: “The strategic importance of the 2019 and 2020 MEA Championships is two-fold. Firstly, to establish a strong competition which is the flagship international tournament for the region and, secondly, to help move a number of the national federations from observer status to affiliate members in preparation for 2022. 

“The 2022 MEA Championships will form part of the 2025 World Cup qualification process, which will only involve affiliate or full member nations. It is therefore essential that the next two years of competition go well and, most importantly, aspiring nations can progress.”

Thair added: “Having just completed the annual audits for 2018, early indications are that Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Morocco are on track to achieve that before 2022, and therefore join Lebanon and South Africa. With Burundi and Congo also showing the potential to progress, then the MEA region is becoming an exciting place for rugby league.”

Karl Bistany, Lebanon Rugby League Federation international committee chairman said: “This is the way to increase our global reach and improve inclusivity within our community and key partners. Commercially, hosting the MEA Championship will provide more sponsor interest and supporters with opportunities to get further involved in the sport.”

The decision on hosting will be taken in 30 September 2019 by RLEF Board.