The most damning article on the international game.

[Pulga]

https://www.patreon.com/posts/126233758?pr=true

"The other problem is that ERL is since 2020 it is unable to apply for the European Commission for sports Erasmus+ program, because of Brexit. Because its head office is in the UK.

"The biggest money in history the ERL got was the Erasmus grant, more than a half million Euros for match officials and coach education."

 

Unbelievable.

[gingerjon]

8 minutes ago, Pulga said:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/126233758?pr=true

"The other problem is that ERL is since 2020 it is unable to apply for the European Commission for sports Erasmus+ program, because of Brexit. Because its head office is in the UK.

"The biggest money in history the ERL got was the Erasmus grant, more than a half million Euros for match officials and coach education."

 

Unbelievable.

If the ERL can’t apply for EU money because it’s based in the UK then there does seem to be a very easy fix for that.

Edited April 11 by gingerjon

[17 stone giant]

17 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

If the ERL can’t apply for EU money because it’s based in the UK then there does seem to be a very easy fix for that.

And if they can't work that out for themselves, it's probably best they're not trusted with any money.

[Pulga]

39 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

If the ERL can’t apply for EU money because it’s based in the UK then there does seem to be a very easy fix for that.

And it's only been 5 years...

 

The rest of the article is crazy when you realise he's Serbian and has probably been treated better than any nation in Europe or the Americas.

[Griff]

On 11/04/2025 at 11:56, Pulga said:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/126233758?pr=true

"The other problem is that ERL is since 2020 it is unable to apply for the European Commission for sports Erasmus+ program, because of Brexit. Because its head office is in the UK.

"The biggest money in history the ERL got was the Erasmus grant, more than a half million Euros for match officials and coach education."

 

Unbelievable.

Wait - you're blaming the RFL for Brexit?

[Ethereal]

19 minutes ago, Griff said:

Wait - you're blaming the RFL for Brexit?

I think they're suggesting a cunning strategy of moving to headquarters to within the EU so it could still qualify for funding.

[Sports Prophet]

I think a lot of the development activity which is taking place is now falling under the remit of IRL. Much like this project:  https://www.intrl.sport/article/414/irl-commits-record-funding-for-technical-education/

Do you think there is a reason ERL is based in the UK @Pulga?

[langpark]

6 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Do you think there is a reason ERL is based in the UK @Pulga?

 

Probably because it was a Richard Lewis (former RFL CEO) initiative in 2003:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Rugby_League 

Given the circumstances though, with Brexit, it should have been relocated to an EU nation.  Ireland probably would have been the easy option if they wanted it to remain close to the UK and in an English-speaking nation.

[Eddie]

On 11/04/2025 at 12:04, gingerjon said:

If the ERL can’t apply for EU money because it’s based in the UK then there does seem to be a very easy fix for that.

For a brief moment I thought you were proposing the UK rejoins the EU so the ERL can apply for a £500k grant. 

[Mr Plow]

29 minutes ago, langpark said:

Probably because it was a Richard Lewis (former RFL CEO) initiative in 2003:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Rugby_League 

Given the circumstances though, with Brexit, it should have been relocated to an EU nation.  Ireland probably would have been the easy option if they wanted it to remain close to the UK and in an English-speaking nation.

Who actually works for the ERL? If their employees are mostly English then I guess relocating to EU would be problematic 

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, Eddie said:

For a brief moment I thought you were proposing the UK rejoins the EU so the ERL can apply for a £500k grant. 

Unbelievably, there's actually an even *easier* fix!

[HawkMan]

Relocate the ERL to a RL hotbed in the EU...like Athens. The Greeks are very trustworthy with EU money.

[langpark]

1 hour ago, Mr Plow said:

Who actually works for the ERL? If their employees are mostly English then I guess relocating to EU would be problematic 

How would Ireland be problematic for English-speakers? 

[philipw]

6 minutes ago, langpark said:

How would Ireland be problematic for English-speakers? 

Because since Brexit, as non-EU citizens, the ability to live and work in an EU nation is reduced/ restricted/ removed

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, philipw said:

Because since Brexit, as non-EU citizens, the ability to live and work in an EU nation is reduced/ restricted/ removed

Ireland's okay though: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-ireland#working-in-ireland

[Bull Mania]

Are we really suggesting moving to Ireland where there is virtually zero rl presence and very little knowledge, so we get a £430k grant!? 

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

7 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

Are we really suggesting moving to Ireland where there is virtually zero rl presence and very little knowledge, so we get a £430k grant!? 

Why not  - in classic RL style it could pay Salfords wages this month and next ?

[gingerjon]

7 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

Are we really suggesting moving to Ireland where there is virtually zero rl presence and very little knowledge, so we get a £430k grant!? 

No, we’re pointing out that the European Rugby League is being run from the one European country that means it no longer qualifies for what was its most significant funding stream.

[Ethereal]

10 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

Are we really suggesting moving to Ireland where there is virtually zero rl presence and very little knowledge, so we get a £430k grant!? 

I think the point is that you could put the headquarters more or less wherever you like with very little impact on the actual operation.

There are a set of directors who probably live in different countries and there were only a couple of employees, one of whom was the guy in the article who was working all over Europe anyway.

[Pulga]

3 hours ago, langpark said:

Probably because it was a Richard Lewis (former RFL CEO) initiative in 2003:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Rugby_League 

Given the circumstances though, with Brexit, it should have been relocated to an EU nation.  Ireland probably would have been the easy option if they wanted it to remain close to the UK and in an English-speaking nation.

Yeah, that was going to be my guess. I thought the RFL had something to do with it.

And for the sake of half a million pounds surely it would be worth moving?

[Pulga]

43 minutes ago, Bull Mania said:

Are we really suggesting moving to Ireland where there is virtually zero rl presence and very little knowledge, so we get a £430k grant!? 

Just to be clear, I haven't heard of a bigger grant to RL outside of Australia and World Cups ever. 

Nations generally get zero from anyone.

[Barley Mow]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

No, we’re pointing out that the European Rugby League is being run from the one European country that means it no longer qualifies for what was its most significant funding stream.

There are 46 countries in Europe (that's counting the UK as one, although it's constituents are represented by separate RL governing bodies).

Only 27 are in the EU, so it isn't the one country that doesn't qualify for that funding.

[gingerjon]

Just now, Barley Mow said:

There are 46 countries in Europe (that's counting the UK as one, although it's constituents are represented by separate RL governing bodies).

Only 27 are in the EU, so it isn't the one country that doesn't qualify for that funding.

Okay. It’s one of. And the ERL does not need to be based in it.

[Dave T]

3 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Unbelievably, there's actually an even *easier* fix!

Disband the organisation and kick out all Euro nations of the IRL?

[Dave T]

Actually, I should probably delete the above post in case they get ideas...