Last Greek summer, Steve Georgallis was in Crete and Athens, but not just for vacation.
Like every year, the renowned rugby league coach in Australia travelled to train dozens of male and female players.
Not only from the National teams, but also from amateur teams that are finding increasing popularity.
Their connection with Australia is strong and enduring, Georgallis told Neos Kosmos.
And it also contributes to the rise that the Women’s National Team has experienced in recent years.
“They’re playing against Italy next April in Athens. And Greek players from Australia will come to play for the national team.”
“I coached players from the National Team in Crete and Athens and was impressed by the level of skills they had and their passion for the sport.”
The Greeks of Australia
As a professional player, Georgallis had accumulated 229 games to his credit.
And in his coaching career since 2000 he has been through top clubs such as the Penrith Panthers and the Bulldogs.
He is currently the coach of the Parramatta Eels women’s team as well as the Greek men’s national team, which he led to its first World Cup in 2022.
“It was Greece’s first participation in a World Cup and it helped us promote the sport in the country,” said Georgallis.
The Greek Rugby League Federation is, after all, the brainchild of Greeks in Australia.
Terry Lymberopoulos and Georgallis began their efforts in the early 2000s.
Today they have succeeded in introducing and establishing the sport in Greece, while maintaining close ties with fans in Australia.
Greeks support the development of the teams with fundraising campaigns and even sponsorships.
One of the major sponsors is Greek Australian businessman Nick Politis.
“We believed that Greeks were made to play rugby league,” said Georgallis.
But there is also a personal reason that motivates him to coach on two continents at the same time.
“Greece is my place of origin and the birthplace of my family and I wanted to contribute.”
“My father is very proud of the fact that I went to Greece having played rugby league at the highest level in Australia.
“He would come and see me, of course, in the games I was coaching for Greece.”
Uphill obstacles
Seeing the development of rugby league in Greece, with constantly new clubs, youth and school teams, and two national teams, one would think that financial support is assured.
But the reality is different.
“This has to do with how the sport is promoted,” said Ourania Koutsikou, captain of the women’s national team, to Neos Kosmos.
“On a Sunday afternoon, if you turn on the television, you will hardly see sports being broadcast in Greece, let alone women’s sports, so this brings us to the issue of underfunding.”
Greeks in Australia “unfortunately and fortunately at the same time” have better information about what is happening in Greece in rugby league, she adds.
“A go fund me will reach the ears of the Australians first and it makes sense because they have supported the development of the sport in Greece from the beginning.”
She and her partner, Nick Stefanou, took over the captaincy and coaching positions respectively of the women’s national team, upon returning to Greece from Wales where they had lived and played rugby for years.
“We wanted to help the sport in general but also to promote women’s sports in particular,” said Koutsikou.
The couple were also the “godfathers” of the first inclusive and queer rugby union team in Greece, as their first coaches.
“There is a very big effort to develop the sport,” said Koutsikou.
“In order to achieve things and take care of our athletes, who have been selected and it is our honour to play for Greece, we become a ball.”
“But we do it with joy because we look forward.”
So does Georgallis, while remaining a realist.
“Surely as long as I live, rugby league will not surpass football or basketball.”
“The federation is newly established, but once it gets its feet on the ground with funding, there is interest in giving the sport a proper chance in Greece.”
Of course, it’s not all about money and facilities, he adds.
It’s about the people too.
“It’s a pleasure to coach players in Greece because I see that they love the game and want to take it to the next level.”
“And we have a lot of Greeks in Australia who want to help, and young players of Greek origin who are going to Greece for the first time playing rugby with the people there and this mix is a great experience.”
What Greece’s Rugby League players say:
Marianna Hali, 33, Chania, Cretan Gunners
“I have competed with the women’s national team and my team is the Cretan Gunners.
I can’t imagine my life without rugby anymore, […] it’s the reason I’ve changed everything so I can play as much as possible.
I think the Greek-Australians help Greece a lot and support it and it shows. Whenever they’ve been asked for something, they’re there and they’re always by our side and we thank them very much.”
Anna Lymberi, 35, Athens, Aris Eagles
“I’ve been playing rugby for the last 8 years but I often wish I had found it sooner.
I remember my first training session where I felt like I was a kid again, playing in my local field, out of breath chasing a ball.
It was the first time I was learning what rugby was, the rules were jumbled in my head but somehow I felt like I belonged with these girls we were training.”
Claudia Koule, 21, Athens
“I don’t just imagine myself playing rugby in the next five years but for as many years as possible.
In the future, I would like to see our team grow, gain more recognition in Greece and inspire more and more women to try rugby.
The support we receive from Greek Australians gives us hope, motivation and confidence that the sport has a future in Greece. It reminds us that there are people who believe in us, in our work and in our effort to develop rugby. This support helps us to continue more dynamically and dream bigger.”
