Malta national rugby league team
Encyclopedia
In 2004, the Maltese Rugby League Association was formed to introduce the game of rugby league football to Malta. Malta played its first game in Malta on October 22, 2005 when they defeated England Lionhearts
36-6 at the Marsa Stadium, and in 2008 a domestic competition kicked off on the island.
The first official competition entered by Malta was the 2010 European Bowl. This was shortened to a single game between Malta and Norway following Belgium's withdrawal from the tournament. On 4 June 2010 Malta came from 10-0 down mid way through the first half to defeat Norway 30-20 and take the bowl at the Victor Tedesco Stadium
, Hamrun
.
, Ben Galea
and Danny Galea
, Shane Shackleton
and Jarrod Sammut
, who are all playing in either the NRL or Super League
and have represented Malta in the past.
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
36-6 at the Marsa Stadium, and in 2008 a domestic competition kicked off on the island.
The first official competition entered by Malta was the 2010 European Bowl. This was shortened to a single game between Malta and Norway following Belgium's withdrawal from the tournament. On 4 June 2010 Malta came from 10-0 down mid way through the first half to defeat Norway 30-20 and take the bowl at the Victor Tedesco Stadium
Victor Tedesco Stadium
The Victor Tedesco Stadium is a stadium in Ħamrun, Malta. It opened in 1996. It has a capacity of 6,000, with 1,800 seated. It is the home ground of Maltese football club Ħamrun Spartans, who currently play in the Maltese Premier League. It is used for matches from the Maltese Premier League, the...
, Hamrun
Hamrun
Ħamrun is a town in the Inner Harbour Region of Malta, with a population of 8,800 people .The villagers are traditionally known as Tas-Sikkina or as Ta' Werwer...
.
All-time Results Record
| Team | First Played | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | Points For | Points Against | Last Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 44 | 2011 | |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 36 | 2011 |
Players
Despite its size, Malta has a relatively strong national team due to the number of Maltese players that are playing overseas. Malta is able to call on the likes of Michael VellaMichael Vella
Michael Vella is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains English Super League club Hull Kingston Rovers. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative forward, he previously played in the NRL for the Parramatta Eels club...
, Ben Galea
Ben Galea
Ben Galea is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for Hull Kingston Rovers in the European Super League. He previously played for the Balmain Tigers and Wests Tigers...
and Danny Galea
Danny Galea
Danny Galea is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League competition.-Biography:...
, Shane Shackleton
Shane Shackleton
Shane Shackleton is an Australian professional rugby league player in the National Rugby League . He currently plays for the Parramatta Eels and previously played for the Sydney Roosters from 2005–2009. His position of choice is at second row....
and Jarrod Sammut
Jarrod Sammut
Jarrod Sammut is an Australian born Maltese rugby league player who plays for Bradford Bulls in the Super League. He previously played for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League...
, who are all playing in either the NRL or Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
and have represented Malta in the past.
Malta Knights coaches
- Joseph Grima 2004-Current (7 matches)
- Tony Farr 2007 (1 match)
- Anthony Micallef 2009-2010 (3 matches)