The European Rugby League (ERL) (previously Rugby League European Federation (RLEF)) is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe. In the absence of other continental federations, ERL also controls rugby league in North America the Middle East and Africa through its sub-branches Americas Rugby League and Middle East-Africa Rugby League.
History
The federation was founded January 2003 following an initiative between Richard Lewis, Executive Chairman of Great Britain's Rugby Football League (RFL) and his French counterpart Jean Paul Ferre of the French Rugby League Federation (FFR). The RLEF's first constitution was approved in January 2004 and the federation's first Board of Directors was elected. Following the profitable 2008 World Cup, the RFL and RLEF prepared to bid for funds to enhance their activities. RLEF Chairman Richard Lewis stated that Rudd "has done an outstanding job and created a platform, structure and competitions framework that can take us into the future". Kazandjian had previously been a key figure in the establishment of rugby league in Lebanon and had led the RLEF's development drive in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions as Director of Development for the Euro-Med region.
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions.
Competitions
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Competitions
!Champion
!Title
|-
| European Championship
| <br>(2018)
| 8th
|-
| European Championship B
| <br>(2021)
| 4th
|-
| European Championship C
| <br>(2019)
| 2nd
|-
| European Championship D
| <br>(2021)
| 1st
|-
| colspan=3|
|-
| Under-19 European Championship
| England<br>(2024)
| 2nd
|-
| colspan=3|
|-
| Balkans Cup
| <br>(2017)
| 2nd
|-
| Nordic Cup
| <br>(2017)
| 3rd
|-
| colspan=3|
|-
| Americas Championship
| <br>(2018)
| 1st
|-
| MEA Championship
| <br>(2022)
| 2nd
|}
ERL board
: As of 6 January 2025
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|-
! Member !! Representation !! Nationality
|-
| Dean Andrew (Chairman) || rowspan="2"|Independent Directors || England
|-
| Tatiana Doncaster || England
|-
| Brian Juliff || rowspan="3"|Member Elected Director || Wales
|-
| Jim Reynolds || Ireland
|-
| Ileana Iacopetti || Italy
|-
| Alison O'Brien || RFL Appointed Director || England
|-
| Gilles Dumas || FFRXIII Appointed Director || France
|}
Membership
Currently seven nations are full members of the federation; there are also nineteen affiliate members and sixteen official observers. Full members are entitled to a greater proportion of voting rights and to become members of the Rugby League International Federation.
In order to become an associate member, a nation must meet the following criteria:
- Implementation of a constitution and rules that commit the governing body to acting in the best interest of rugby league, throughout the whole of their country.
- Observers
- Austria Rugby League
- Belgium Rugby League Association
- Rugby League Association of Catalonia
- Dansk Rugby League
- Ethiopia Rugby League
- Federația Româna de Rugby XIII
- Portuguese Rugby League Association
- Trinidad & Tobago Rugby League Association
See also
- International Rugby League
- Asia-Pacific Rugby League