Hungary national rugby league team
Encyclopedia
The Hungary national rugby league team represents Hungary
in the sport of rugby league football. They made their international debut on July 23rd in the 2011 European Bowl tournament. http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/184/rugby-league-european-bowl-announced
's National Rugby League
team was founded in Budapest in May 2011 by members of the Budapest Exiles RFC
, keen to try rugby league and with an open invitation to other teams in Hungary to send players - all with the objective of honouring an invitation to play in the CEE European Bowl competition vs. the Czech Republic.
From small beginnings on a Monday evening, on Margit Island, in the middle of the Danube, the squad has grown to be able to select a nucleus of 20 players to play against the Czech Republic
on the 23rd July. The pull of playing international RL has seen enquiries to train and play from a number of other clubs in Hungary as well as players of Hungarian origin who have travelled back to play from Italy and the UK.
The 20 man training squad in full
Back row - Nunn, Juhas, Gaidet, Bihari M, Bihari L, Haboczki, Brand, Harangozo, Goletz, Dekany, Szalontai
Front row - Zubornyak, Benaniba, Jimenez, Angel, Torrance, Fustos, Szabo, Sciotti
Scorer of the first ever points for the Hungarian Rugby League was Scott Torrance
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in the sport of rugby league football. They made their international debut on July 23rd in the 2011 European Bowl tournament. http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/184/rugby-league-european-bowl-announced
History and setting up
Magyar Bulls RLFC, HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
's National Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team was founded in Budapest in May 2011 by members of the Budapest Exiles RFC
Budapest Exiles RFC
Budapest Exiles RFC is a Hungarian rugby club in Budapest. They currently play in the Hungarian Extra Liga. The club used to be confined to expatriates, but since 2000 Hungarian players have been welcomed to join.-History:The club was founded in 1991....
, keen to try rugby league and with an open invitation to other teams in Hungary to send players - all with the objective of honouring an invitation to play in the CEE European Bowl competition vs. the Czech Republic.
From small beginnings on a Monday evening, on Margit Island, in the middle of the Danube, the squad has grown to be able to select a nucleus of 20 players to play against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
on the 23rd July. The pull of playing international RL has seen enquiries to train and play from a number of other clubs in Hungary as well as players of Hungarian origin who have travelled back to play from Italy and the UK.
2011 Squad
The current squad has a mix of nationalities, all of whom have qualified for Hungary on residency basis if not originally Hungarian and includes players from Hungary, the UK, France, Italy, South Africa and Venezuela. The 2011 squad is coached by Adam Nunn, originally from the UK but who has been the founder of Rugby League in Hungary, and is captained by Zsolt Haboczki. It also features a father and son combination in the form of Lajos and Matyas Bihari (affectionately known as Majom and Kis Majom (Hungarian for Monkey and Little Monkey)).The 20 man training squad in full
| Name | Position | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imre Szalontai | Full Back/Wing Wing A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid... |
Federico Sciotti | Fullback/Wing |
| Scott Torrance | Full Back/Wing | Mehdi Benaniba | Centre/Wing/Half-back |
| Nandor Szabo | Centre/Wing | Laszlo Harangozo | Centre/Second-row forward |
| Gergo Zubornyak | Centre/Wing | Adam Nunn | Stand-off/Loose forward Rugby league positions A rugby league football team consists of thirteen players on the field, with four substitutes on the bench. Players are divided into two general categories: "forwards" and "backs".... |
| Peter Fustos | Hooker/Half Back | Joel Jimenez | Hooker/Half Back |
| Zsolt Haboczki (Captain) | Prop/Second-row forward | Lajos Bihari | Prop |
| Geza Juhas | Prop | Laszlo Dekany | Prop |
| Phil Angel | Hooker/Half Back | Geza Goleth | Second-row forward/Centre |
| Matyas Bihari | Loose Forward/Centre | Andre Brand | Second row forward/Loose forward |
| Luca Tramontin | Second-row forward | Cedric Gaidet | Prop/Second-row forward |
Back row - Nunn, Juhas, Gaidet, Bihari M, Bihari L, Haboczki, Brand, Harangozo, Goletz, Dekany, Szalontai
Front row - Zubornyak, Benaniba, Jimenez, Angel, Torrance, Fustos, Szabo, Sciotti
International Match Results
| vs. | Date | Location | Score | Result | Tries | Cons | Pens/DGs | MoM | Match Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 23 July 2011 | Kecskemet, Hungary | 16-38 | Lost | Torrance, Bihari L, Angel | Torrance x 2 | N/A | Bihari M and Jimenez | 23rd July Photos |
| Belgrade Selection | 31st July | Kecskemet | 0-44 | Lost | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bihari M | Photos |
Scorer of the first ever points for the Hungarian Rugby League was Scott Torrance
Cap Number and playing record
| Cap Number | Name | Total Caps | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imre Szalontai | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | Federico Sciotti | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Gergo Zubornyak | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | Laszlo Harangozo | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Scott Torrance | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Adam Nunn | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | Peter Fustos | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Lajos Bihari | 2 | 4 |
| 9 | Joel Jimenez | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Zsolt Haboczki | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | Geza Goletz | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | Andre Brand | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | Matyas Bihari | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Luca Tramontin | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Cedric Gaidet | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Phil Angel | 1 | 4 |
| 17 | Nandor Szabo | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Arno Franken | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Mehdi Benaniba | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Geza Juhas | 1 | 0 |
Domestic Clubs
September 2011 saw the creation of the first domestic rugby league club in Hungary, with the formation of the Danube River Pirates RLFC - the rugby league arm of the Budapest Exiles. The club has been involved in the development of the game on a local level, having played against the Belgrade Selection in their first game and is now open to invitations to tour, or play against touring teams from across Europe.External links
- Magyar Bulls RLFC blog page http://www.magyarbullsrlfc.blogspot.com
- Magyar Bulls RLFC Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/magyarbullsrlfc
- RLEF (Rugby League Europe Federation News site - Squad announcement http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/229/hungarians-announce-their-squad-for
- RLEF (Rugby League Europe Federation News site - Official match report for the first game http://www.rlef.eu.com/european_bowl/report?RLE00000216