Great story in the Sydney Morning Herald this week about Australian footballers with Ukrainian heritage who will join Ukraine’s national rugby league team next month for the European qualifiers for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup!
These players, including soldiers serving in Ukraine, are uniting for an incredible cause – showing the world that Ukraine’s fighting spirit extends beyond the battlefield.
The team is a powerful symbol of Australia’s solidarity with Ukraine, especially during such challenging times. Players have been selected from Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Newcastle – and include a member of the Sydney Ukrainian community, Tomas Mencinsky!
President of the Ukrainian Rugby League Federation and serving defender in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Artur Martyrosian, said “teaming up with heritage players was a huge morale boost.”
The team needs our help to make this possible! They’ve launched a GoFundMe “Help our young Oz-Uke players to the Rugby League World Cup” to raise $30,000 to support their journey to the qualifiers in Europe.
Let’s rally together and show our support!
Read the full article by Rob Harris in the Sydney Morning Herald in our AFUO Newsroom.
Image credit: Louise Kennerley
#StandWithUkraine #RugbyLeague #UkrainianAustralian #WorldCup2026 #EuroRugbyLeague
