Ukrainian Candidates Certified as IRL Level 1 Coaches and Match Officials

• In 2025 IRL launched the most expansive investment into grassroots game development in its history.
• The technical education project objective is to ensure that every IRL member nation is able to produce its own coaches and match officials, through accredited local educators, and its own educators, through accredited local tutors, ensuring self-sufficiency, local leadership development and greater global capacity.
• The IRL's system focuses heavily on continuing technical development between courses, to ensure that acquired knowledge turns into maturing understanding of the game, higher technical standards and an authentically developed sport.
• The project is underpinned by state of the art e-learning management systems and coaching resources

 International Rugby League has delivered a Level 1 Coach and Level 1 Match Official course to Ukraine Rugby League candidates in Belgrade, Serbia, during Ukraine’s participation in Euro B.

 An integral part of IRL's core long-term development strategy is to cultivate a global network of local technical leaders, with Serbian Educator Slobodan Manak and Spanish Educator Andrew Pilkington leading the coach and match official courses respectively.

 Volodymyr Radchyk, Valentyn Korchak and Yevhen Zubrytskyi all did the Level 1 Coach and Level 1 Match Official course, with Bozhena Kuzmych also participating in the match official course. All four are now on the IRL development pathway, which will see them mentored and appraised at every step to ensure their genuine development and progress.

 “It was an intensive two days, largely due to the language barrier, but we successfully completed the course,” explained Manak. “The Ukrainian candidates are extremely promising. Given their existing background and knowledge, they adapted seamlessly to the course requirements. Vladislav Dedić (assistant Educator) and I agree that all three candidates are well-equipped to become successful coaches. ​A standout moment was when Yevhen Zubrytskyi took to the field. He naturally led the Serbian youth players without needing a single word translated—everything was immediately clear to them, proving how naturally coaching comes to him. The other two candidates, Valentyn Korchak and Volodymyr Radchyk, demonstrated exemplary skills as well, with Volodymyr covering every intricate detail of his delivery almost flawlessly."

 The quality of the coaching course and the delivery were praised by URL President Bozhena Kuzmych: “The coaching courses were highly diverse, engaging, and dynamic—combining theory, discussion, and practical application,” she noted. “The trainers who led the course were true professionals. I really appreciated the course structure and the wealth of knowledge our candidates gained. Without a doubt, this is a highly valuable experience that they will look forward to building upon.”The match officials course delivery benefitted from the opportunity to utilise the Euro B games and to kickstart the candidates' progression through CATO – IRL’s system of post-course work, completed to gain accreditation – with all candidates undertaking the first module and Radchyk and Zubrytskyi appointed to touch judge a game each in the competition, allowing them to complete their second module and receive feedback directly from Pilkington.

 “The course was an extremely positive experience overall," said Pilkington, "largely thanks to the enthusiasm and engagement of the Ukrainian candidates. All of them came with a strong understanding of the game, and some had already gained experience officiating in their home country. This course was an opportunity to formalise that existing knowledge, build on their experience and help them progress along the match officials pathway. Throughout the theory sessions, they demonstrated excellent knowledge and genuine interest, often anticipating the material and asking insightful questions. They also responded very well to feedback during the practical sessions, showing a real willingness to learn and develop. An important next step was also the opportunity to initiate the CATO process, allowing the candidates to begin their coursework following the in-person course and take their first steps towards accreditation. Once back in Ukraine, they will be able to continue developing their skills through the CATO process, supported by ongoing mentoring from IRL Tutors as they work towards accreditation and further development as match officials. 

 "Two of the candidates were able to gain first-hand experience as touch judges, while all had the opportunity to observe how match officials prepare for and manage games, both on and off the field. We were also able to work with them on reviewing previous matches and preparing for upcoming fixtures, giving them a broader understanding of the officiating process. Hopefully, they can take this experience back to Ukraine, continue developing their skills and play an important role in strengthening the match officials pathway in their home country.”

The Ukrainian candidates themselves left the courses feeling well prepared and enthusiastic to continue their development. Radchyk commented that, "The training was substantive, informative, and highly beneficial for ongoing professional development,” while Zubrytskyi praised the " excellent communication and great attention to detail."

 Korchak echoed his compatriots' sentiments, and said, "Let’s keep working, learning, and developing rugby league in Ukraine!”