The results for the finals of the South African Virtual Rugby League are in!!
Results
Finals: Brits Bulldogs vs Ermelo Tomahawks
Winner 🏆 ERMELO TOMAHAWKS
Total Votes: 978, Ermelo Tomahawks 52% with 504 votes

The Women and Girls Working Group (WGWG) mandated by International Rugby League (IRL) to advise the Board on the development of women and girls rugby league, has appointed its first secretary, So’oletaua Motuliki. She will take up her position immediately.
 
So’o is one of two women in the Vanuatu Rugby League Board. She was introduced to Rugby League in Vanuatu around in 2016 when she was appointed as a women’s rugby league development officer for Port Vila Rugby League. Shortly after she was appointed as a board member to the Vanuatu Rugby League (VRL) Board and, in 2019, appointed Secretary General for VRL. So’o is also the VRL facilitator for Port Vila Rugby League and the Domestic Competition Committee.
 
By profession So’o is a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Vanuatu and the High Court of the Republic of Fiji. She is of Samoan and Tokelauan descent and has lived for almost 10 years in Vanuatu with her husband and two daughters. She has a massive passion for the growth and development of Rugby League in Vanuatu not only for the women but also for Rugby League as a whole. She is a massive advocate for gender equality in sports and passionately supports women in Rugby League.
 
Chair of WGC, Julia Lee welcomed the appointment saying;
 
“I am so pleased to welcome So’o as secretary. The combination of her legal skills and passion for rugby league bring an added dimension to our group.
 
“In a very short time we have established a clear vision for the growth of the international female game. We have already developed high level outcomes and measurements to guide us in our work.
 
“The appointment supports the inclusive nature of rugby league and particularly the desire for female participation world-wide”
 
So’o is excited to be taking up this post saying;
 
“I am delighted to take up the Secretary position. I’ve had the privilege of being part of the development of rugby league in Vanuatu, with particular focus on the women and girls’ game. Not only will I be able to take those learnings and collaborate on an international level, I am also ecstatic to be working with and learning from the women in this committee on how to further the sport not only for the women but development as a whole. This is an exciting prospect."
 
The group is formed of people actively involved in rugby league in various parts of the world. Chair Julia Lee is joined by Luisa Avaiki, head of women’s rugby league for New Zealand Rugby League, Tahina Booth, a PNG Orchids international player, Tiffany Slater, General Manager of NRL Women’s Elite Program, Stuart Barrow, RFL’s Women and Girls National Talent Manager, Tiziano Franchini, the Italian women’s coach, and the IRL’s Sara Piper, a digital and marketing specialist.

​Results
Game 1: Witbank Tigers vs Ermelo Tomahawks
Winner 🏆 ERMELO TOMAHAWKS
Total Votes: 145, Tomahawks 57% with 82 votes.



Game 2: Brits Bulldogs vs Bears
Winner 🏆 BRITS BULLDOGS
Total Votes: 215, Brits Bulldogs 51% with 110 votes.
Bears: Losing Bonus Point & -1 Log Point no team list entered.



Game 3: Match Officials vs Tuks RL
Winner 🏆 MATCH OFFICIALS
Total Votes: 193, Match Officials 51% with 97 votes.
Tuks RL: Losing Bonus Point



Game 4: PTA Bulls vs Pietersburg Kudus
Winner 🏆 PIETERSBURG KUDUS
Total Votes: 72, Pietersburg Kudus 58% with 42 votes.
PTA Bulls has received the first Red Card of the season for not having less than 15 shares as well as -1 Log Point no team list entered.



Game 5: Bethal Broncos vs Middelburg Rabbitohs
Winner 🏆 BETHAL BRONCOS
Total Votes: 69, Bethal Broncos 52% with36 votes.
Bethal Broncos has received the first Yellow card of the season for having less than 30 shares.

The Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC) has made the difficult decision to cancel Oceania Cup 2020 due to the multiple restrictions posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on international travel, mass gatherings, and sporting event biosecurity.
APRLC has spent the past six months exploring fixture options for 2020 in an ever-changing COVID-19 environment. After being forced in March to postpone Oceania Cup men’s and women’s fixtures scheduled for June, planning continued for fixtures during the end-of-season international window.
However, ongoing restrictions and complexities about player travel, as well as continued limits on crowds attending matches have made it impossible to deliver this year’s event, which would have featured fixtures for six men’s teams (Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga) and four women’s teams (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Samoa).
APRLC Chairman, Sandis Tsaka, said: “The Oceania Cup is a wonderful tournament that offers a meaningful structure for Pacific test matches in a fair and competitive environment. It is extremely disappointing to have been forced to cancel the 2020 tournament, as there was great excitement among our member nations about this year’s fixtures in both June and November, but unfortunately current restrictions and uncertainties have made it impossible to follow any other path”.
Greg Peters, Vice Chairman of APRLC, added: “This has been a very difficult year for rugby league and thrown up numerous challenges. We have been working hard over the past few months to explore a multitude of options for hosting Oceania Cup matches, but the recent rise in cases in both New Zealand and Australia, coupled with ongoing restrictions on travel and mass gatherings, have forced our hand”.
Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) CEO Clint Newton said: “The announcement is disappointing, but given the current circumstances it’s the right decision. Players are intensely passionate when provided with the opportunity to represent their heritage, and we will work towards providing those opportunities next year. The RLPA will continue to work closely with the APRLC to advance the Asia-Pacific nations and we looking forward to further strengthening our relationship over the coming 6-12 months”.
APRLC Chief Operating Officer, Jeremy Edwards, concluded: “While having to cancel this year’s event is disappointing, we have immediately turned our focus to planning for Oceania Cup 2021. This will be an important tournament for our members as part of their preparation for next year’s Rugby League World Cup 2021 in England”.

Published by IRL
28 Aug 2020

The sport of rugby league is celebrating its 125th birthday. The game was born on August 29th, 1895 when 21 clubs met at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, England and established the Northern Rugby Football Union, which became the Rugby Football League in 1922.
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From that original group of clubs there are now thousands of clubs based around the world in over 53 countries.
International Rugby League Chair, Greg Barclay has sent his best wishes to the players, fans, clubs and IRL members around the world saying;
“This is a proud day for everyone involved in our great sport. We have a very long and proud history which deserves to be recognised across the sporting landscape.
“Throughout the history of the game we have seen, and we continue to see the heights of sporting endeavour played out in front of knowledgeable audiences drawn from communities that are steeped on the values of rugby league.
“I would like to pay tribute to those that have gone before, offer my thanks and admiration to those currently involved and encouragement to those who are still to discover this great game.
“Next year will see the latest iteration of the oldest rugby world cup when we gather in England to enjoy RLWC2021, it will be a sporting event to rival anything and we are all looking forward to it.

“Happy Birthday, Rugby League!”

​Just a brief note to say thanks to all those who managed to send videos and best wishes for the 125th anniversary of the birth of the sport - we tried to include everyone that we received either in the full video, as a separate post or both.
We reached around 500,000 people across the time zone of August 29th - with a really high engagement rate too.