Polish Rugby Union open trials in Exeter
Do you play rugby, live in the UK or Republic of Ireland, were born in Poland or have a Polish parent or grandparent? If so, you can play for Polish national rugby teams - even if you don’t speak the language!
The first trial for rugby players who live in the England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and qualify to play for the Poland, will be held on the 17th December in Exeter.
The trials will take the form of two sessions (commencing at 12:00 and 16:00) and will be held with the Poland Under 18 rugby team who will be on tour in Exeter at the time. The U18 team is scheduled to play two matches in the preceding week against local teams, including the Exeter Chiefs Academy.
The aim of the Polish Rugby Union (PZR) is to broaden its potential player base by tapping into the talent pool of the hundreds of thousands of Poles who now live in the British Isles and would have certainly come into contact with the sport at schools and clubs.
“I would not be surprised if it turned out that there were more Polish-speaking teenagers interested in rugby living in Great Britain and Ireland than in Poland,” admits Dariusz Olszewski,
President of the Polish Rugby Union. “We often receive emails from likely candidates registering their interest in representing the national team and so we would like to take the opportunity to utilise players exposed to a higher standard of rugby.”
“The trials in Exeter will be the first of its kind, but we plan to organise other events next year in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and again in England. Polish rugby is growing - our juniors take part in all European competitions.
"The Senior team play in bigger and better stadiums, matches are shown on one of the main television channels and there is growing media interest. We have an experienced coach from South Africa with a real talent in unearthing and developing talent and believe that with gifted players from the UK and Ireland, the level of Polish rugby could grow much faster.” adds PZR Vice-President, Krzysztof Liedel.
World Rugby rules do not require a player to hold Polish citizenship to be able to play for Poland. Eligibility to wear the white eagle on your shirt can come through a player being born in Poland or having a single parent or grandparent who were born in Poland.
“This trial is aimed at players between the ages of 15 to 18 and will be run by Poland National Age Group coaches. All those who would like showcase their abilities should be able to travel to the pitch in Exeter at their own expense (drinks and a hot meal will be provided). Player’s details will be entered into our database and we’ll keep track of their careers. The best will be financed by the Union to represent the national U16, U18, U20 and Senior teams. The event in Exeter is the beginning of a long-term project which we hope will reap us great returns.” added PZR Secretary-General Robert Małolepszy.
How do you qualify to take part in the trial? Please send an email to Team Manager Maciej Brazuk at mbrazuk@pzrugby.pl with your details including the level of rugby you play and how you qualify to represent Poland. Respondents will receive a confirmation and an invitation to train with the address of the ground, timetable for the day and all other necessary information.
For those unable to make the trial but would like to register their availability for Polish national rugby teams across all age groups, including Seniors, please send the same information also to the above email address to be kept informed of future events.
