Portugal joins the IRL family; multiple changes to membership register

Portugal Rugby League has been approved to become International Rugby League's 56th national federation.

A vote of International Rugby League Full Member nations approved Portugal Rugby League's admission to the IRL as an Observer Member.

IRL has announced several changes to its membership register following a series of resolutions voted by Full Members, including:

• South African Rugby League Sporting Association reclassified from Full Member to Affiliate Member;
• Brazilian Rugby League Confederation, Cameroon Rugby League XIII and Ragbi Lig Dernegi (Turkish Rugby League Association) reclassified from Affiliate Member to Observer Member;
• Observer Members Hungarian Rugby League Federation and North Macedonia Rugby League are expelled from the company following, respectively, at least three years of non-compliance with the membership policy and three years of non-submission of the annual membership audit;
• Portugal Rugby League admitted as an Observer Member.

Portugal Rugby League president Emmanuel De Jesus said: “Today marks a significant milestone for sport in Portugal.

"Portugal Rugby League was founded to create a genuine pathway for players, coaches, match officials and volunteers to participate, develop and represent our nation.

"Becoming part of the International Rugby League family is an historic step, giving Portugal an official place within the global rugby league community and opening the door to long-term growth and international competition.”

De Jesus, an IT professional, is supported on the inaugural three-person PRL Board by secretary Pedro de Sousa Santos and Cristina Capodici, the treasurer.

“Our vision is to establish rugby league as a recognised and sustainable sport in Portugal, creating opportunities for domestic and heritage players to proudly represent their country,” continued De Jesus.

"We aim to grow participation, develop coaches and officials, build strong links with schools, universities and local communities, and create men’s, women’s and youth pathways.

"Through our first international fixtures, we also want to show people who may have thought rugby league was not for them that the sport is open, inclusive and full of opportunity.”

Built on a multi-layered governance structure to encourage stability, the organisation will implement a detailed strategy that focuses on local player recruitment that will enable the launch of a four-club competition in 2028.

It intends using international competition as a tool to initially attract local players and has set a roadmap to be an IRL Affiliate Member by 2029.

De Jesus: “I would also like to thank our Board and volunteers, whose dedication and belief in the project have made this achievement possible. Together, we are laying the foundations for a bright future for rugby league in Portugal.”

South African Rugby League (SARLSA) has been reclassified from Full to Affiliate Member due to the absence of a junior championship. IRL is working with SARLSA to implement a multi-phase technical education strategy in its active provinces.

The Brazilian Rugby League Confederation (CBRL), Cameroon Rugby League XIII and the Turkish Rugby League Association have all been reclassified as Observer Members. None of the three countries have organised a domestic championship for at least three years, which is a core component of affiliate membership.

Compliance is assessed annually through the annual membership audit, with non-compliant members given a two-year corrective action period to address areas of non-compliance. 

In addition to the reclassifications, the national federations of Hungary and North Macedonia have been expelled from the IRL following at least three years of non-compliance with the membership policy and a lack of any rugby league development activity.