51 replies to this topic

[druzik]

Saturday was an exciting day for me. I had a very productive conference call with Lukasz Luska in Poland about setting up Rugby League in Poland. He has no no Union background and came across League searching around for new sports to try.

He wants to use Rugby league in a positive capacity to give the local underprivileged youth an outlet other than crime. So we discussed for 3 hours ways that we can work together and strategies. He is already going through all the official channels to set up Poland’s First Rugby League club in Lodz.

So finally after some time of struggling it seems there is finally some movement in setting up Polish Rugby League. Its something I am excited about being involved in and will fulfil a dream of mine of seeing the Greatest Game played in my country of heritage.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Thats awesome news, my parents are polish I'd love to have a club from my parents city!

[scrape_goose]

Saturday was an exciting day for me. I had a very productive conference call with Lukasz Luska in Poland about setting up Rugby League in Poland. He has no no Union background and came across League searching around for new sports to try.

He wants to use Rugby league in a positive capacity to give the local underprivileged youth an outlet other than crime. So we discussed for 3 hours ways that we can work together and strategies. He is already going through all the official channels to set up Poland’s First Rugby League club in Lodz.

So finally after some time of struggling it seems there is finally some movement in setting up Polish Rugby League. Its something I am excited about being involved in and will fulfil a dream of mine of seeing the Greatest Game played in my country of heritage.

Sounds encouraging and going about it teh right way in my opinion, from the ground up, get the kids involved, sow the seeds and community intiatives.

[deluded pom?]

Ready made players when they come to work in the UK

[druzik]

Thats awesome news, my parents are polish I'd love to have a club from my parents city!

Oh which city, maybe I can start discussions with Lukasz about the future.

At the moment its going to be in Lodz, its a city that needs some sort of pick me up for the youth, get them off the streets. I have had a great response from people I know in helping with kits and come over to do training weekends.

We are aiming for the first game to be in September some time, so maybe a club game against one of the Czech or German teams. It all depends on how fast things will set up withe the city with registration. Though the process is not so much difficlut in POland, it tends to take a loooooong time to get stuff done.

But its been started to see where things go.

[druzik]

Sounds encouraging and going about it teh right way in my opinion, from the ground up, get the kids involved, sow the seeds and community intiatives.

Yep that is the idea from the start.

[druzik]

Ready made players when they come to work in the UK

Worried about Job security there DP?

[Methven Hornet]

Ready made players when they come to work in the UK

The ideal would be to get Polish migrant workers involved while they are over here - then they could be ready made players when they return to Poland.

[druzik]

The ideal would be to get Polish migrant workers involved while they are over here - then they could be ready made players when they return to Poland.

That is something I am looking to as well. I am in contact with some club coaches who have some polish players and so are looking into that. Jerry Obuchowski at Skolars is the most obvious one, he actually has been asking me for years about this so he'll be happy its finally up an going.

[Phil]

What happened to Greg Kacala (sp?) it would be great to get him on board

[druzik]

What happened to Greg Kacala (sp?) it would be great to get him on board

I dont know, if he is interested in helping out then he can contact me or Lukasz

[Johnoco]

What happened to Greg Kacala (sp?) it would be great to get him on board

Was he the guy that played for PSG in the first SL season?

[druzik]

Was he the guy that played for PSG in the first SL season?

Yup thats him

[shrek]

The ideal would be to get Polish migrant workers involved while they are over here - then they could be ready made players when they return to Poland.

Often wondered why nobody taps into that market, there's enough Poles in Wigan to justify specialist Polish shops and a good section of Tescos is given over to Polish products yet I've not heard a Polish accent take to the pitch all winter or heard of the pro side trying to make inroads targeting this market as speccies.

Would strike me as an easy, albeit small, win on the expansion front, if you can't get them interested living in a place like Wigan that lives and breathes the sport then you probably won't when/if they go home.

[Mortis]

There's more than a few Poles all over England. Why on earth the clubs don't try and get them to matches is a mystery to me. A few posters in the local "Polski sklep" along with some cut price tickets and I'm sure we'd have a few come along.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Throw in a free Kransky and they'll come!

[Methven Hornet]

Often wondered why nobody taps into that market, there's enough Poles in Wigan to justify specialist Polish shops and a good section of Tescos is given over to Polish products yet I've not heard a Polish accent take to the pitch all winter or heard of the pro side trying to make inroads targeting this market as speccies.

Would strike me as an easy, albeit small, win on the expansion front, if you can't get them interested living in a place like Wigan that lives and breathes the sport then you probably won't when/if they go home.

Yes, it is definitely an opportunity for the game. Even the town I deliver in - Auchterarder in Perthsire (pop 4,500) - has a fair sized Polish community, so you would imagine it would be the same across the rugby league playing towns. Employment in construction and catering seem to be common, and these can be temporary in nature, but other people, such as a mate at work who has met a local girl and is to get married this year, do settle.

Perhaps what is needed is a Polish equivalent of the German exiles team that played in the Midlands a few years back. Perhaps a couple, one each side of the Pennines, or even a rep side (13s or 9s) - something that would get the attention of the Polish community. There must be some people from the more established Polish community (ie those who settled after WW2) who are involve with the game and who would be willing to get something off the ground.

[paulmac]

Matt Srama apparently is of polish descent.Made his debut fort the titans on Friday.Vossy said he is the first player of polish exrtraction since Ziggy Nigscot,but i beleive Clinton Schifoske has polish forebears aswell.Apologies for my Polish spelling.

[pro]

good news for The Polish migrant workers whom are over here

[BigDunc]

There has been a couple of lads playing in the west yorkshire area teams, think wortley had one lad and remember being told about another somewhere