Rugby League: Malta Squad Announced

Malta Rugby League national team coach Joe Grima has today announced the names of the 26 players that will represent Malta for the first ever Rugby League test matcehs being played in the Melita Stadium, Sydney, Australia.

The squad is:

Damien Attard
Michael Azzopardi
Steven Azzopardi
Ryan Borg
John Buttigieg
Joel Carr
Brad Clews
Adam Demanuele
David Dux
Matthew Dux
Damien Galea
Paul Galea
Steven Galea
Willie Grech
Danny Mamo
Paul Marzella
Johnny Micallef
Simon Micallef
Ken Mifsud
Ben Sammut
Rohan Spiteri
Kevin Vassallo
Stephen Vincenti
Dallas Weston
Anthony Xuereb
Matt Zammit

Rugby VIIs to be played in Andorra 2005

Following a collaborative submission sponsored by the Malta RFU and the Balearic Islands, rugby sevens has secured its place as one of the demonstration sports for the next GSSE games being held in Andorra next year. Rugby Seven's in Andorra 2005 will also serve as a preliminary for the full 2008 Beijing Olympics.

No Response From Ex-Malta Coach

Malta RFU has announced it has received no response from ex-National Coach Graham Richards after he was offered a temporary re-appointment as National Coach.

Malta RFU had first sent an email to Graham Richards, former National Coach who terminated his career with the Malta RFU in June 2004 on Wednesday September 1, 2004. The MRFU Council had decided to contact Richards as the position of National Coach is still vacant despite the Senior National Team and U17 National Team appointments starting as early as late October. The MRFU asked Richards, who moved back to the UK, to take over both teams until November in their preparation for their various matches sheduled for the October/November period. The National Team will face Switzerland in an away match in November 2004 while the U17 National Team will participate in an International Training Camp between October 30th and November 1 together with Monaco and Israel.

The Malta RFU Council declared that as it did not receive any response from Richards up till noon of the 6th of September it was assuming that Richards is not interested in the temporary post of National Coach. The Council thanked Richards for his support he had given Malta Rugby in the past and wished him success in his future endevours.

Meanwhile interviews with two prospective candidates to fill the position of National Coach and Director of Rugby will be held in the second part of September.

Malta RFU in Favour of Rugby First Aid Courses

The Malta RFU is currently seeking to encourage its members to undertake Malta Red Cross Courses in first aid. The Union is infact considering the possibility of negotiating a tailor-made package with the intent of providing a course in sports first aid. It seems that having at least one club member with a first aid certification present at each club training session will soon become a requirement for all clubs. Junior and mini players are also set to benefit from such an initiative being undertaken by the MRFU.

Alligators RUFC Announce Plans for Under 17 Side

Junior Rugby in Malta is to witness the birth of a new team. Alligators RUFC have in fact announced plans to set up a new Under 17 Side. The new team will be co-ordinated by David Cutajar with the help of junior players Matthew Mizzi and Johnny Tonna.
Alligators are the second club to organise an Under 17 side following Stompers RFC. The U17 side setup in Malta received a boost last season with the MRFU launching a junior academy and an U17 National Team that made its debut in Rome. The U17 National Team will participate in an International Training Camp in Malta next November together with Israel and Monaco.
Boys aged between 16 and 17 interested in joining the U17 team are to contact Matthew Mizzi on wmizzi@euroweb.net.mt

TryLine: Rugby Blog. 2004

TryLine Announces Weekly Column Schedule Service

TryLine: Rugby Blog has today launched its weekly column schedule until December 2004. This weekly column schedule will complement the news service currently offered. The schedule will be as follows:

Monday: Coaching Tip Weekly
Tuesday: Game of the Week
Wednesday: Opinion
Thursday: Women’s Rugby
Friday: Site of the Week
Saturday: Rugby Live – Match Reports
Sunday: Rugby Live – Match Comments

The Schedule will kick-off as from next Monday, 12th September.

Marsa Rugby Pitch May Soon Go Down the Ditch

Players walk on the dead turf of Malta’s only rugby field in what now seems more the scene of a Clint Eastwood movie than that of a normal training session. With September showers to start soon, Maltese rugby players may soon witness their pitch go down the ditch.
Following the floods that hit Malta last September 2003, the Government decided to increase the capacity of the ditch next to the Marsa pitch that leads water from flood prone locality Qormi to the sea. Excavation works have been well underway since the early summer months but are still incomplete. As a result, turf seeding works have not started yet due to lack of proper conditions. Also power supply to the pitch floodlighting has been interrupted due to the same construction works.
Members of the Malta RFU have been left in the dark on when the pitch shall be in proper conditions. The 5 clubs currently affiliated with the MRFU are all seeking alternative sites to be used as training grounds. Stompers RFC and Alligators RUFC are currently training on Luxol St. Andrew’s F.C. gravel pitch while the women’s senior team of Kavallieri RFC have made beach rugby training sessions. Clubs have to pay Lm50 monthly starting from October in order to train on the Marsa Sports Ground owned pitch. Local league and cup matches are also played on this pitch while International tests are played in Matthew Micallef St. John Stadium nearby. In a clubs’ meeting held recently the Malta RFU promised that a task force will be set up in order to deal with situation and gain media attention.
The field’s condition is a blow to the National Team’s preparation for the 2007 World Cup Qualifiers that will start early next November in Switzerland. The bad conditions of the pitch may sweep the National Team’s performances down the ditch. It seems that despite its 10 game unbeaten run interrupted in Moldova last June; the Rugby National Team’s efforts are not being properly supported by the local authorities.
With Malta RFU juniors training starting last September 1, the pitch has become dangerous for the young enthusiasts of the game as the fencing on the ditch side has been pulled down and gravel litters the same side of the pitch thus increasing the risks of injury.
As grey clouds gather in the sky, rugby enthusiasts, players and committee members of the Malta RFU ask, will this shower sweep the pitch into the ditch?

TryLine: Rugby Blog. 2004

Alligators RFC Require New Head Coach

Rugby in Malta is facing tough challenges, so is Alligators RUFC. Following the April 2004 revamp where a new central organisational structure was set up, Alligators RFC is now looking to acquire the services of a volunteer head coach.
The ex-University of Malta Rugby Union Club founded in 1989, winner of a league in 1995 is looking to improve its possiblities of winning a league in the coming season by seeking the services of a new headcoach. Enthusiasm is on high levels this year following a rather disappointing campaign last season where the side captained by Malta international David Gasan managed a third overall placing in a league fought by four sides. The side's performances were also disappointing in the Barclay's Cup. But things are definitely set to change this year.
As the Malta Rugby Football Union (MRFU) embraces two new sides this upcoming season, competition is set to increase. All clubs intend to show the local community how vibrant club rugby in Malta is. And Alligators are no exception. Following the election of a new committe last April 2004 the club embarked on a new ambitious plan of renewal that will eventually lead to success. Thus the club is currently forming a junior side with the help of David Cutajar, a club member. The club is also recruiting players in its senior squad.
The position of a head coach is as essential as delicate in a modern rugby club. The position requires leadership skills and effective management skills apart from the obvious coaching skills. Personality and ambition are two necessary ingredients for a successful headchoach at a vibrant club such as Alligators RFC is. All those interested are to submit their applications by visiting Alligators RFC web site (click on the above).

Welcome to TryLine!

Welcome to TryLine: The latset rugby blog on the internet! I am Matthew Mizzi, a seventeen year old maltese student and rugby player, founder of TryLine Blog. TryLine BLog aims to provide you, the rugby enthusiast with the latest news and coverage from the rugby world. It is intended that TryLine Blog will first start to cover the Maltese Rugby scene then cover more leagues and initiatives in the rugby world.

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