# 2009 Rugby League European Cup

The 2009 Rugby League European Cup, known as the rugbyleague.com European Cup due to sponsorship, was a rugby league football tournament.
The revamped Rugby League European Cup 2009 involved six teams competing in two groups of three. Participating teams were: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Serbia, Lebanon and Italy. Russia were scheduled to take part in the competition, but were forced to pull out due to board restructuring within the Russian Rugby League Federation. They were replaced by the RLEF European Shield winners, Italy.

## Squads
### Lebanon

Coach: John Elias
| Club Team | Players |
| Canterbury Bulldogs | Liam Ayoub and Jamie Clarke |
| Sydney Roosters | Steven Azzi |
| Bankstown City | Danny Barakat, Adnan Saleh and Chris Salem (Captain) |
| Windsor Wolves | Danny Chiha and Wael Harb |
| Jounieh RLFC | Ghassan Dandach and Youssef El Helou |
| Newtown Jets | Khaled Deeb |
| Cronulla Sharks | Ahmad Ellaz |
| LAU | Robin Hachache and Jad Hashem |
| Wentworthville Magpies | John Koborsi |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | Josh Mansour |
| Newcastle Knights | George Ndaira |
| North Sydney Bears | Reece Robinson |
| Chester Hill Rhinos | Travis Robinson |
| Western Suburbs Magpies | Allen Soultan |
* Hazem El Masri was no longer available after retiring from the sport.
* Robbie Farah was unavailable due to being named in Australia's Four Nations squad.
* Charlie Farah, Anthony Farah, Nathan Dib and Jarrod Saffy were all injury withdrawals.

### Wales

Coach: Iestyn Harris (Crusaders Rugby League)
| Club Team | Players |
| Gateshead Thunder | Matt Barron |
| Celtic Crusaders | Ashley Bateman, Chris Beasley, Neil Budworth, Geraint Davies, Gil Dudson, Ben Flower (Captain), Jordan James, Elliot Kear, Lewis Mills, Ross Wardle, Lloyd White and Lee Williams |
| Featherstone Rovers | Ross Divorty |
| Leeds Met University | Rhys Griffiths |
| Bridgend Blue Bulls | Christian Roets |
| London Skolars | Matt Thomas |
| Leigh Centurions | Ian Watson |
| Central Comets | Ian Webster |
| Warrington Wolves | Rhys Williams |
* Anthony Blackwood (Celtic Crusaders), Ben Evans (Warrington Wolves), Rhys Evans (Warrington Wolves) and Craig Kopczak (Bradford Bulls) were put on a four-man stand-by list that was used in case of injuries.
* Notable omissions included Glenn Morrison, David Mills and James Evans.

### Serbia

Coach: Gerard Stokes (Whitehaven)
| Club Team | Players |
| Whitehaven | Soni Radovanovic (Captain) |
| RK Dorćol | Dalibor Vukanović, Stevan Stevanović, Milan Šušnjara, Vladan Kikanović, Dejan Lukenić, Nikša Unković, Dimitris Dajč, Filip Brkić |
| R13K Podbara | Mario Milosavljević, Nenad Grbić, Zoran Pešić and Marko Žebeljan |
| Oldham R.L.F.C. | Austen Novaković |
| Souths Sunnybank | Milan Radojević |
| RK Beogradski Univerzitet | Ivan Šušnjara |
| R13K Niš | Aleksandar Sič |
| RLK Crvena Zvezda | Ivan Djordjević |
Konstantin Putkin Unattached - Rugby Union

### Scotland

Coach: Steve McCormack
| Club Team | Players |
| Barrow Raiders | James Nixon |
| Featherstone Rovers | Jon Steel |
| Doncaster | Dean Colton |
| Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Kevin Henderson |
| Leigh Centurions | Mick Nanyn |
| Widnes Vikings | Lee Paterson, John Duffy and Iain Morrison |
| York City Knights | Gareth Moore |
| Huddersfield Giants | Paul Jackson |
| Sheffield Eagles | Mitch Stringer, Alex Szostak, Jack Howieson and Brendon Lindsay |
| Hunslet Hawks | Neil Lowe |
| Hull Kingston Rovers | Ben Fisher (Captain) and Rhys Lovegrove |
| Gateshead Thunder | Andrew Henderson, Mark Dack, Dave Vernon and Crawford Mathews |
| Whitehaven | Dexter Miller |
| Workington Town | Rob Lunt, Paddy Coupar and Dave Arnott |
| Edinburgh Eagles | John Cox |
| Castleford Panthers | Jamie Benn |

### Ireland

Coach: Andy Kelly
| Club Team | Players |
| Barrow Raiders | Liam Harrison and Dave Allen |
| Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | Scott Grix (Captain) |
| Halifax | Bob Beswick |
| Salford City Reds | Karl Fitzpatrick |
| Dewsbury Rams | Liam Finn |
| Leeds Rhinos | Luke Ambler |
| Oldham R.L.F.C. | Marcus St Hilaire and Wayne Kerr |
| Wigan Warriors | Pat Richards and Michael McIlorum |
| Warrington Wolves | Tyrone McCarthy |
| Harlequins RL | Jason Golden |
| York City Knights | Sean Hesketh |
| Castleford Tigers | Ryan Boyle |
| Dublin City Exiles | John Coleman |
| Treaty City Titans | Brendan Guilfoyle |
| Laois Panthers | Tim Bergin |
| Carlow Crusaders | Stevie Gibbons and Paddy Barcoe |
* Sean Gleeson, Gareth Haggerty and Eamon O'Carroll were not selected through injury.

### Italy

Coach: Carlo Napolitano
| Club Team | Players |
| Hinterland Storm | Dominic Brambani |
| Woodrush RU | Edoardo Lerna |
| Queensbury | Angelo Ricci |
| West Bowling | Jonathan Marcinzack |
| Leeds Akkies | Jason Dubas-Fisher |
| Avignon XIII | Cyril Armani |
| Cumbria rugby league | Alex D'aprile |
| Piemonte XIII | Filippo Maserati and Pier Luigi Gentile |
| Lyon Villeurbanne | Matthew Sands |
| Mastini XIII | Mauro Di Maggio, Fabio Berzieri, Daniele Pasqualini, Giovanni Franchi, Filippo Righetto and Matteo Foschi |
| Nafit XIII | Paul Stanica, Claudio Forte, Nicolino Facco, Daniele Gnata and Ludovico Torreggiani |
| La Rocca XIII | Filippo Veronese and Andrea Zacchia |
| Melbourne Storm | Aidan Guerra |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | Chris Borgese |
| Paris XIII | Anthony Severin |
| Gateshead Thunder | Paul Franze |
| Wests Tigers | Franco Kmet |
| Unattached | Marco Ferrazzano and Mark Dalle Cort |
* Bradford's Chris Nero was forced to withdraw from the Italian squad.

## Group 1
### Results

* 17 October 2009
| Italy | 0 - 104 | Scotland |
| | Report | Try: Nixon (4) Steel (2) Henderson (2) Fletcher (2) Benn (2) Nanyn (2) Paterson Moore Cox Fisher Goal: Nanyn (16) |
* Stadio Plebiscito, Padova, Italy Attendance: 2,139 Referee: Steve Ganson
* 24 October 2009
| Lebanon | 86 - 0 | Italy |
| Tries: T. Robinson (2) Ellaz Saleh (4) Mansour R. Robinson (3) Clark, Harb (2) El Helou Goals: Ndeira (12) Clark | Report | |
* International Olympic Stadium, Tripoli, Lebanon Attendance: 2,100 Referee: Thierry Alibert
* 1 November 2009
| Scotland | 22 - 10 | Lebanon |
| | Report | |
* Hughenden Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Leon Williamson

### Final standings

| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
| Scotland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 126 | 10 | 116 | 4 |
| Lebanon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 96 | 22 | 74 | 2 |
| Italy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 190 | -190 | 0 |

## Group 2
### Results

* 18 October 2009
| Ireland | 82 - 0 | Serbia |
| Try: Fitzpatrick (4) Ambler (2) Bergin (2) Coleman Finn Allen Hesketh Harrison Guilfoyle Goal: Finn (9) Hesketh (4) | Report | |
* Spollanstown, Tullamore, Ireland Attendance: 295 Referee: Leon Williamson
* 25 October 2009
| Serbia | 8 - 88 | Wales |
| Try: Putkin Goals: Brkic (2) | Report | Tries: Roets (3) James (2) Divorty (2) R. Williams (2) Kear Thomas L. Williams Bateman Watson Goals: Webster (14) |
* FK Smederevo Stadium, Smederevo, Serbia Attendance: 93 Referee: Shayne Hayne
* 1 November 2009
| Wales | 42 - 12 | Ireland |
| Try: Ian Webster Lee Williams Rhys Williams Ashley Bateman Geraint Davies Jordan James Elliot Kear Gil Dudson Goal: Lloyd White (5) | Report | Try: Marcus St Hilaire Liam Finn Goal: Pat Richards (2) |
* Sardis Road, Pontypridd, Wales Attendance: 2,143 Referee: Thierry Alibert

### Final standings

| Team | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Points |
| Wales | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 20 | 110 | 4 |
| Ireland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 94 | 42 | 52 | 2 |
| Serbia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 170 | -162 | 0 |

## Finals
### Championship final

* 08-11-2009
| Scotland | 16 - 28 | Wales |
| | Report | |
* Brewery Field, Bridgend, Wales Attendance: 1,608 Referee: Shayne Hayne Player of the Match: Elliot Kear

### 3rd Place Match

* 08-11-2009
| Lebanon | 40 - 16 | Ireland |
| Tries: Saleh (2) Mansour (9) Travis Robinson (12, 27) Clark (22) Reece Robinson (40, 75) Chiha (48) Goals: Clark (0/2) Reece Robinson (4/5) Travis Robinson (0/1) | Report | Tries: Haley (30, 36) Beswick (64) Goals: Finn 2/3 |
* Brewery Field, Bridgend, Wales Attendance: 1,608 Referee: Steve Ganson

### 5th place Match

* 08-11-2009
| Italy | 42 - 14 | Serbia |
| Try: Falcone (28, 65, 76) Vicelich (30, 37, 69) Nasso (39) Goals: Veronese 7/7 | Report | Try: Brkić (13) Vukanović (16, 44) Goals: Brkić 1/3 |
* Maesteg, Wales Attendance: TBA Referee: Phil Bentham

## Sources

* 2009 European Cup at rugbyleagueplanet.com
* Ireland VS Serbia 09 Appointment