Middle East Africa Rugby League

🇫🇷🆚🇳🇬
Nigeria Rugby League and FFR XIII - Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII name their squads for Saturday's women's international!

🗓️ Saturday 1st August
🕧 6pm Kick Off
📍 Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan

📰 https://bit.ly/3Tvp5HA

📅 A new month. A historic moment draws closer.

⏳ 6 DAYS TO GO.

Next Monday, Cambridge University Rugby League Football Club arrives in Ghana for a landmark tour that will bring together elite university rugby league, international competition, and the continued growth of rugby league in 🇬🇭 Ghana

🗓️ 6–13 July 2026

The countdown is on, and we can't wait to welcome Cambridge to Ghana for a week of world-class rugby league, cultural exchange, and unforgettable moments.

Stay with us as we count down to history.

🇳🇬 Nigeria Green Falcons appoint Sydney Roosters NRLW mentor Melissa Spero as head coach

Nigeria Rugby League officials have confirmed their ambition for the African nation to become a powerhouse of the women’s game with the appointment of Sydney Roosters assistant coach Melissa Spero to take charge of the Green Falcons.

Spero, who was also a member of the coaching staff for the New South Wales Blues side which created history by completing a 3-0 cleansweep of this year’s Women’s State of Origin series, has an impressive coaching record.

She has worked closely with John Strange at Sydney Roosters for the past four years - including their 2024 premiership triumph and 2025 minor premiership win and been a mentor for the club's pathways coaches.

A pioneer for female coaches at the elite level of the game, Spero has also an extensive background in player development.

Spero has coached the Australian Schoolgirls and been an assistant coach of NSW Under 19s, as well as Illawarra Steelers Tarsha Gale (U19s) and NSWRL Women’s Premiership sides.

“The appointment of Melissa Spero is a statement of intent. We are not here to make up the numbers,” Nigeria Rugby League Association Vice-Chairman Ade Adebisi said.

“Our goal has always been to be the first African nation to qualify for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup, and appointing a coach of Melissa’s calibre, with her record at the highest level of the women’s game in Australia, brings us closer to making that a reality.

“We are excited about what this appointment means for the Green Falcons and for women’s rugby league across the continent.”

Nigeria are currently ranked the No.10 Women’s nation in the IRL World Rankings after beating Ireland in last year’s inaugural World Series in Canada before losing to Fiji in a play-off for the final berth at RLWC2026.

Spero’s first match in charge of the Green Falcons will be against France, who are ranked No.4, in Perpignan on August 1.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to coach Nigeria,” Spero said. “I’ve been following their progress and from what I’ve seen and heard, the players are training hard and doing their best to grow and become better. Having athletes that are willing and want to achieve is the first step to becoming successful.

“For me, the most exciting thing is that Nigeria is just starting out on their journey, so it is a bit like Papua New Guinea 10 years ago. There is a lot of potential so there is no reason they can’t be competitive.”

After their performance in the inaugural World Series in Canada, Nigeria RLA Director of High Performance & International Competitions, Luke Shearman, said Spero had been identified as a coach who could take the Green Falcons to the next level.

“Mel’s appointment is a significant step forward for our women’s high-performance program. Her experience in elite rugby league and commitment to athlete development will help establish the standards, culture and pathways required for long-term success,” Shearman said.

“We are building a program capable of competing with the world’s best, and Mel will play a pivotal role in that journey.”

“We undertook an extensive search process and spoke with a number of highly credentialed candidates from Australia, England and Europe to ensure we identified the right person to lead our women’s program.

“Throughout that process, Mel consistently stood out through her experience, leadership and vision for athlete development. We are delighted to secure a coach of her calibre and are confident she will play a significant role in shaping the future success of the Green Falcons.”

📰More news: http://internationalrugbyleague.com

International Rugby League

🇺🇬 🇰🇪 Rugby League Uganda to receive IRL Technical Education ss Kenyan educators aim to complete qualifications

Rugby League Uganda will receive its first Level 1 Coach and Level 1 Match Official courses on June 12-13 at the Elite High School, Entebbe.

More than 10 candidates for each course will take part, ensuring that Uganda will be in a position to apply for Affiliate Membership of IRL once the candidates have completed their post-course CATO work to become accredited.

The federation currently meets all the other criteria, including five-team men's and women's domestic championships and more than 500 registered players.

The participating clubs are Elite Rugby League Club, Bwerenga Rugby League Club, Saaza Rugby League Club, SACS Rugby league Club, Musoto Rugby league club. A sixth club, Bududa Dragons RLC, is joining the competition this season.

The Ugandan championship is already a proven breeding ground for talent, with Peace Lekuru last season scoring seven tries in 10 Women's Super Leagues games for York Valkyrie.

“As we prepare for the courses, I am excited to see 24 passionate male and female participants ready to invest in their development and the future of our sport,” said Fortunate Irankunda, Rugby League Uganda's Rugby Director.

“Their commitment reflects the growing enthusiasm and dedication towards raising the standards of rugby league in Uganda,”

In another first, the courses will be delivered by representatives of neighbouring Kenya Rugby League Federation, with Level 1 Educator John Mbai set to lead the coaching course, whilst Level 1 Educator Brian Odiwuory will lead the Match Officials Course, assisted by compatriots Scott Figman Lubukha and Esther Nyambura.

IRL Senior Match Officials Tutor Phil Smith will also be in attendance to observe the Match Officials delivery.

Odiwuory is seeking to be signed off as the Middle East-Africa region’s first Level 1 Match Official Tutor and Figman Lubukha and Nyambura are aiming to qualify as Level 1 Educators as a result of the course, meaning that KRLF will have surpassed the technical education standard required for IRL Full Membership.

📰Full article: https://bit.ly/4vq2bPp

Emerging powerhouse: Infrastructure the key for Nigeria

🇳🇬Nigerian officials believe the West African nation has the potential to rival Papua New Guinea as an emerging rugby league powerhouse after outlining plans for a Centre of Excellence and domestic pathways to develop talent that can play at the highest level.

📰Full article: https://bit.ly/42D9HKn

Nigeria Rugby League FFR XIII - Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII Rugby League Uganda International Rugby League Rugby League Federation Ghana fans

Emerging powerhouse: Infrastructure the key for Nigeria

🇳🇬Nigerian officials believe the West African nation has the potential to rival Papua New Guinea as an emerging rugby league powerhouse after outlining plans for a Centre of Excellence and domestic pathways to develop talent that can play at the highest level.

📰Full article: https://bit.ly/42D9HKn

Nigeria Rugby League

Middle East Africa Rugby League

🇫🇷 France Women Confirm Internationals With England And Nigeria

FFR XIII - Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII will warm up for the Rugby League World Cup with two games this summer!

🆚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EnglandRL Saturday 25th July, Toulouse
🆚🇳🇬 Nigeria Rugby League Saturday 1st August, Perpignan

📰https://bit.ly/4dUcZA2

Different flags. One jersey. 🌍
🇬🇭 🇰🇪 🇺🇬 🇨🇮 🇳🇬

The All-Stars receive their jerseys.
Next: Green Falcons.

📍 Alaro City
📅 Sunday, April 19
⏰ 2:30PM

📩 DM to reserve your seat

One team. One mission.

Different countries. Different cultures. One team. 🌍

From 🇬🇭 🇰🇪 🇺🇬 🇨🇮 🇳🇬
Paths that started apart now meet on one field—for Rugby League.

The MEA All-Stars held their first training session this week.
New teammates. New connections. One shared goal.

Next stop: the Green Falcons.

📍 Alaro City
📅 Sunday, April 19
⏰ 2:30PM

👀 Be there.

One mission. One moment.