DAVID BUTLER, the International Rugby League’s head of membership and competitions, was in a buoyant mood in the immediate aftermath of the European Under 19 Championships, which climaxed in an ultimately comfortable victory for hosts France over holders England in what was effectively the Championship final.

Greece, meanwhile, topped the Shield table, emulating France with three wins in as many games. 

Butler told League Express: “It was hugely successful – on the pitch we had ten teams, making it the biggest competition yet, staged in two tiers with some really tough, close encounters. 

“Canada and Norway showed a lot of promise in the Shield, in which Greece were a surprise package. 

“In the Championship, Serbia and Ukraine both looked vastly improved and narrowed the gap on some of their rivals. It was also good to see Wales back in the Championship and performing well.”

He continued: “Off the field the teams enjoyed some world-class facilities, with access to training pitches, a wrestle room, a gym, sports halls, a swimming pool and ice baths.

“Each had their own meeting room for video review and physiotherapy. With everything on site, the stress of lots of coach transfers was removed.”

Butler reflected: “It is also an opportunity for the nations to network, which included some interesting discussions between the British Isles nations and France about their annual competition calendar, and for other nations to look at their options for youth tours for next year.

“FFRXIII (the French Rugby League) did a great job of hosting, providing delegates to meet teams in the airports (Carcassonne, Girona and Barcelona) and in conjunction with the event partners were able to lay on a barbecue and an excursion up the mountain and a very nice closing event for the teams’ management and local partners and dignitaries.

“The live-stream production was fantastic and the presentation of matchdays was very professional.

“It was also a chance for Rugby League to show itself off at its very best as the sport came together to pay tribute to Emil Grindheim, the Norway captain who sadly died two weeks before the event.

“On the first day, all five games paused for a minute’s silence prior to kick-off and ahead of the Championship deciding game between England and France, which had more than 1,200 in attendance, the entire Norway squad joined the teams for a minute’s applause before Emil’s parents performed the ceremonial kick off.

“As I said to the teams at the closing event, we are a sport, but first and foremost, we are a family.”

The veteran administrator added: “We also used the opportunity to upskill a variety of match officials from the northern hemisphere to advance their qualifications and to accelerate our capacity to deliver match official education globally.

“This staging has undoubtedly been the biggest and best event so far and has taken it to new heights.

“We’ve already had a couple of expressions of interest for the 2028 event – but before we progress, we’ll review this one thoroughly and understand the economic impact it had on the Font Romeu area to help us understand the benefits to hosting a little more, and then look at options so that early plans can be made.”

* Ukraine were sponsored by HANetf in a deal initiated following the launch of the Ukraine Reconstruction UCITS ETF, an exchange-traded fund dedicated to Ukraine’s economic recovery.

The sponsorship arose from HANetf’s well-established support of grassroots sports and international Rugby League development.

The company’s aim is to ensure young players have access to the resources and coaching needed to perform.