Turkish Rugby League Association

Turkish Rugby League Association
Turkish Rugby League Association Logo
Founded2016
HeadquartersIstanbul, Turkey
Websitehttps://turkishrugbyleague.com/

The Turkish Rugby League Association (TRLA) is a sports league in Turkey. They play rugby league. There are 9 teams; five teams are from Istanbul and four external, including Izmir, Ankara, Edirne and Antalya. New local competitions involving different forms of the game are developing including Izmir Rugby League which has five local teams which play Rugby League adapted for smaller fields.

The TRLA is very popular[citation needed] in the cities of Istanbul and Eskisehir in Turkey, and is the biggest rugby league competition in Turkey. The first grand final took place on 25 March 2017.[1] Though the organisation officially launched in 2016, preparation began the previous year, as rules were translated into Turkish that October.[2] In September 2017, Turkey's official rugby union organisation, the Turkish Rugby Federation, said that they would ban any prospective rugby league players, following a similar move in the UAE.[3]

Teams

The following teams are members of the TRLA:

Istanbul teams

  • Bilgi Badgers
  • Bosphorus Wolves
  • Kadikoy Bulls
  • İstanbul Dragons

Teams external to Istanbul

  • İzmir Zaferi
  • Antalya Warriors
  • Ankara Phyrgians
  • Eskişehir Aqua Warriors
  • Trakya Gladiators

See also

References

  1. ^ "History set to be made in Turkish rugby league". Rugby League Planet. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. ^ James, Honor (24 December 2016). "Turkish Rugby League Ends Historic Year with First Domestic Competition". Total Rugby League. League Publications. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  3. ^ McLennan, Stuart (5 September 2017). "Turkish Rugby Union Threatens to Ban Rugby League Participants". Commentary Box Sports. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2017.