PENRITH, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 01: Lachlan Ilias of the Rabbitohs passes during the round four NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at BlueBet Stadium, on April 01, 2022, in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
While nation’s fight over pay bumps and financial stability, the Greek national side has revealed that neither the staff or players will pocket a single cent from the Rugby League World Cup.
While only a handful of players are full-time athletes, the decision was made squad-wide to take any tournament allowances or payments, and reinvest them into the Greek Rugby League Federation.
Rugby league was outlawed in Greece until a number of months ago, with the national side forced to create fake events and play at midnight to dodge authorities and warm-up for the World Cup.
The majority of players in the squad are part-time footballers and part-time workers, and have taken leave without pay just to don the blue-and-white jersey ahead of the nation’s maiden appearance at the tournament.
So instead of cashing cheques and turning up to play, the staff and players are united in funding the Federation and bringing resources and awareness to Greek rugby league.
“All the players have decided to forego their money to help the federation,” head coach Steve Georgallis told AAP.
“It’s actually costing a lot of the guys to play but they understand what we are trying to achieve.
“Even the professional guys like Lachlan Ilias and Peter Mamouzelos (Rabbitohs), you’d think they would get paid but they said ‘no, we get what you’re trying to build’.”
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 12: Peter Mamouzelos of the Rabbitohs passes during the warm-up before the round 14 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Newcastle Knights at Stadium Australia, on June 12, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The coach is hoping that the code’s legalisation in the nation will have a ripple effect into their junior bases, and have younger kids taking up the sport.
“Now it’s legal, we can get into schools and not have the fear of not being able to do things,” Georgallis said.
“We are hoping that it’ll go to another level after this.”
Greece will face France on Tuesday morning AEDT, before facing heavyweights Samoa and England as the nation faces the tall task of escaping the pool phase.
Source:: ZeroTackle
