RLEF DEVELOPMENT COURSE IN MOROCCO
Wednesday 12th November 2008
Moroccan rugby league took a significant step forward over the weekend following the staging of a Level One Coaching Course in the eastern resort city of Oujda.
Over 20 participants, all involved in university sports, attended the two-day qualification at Oujda University which was run by Rugby League European Federation Coaching Coordinator Carl Harrison.
Also involved was Moroccan national Coaching Advisor Olivier Dumeaux and Carpentras’s Younes Khattabi, the former Catalan Dragon who has represented both Morocco and France at international level.
The ‘Federation Royale Marocaine du Sport Universitaire’ (FRMSU) organized the event in partnership with Maroc Rugby League, the governing body that have led the renewed push to develop the code in the North African country since 2007.
Eleven universities were represented from all over Morocco, and a similar number of individuals attained a coaching badge, with others interested in becoming match officials.
RLEF Euro-Med Director of Development Danny Kazandjian was also present, and held talks with FRMSU and MRL officials, including FRMSU chief Mostapha Jelti and MRL president Nourredine Abdelouahed, concerning the future direction of the sport in the country.
“I was really heartened to see some concrete foundations taking shape in Morocco, a country which I have long believed to be a rich pasture for rugby league,” said Kazandjian.
“The commitment of the MRL should be praised and now the sport has a solid partner in Morocco that is genuinely interested in putting in place the structures that will ensure grassroots growth.”
The FRMSU intends to include a rugby league tournament in its 2009 calendar, starting with a 9’s event in March. This will represent the first domestic competition in Morocco’s long but chequered association with the game.