IRL commits record funding for technical education

International Rugby League will invest record funding for technical education in 2025, including the creation of a portal which will act as a repository and learning hub for coaches and match officials around the globe.

Sustained technical education will build national federation capacity, improve on-field standards and ensure an authentic dissemination of the sport around the world.

The increased commitment follows the successful trial launch of the education programme earlier this year, with multiple courses delivered in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

A total of 62 coaches and 41 matches officials obtained qualifications, many of whom are on the level 1 educator pathway, with the ability to deliver courses and accredit personnel.

IRL’s Membership & Competitions department will now begin a global roll out of the programme, beginning with growing the expert tutor workforce before conducting in-country education visits to several target countries in all four IRL regions: Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East and Africa.

Local educators will then be mentored and equipped to deliver courses regionally, to neighbouring countries in need of education.IRL is also investing in and deploying state-of-the-art coaching resources to further boost national federation capacity.

A qualification equivalency framework will also be developed as part of the project with the intention of allowing practitioners with IRL qualifications to travel and coach/officiate in countries where rugby league is part of a national qualification framework at a level commensurate with their IRL accreditation.

IRL Head of Memberships and Competitions David Butler, who is the project lead, said: “We have set a vision to significantly improve competency and sustainability for technical education across the membership.

“In the short term this involves increasing the number of level 1 and level 2 educators in both the coaching and match officials strands and then as we progress we will develop those people to give them the skills to qualify educators themselves, building a sustainable pyramid of deliverers.

“By targeting our higher capacity members, we will also be able to use the network of educators to deliver across borders, ensuring that even more countries can be part of the expanded programme, both widening and deepening the footprint of qualified personnel in the game".