The 2019 Rugby League European play-off tournament was the final phase of European qualifying to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, played in October and November 2019. It featured six nations, five of whom have come through the previous phases of European qualifying - 2018 European Championship, 2018 European Championship B and 2018–19 European Championship C. The competition was played in two groups of three with the winners and runners up in each group qualifying for the World Cup.
Teams and pool draw +TeamQualified viaSeeding for tournament2018 European Championship 3rd place1st2018 European Championship 4th place1stDirect entry to play-off2nd2018 European Championship B winner2nd2018 European Championship B runner-up3rd2018–19 European Championship C winner3rdReplaced Russia
The draw for the two groups was made on 12 December 2018. Teams with the same seeding will not play in the same group, each group will be a single round-robin with each team playing each other once. Group A was drawn as Ireland, Italy, and Spain, and Group B as Scotland, Russia, and the winners of the Euro C play-off game. Greece defeated Norway in May 2019 to take the position in Group B.
In August 2019, it was announced that Russia were withdrawing from the competition and would be replaced by , who finished third in the 2018 Euro B tournament. No specific reason was given for Russia's withdrawal, though the decision was foreshadowed by allegations from the Serbian Rugby League that Russia's Association of Rugby League Clubs did not provide the necessary paperwork for VISA removal for their Australian-based players ahead of their Euro B match in Moscow in October 2018.
Fixtures Group A
Team details FB 1Romain FrancoWG 2Alexis EscamillaCE 3Antonio Puerta CE 4Alex Doutres (c)WG 5Daniel GarciaFE 6Luc FrancoHB 7Romain PallaresPR 8Gaetan EstrugaHK 9Miguel Blanco-ChartersPR 10Maxime GarciaSR 11Emir Walid BouregbaSR 12Anthony DelgadoLK 13Julien AgulloInterchange:BE 14Kevin AparicioBE 15Ludovic RenuBE 16Rafael GarciaBE 17Simon JuarezCoach: Darren Fisher FB 1Ethan RyanWG 2Matt CoadeCE 3Frankie HaltonCE 4James Bentley WG 5Roland PodestaSO 6Gregg McNallySH 7Joe Keyes PR 8Liam ByrneHK 9Bob Beswick (c)PR 10Pat MoranSR 11Oliver RobertsSR 12Tyrone McCarthyLF 13George KingInterchange:BE 15Ronan MichaelBE 16Danny BridgeBE 17Michael WardBE 19Declan O'DonnellCoach: Stuart Littler Notes: This match was originally fixtured to be played at Estadio Matías Prats in Torredonjimeno.
Team details FB 1Samuel DoloresWG 2Emanuele Passera CE 3Ethan Natoli CE 4Ronny PalumboWG 5Richard LeporiFE 6Gus GarzanitiHB 7Jack CampagnoloPR 8Alec SusinoHK 9Joey TramontanaPR 10Brenden Santi (c)SR 11Ryan KingSR 12Alexander MylesLK 13Gioele CelerinoInterchange:BE 14Daniel PetraliaBE 15Anton IariaBE 16Rhys SciglitanoBE 17John TrimboliCoach: Leo Epifania FB 1Romain FrancoWG 2Alexis EscamillaCE 3Daniel GarciaCE 4Alex Doutres (c)WG 5Ludovic RenuFE 6Luc FrancoHB 7Romain PallaresPR 8Gaetan EstrugaHK 9Miguel Blanco-ChartersPR 10Kevin AparicioSR 11Antonio PuertaSR 12Rafael GarciaLK 13Julien Agullo Interchange:BE 14Miquel TomàsBE 15Maxime GarciaBE 16Emir Walid BouregbaBE 17Anthony DelgadoCoach: Darren Fisher
Team details FB 1Ethan RyanWG 2Matt CoadeCE 3Zack McCombCE 4James Bentley WG 5Roland PodestaSO 6Gregg McNallySH 7Joe KeyesPR 8Liam ByrneHK 9Bob Beswick (c)PR 10Pat MoranSR 11Frankie HaltonSR 12Tyrone McCarthyLF 13George KingInterchange:BE 15Ronan MichaelBE 16Danny BridgeBE 17Michael WardBE 19James MulvaneyCoach: Stuart Littler FB 1Samuel DoloresWG 2Emanuele PasseraCE 3Ethan NatoliCE 4Ronny PalumboWG 5Richard LeporiFE 6Gus GarzanitiHB 7Jack CampagnoloPR 8Alec SusinoHK 9Joey TramontanaPR 10Brenden Santi (c) SR 11Ryan KingSR 12Alexander MylesLK 13Gioele CelerinoInterchange:BE 14Daniel PetraliaBE 15Anton IariaBE 16Rhys SciglitanoBE 17John TrimboliCoach: Leo Epifania
Group B
Team details FB 1Alex WalkerWG 2Davey DixonCE 3David ScottCE 4Ben Hellewell WG 5Will OakesSO 6Callum McLellandSH 7Ryan BrierleyPR 8Luke DouglasHK 9Danny Addy PR 10Adam WalkerSR 11Nick GloheSR 12Ben KavanaghLF 13Dale Ferguson (c)Interchange:BE 15Sam LuckleyBE 17Kieran MoranBE 20Matt HoggBE 23Dan TurlandCoach: Nathan Graham FB 1Vojislav DedićWG 2Zane BijoracCE 3Aleksandar DjordjevićCE 4James Mirčeski WG 5Dragan JankovićFE 6Daniel MarjanovićHB 7Ben StevanovićPR 8Vladica NikolićHK 9Rajko Janković PR 10Miloš ĆalićSR 11Jason MurankaSR 12Stefan NedeljkovićLK 13Stevan Stevanović (c)Interchange:BE 14Lazar ŽivkovićBE 15Vladimir MilutinovićBE 16Ilija Radan BE 17Daniel BurkeCoach: Stuart Wilkinson
Team details FB 1Terry ConstantinouWG 2John MitsiasCE 3Grigoris KoutsimpogiorgosCE 4Mitchell ZampetidesWG 5Nick MougiosFE 6Chaise RobinsonHB 7Jordan Meads (c)PR 8Stefano TotidisHK 9Peter MamouzelosPR 10Robert TuliatuSR 11Sebastian SellSR 12Jake KambosLK 13Billy MagouliasInterchange:BE 14Konstantinos KatsidonisBE 15Stefanos BastasBE 16Jake VrahnosBE 17Theodoros NianiakasCoach: Steve Georgallis FB 1Alex WalkerWG 20Matt HoggCE 3David ScottCE 2Davey DixonWG 5Will OakesSO 6Callum McLellandSH 7Ryan BrierleyPR 8Luke DouglasHK 9Danny AddyPR 15Sam LuckleySR 11Nick GloheSR 12Ben KavanaghLF 13Dale Ferguson (c)Interchange:BE 10Dan TurlandBE 16Joe McCleanBE 17Kieran Moran BE 21Liam FaughlinCoach: Nathan Graham
Team details FB 1Miloš ZogovićWG 2Dragan JankovićCE 3Zane BijoracCE 4Aleksandar DjordjevićWG 5Rajko TrifunovićFE 6Vojislav DedićHB 7Daniel BurkePR 8Vladica NikolićHK 9Vlada DedićPR 16Miloš ĆalićSR 11Jason MurankaSR 12James MirčeskiLK 13Stevan Stevanović (c)Interchange:BE 10Vladimir MilutinovićBE 14Ilija RadanBE 15Nikola SrbljaninBE 17Lazar ŽivkovićCoach: Stuart Wilkinson FB 6Chaise RobinsonWG 2Nikolaos BosmosCE 5Nick MougiosCE 4Terry ConstantinouWG 3John MitsiasFE 13Billy MagouliasHB 7Jordan Meads (c)PR 8Stefanos BastasHK 9Peter MamouzelosPR 16Billy TsikrikasSR 11Jake KambosSR 12Sebastian SellLK 10George TsikrikasInterchange:BE 1Adam VrahnosBE 15Stefano TotidisBE 17Robert TuliatuBE 18Aris DardamanisCoach: Steve Georgallis
References