NRL Grand Final day this year for me was in Istanbul, part of a wonderful week-long holiday with friends to the ancient Turkish city with a fascinating side trip to the Gallipoli battlefields.
Amongst the many glittering highlights of our trip was a Sunday afternoon in a busy Irish pub just off the main shopping strip in the centre of Istanbul watching the Panthers overcome the Eels.
As a long-suffering Bulldogs supporter I had jumped ship to the Panthers for this finals series. I was pretty sure I had a good chance whilst my travelling companions were firmly with the Eels camp. But the Panthers’ victory wasn’t the highlight of the day for me, nor was it the French commentator for the game who kept yelling out gems like Nathan Clearyyyy, ooh lah lah”, and “Guthersaaan, fantastique”.
The highlight for us was the chance meeting with the president of the Turkish Rugby League, Gurol Yildiz, and several of his wonderful young players who had also gathered in the same pub to spend their Sunday afternoon watching the grand final.
Their passion for the game came across in their great knowledge of the game and in their animated following of the action. These young men and women, university students and young professionals, have adopted rugby league wholeheartedly and are desperate to advance the cause of the game in Turkey.
There are four clubs in Istanbul at the moment with both male and female teams and a fledging Tri-National competition, between Turkey, Greece and the Balkans. Growing the game in Turkey is a passion for Yildiz, who grew up playing in the Canterbury area of Sydney’s south as well as faithfully attending Bulldogs games at Belmore Oval.
He returned to Turkey 20 years ago, raising a family and running a business in frenetic Istanbul. But his love for footy has never diminished.
Indeed, Yildiz’s main goal at the moment is to convince the Australian Defence Force to commit to a yearly ANZAC match to be played the day after ANZAC Day in Canakkale, the main jump off point for any tour of Gallipoli.
Given the crowds of Australians and New Zealanders that will surely return for the post-COVID ANZAC Cove Ceremony in 2023, Yildiz believes that a game the day after on the 26th of April between the male and female Turkish national teams and two ADF teams would add another amazing dimension to the already strong cultural connection between our countries.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
“Who knows”, says Yildiz, “We might even convince the New Zealanders, the British and the French militaries to send teams. All the combatants from 1915. We can call it the Gallipoli Cup.”
What a great way to commemorate and build understanding between two countries after the sacrifice of so many at a place that means so much to both Australians and Turks.
This is not a new idea, Yildiz tells me. The Turkish Rugby League men’s team have toured Australia in the recent past, playing the ADF at the SCG and sharing commemorations at the Attaturk Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park. The connections are already there, they just need further development.
With the Grand Final over for another year, the beer flowed and the conversation with these wonderful young Turks turned to their lives, their families, their education and their dreams of travel.
We asked them if they would like to to come to Australia and play rugby league and their universally wide-eyed and excited responses told us all we needed to know about the potential for rugby league to grow worldwide. The game in Turkey is definitely growing and, because of the Gallipoli Legend, has the unique potential to become more than just a game.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
France wanted to stop unification of the Germanic states and they made alliances with Britain and Russia to oppose the Germans and the Austro-Hungarian empire. The British cabinet voted for war and we, Aus and NZ, were sucked into it. John Maynard Keynes predicted WW2 as a result of the terrible Treaty of Versailles.
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
Yep Prussia's territory increased under Bismark's rule causing alarm for France and others, but the British empire wasn't in the war to regain the lost territories for France but to keep the status quo of no continental superpower for its own aims.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
France lost the war of 1871 and wanted to regain Alsace and Lorraine. They made alliances with Great Britain, Russia and Serbia. A recent Charles De Gaulle history revealed that as a child he was told by his grandfather to join the army for France. It was the inevitable war between the European Empires. The treaty of Versailles was the reason for the second world war.
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure of the 2nd part as France wasnt the original aggressor but with the Dardanelles campaign it was to open the Russian supply routes
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
France made alliances with Russia and Great Britain because they didn't want to fight Germany alone. We were in a war so France could gain revenge for the loss in the war of 1871.
ozziedude
Roar Rookie
I think the real reason was to create supply lines thru to Russia via the Dardenelles
Anonymous
Guest
I have long said that the IRL and ERL need to focus their energy on incorporating countries across Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean into the sport, especially Turkiye and Algeria as the most ideal yet attainable prizes. Rugby Union holds events in the UAE, Hong Kong and Singapore, including the Rugby Sevens. Rugby League needs to find countries that would similarly sponsor its growth by holding events, and Turkiye is the best case. Rugby Nines is still an under-utilized format, and RL needs to create a yearly schedule spanning multiples countries. The local Rugby Union authority in the UAE actually banned Rugby League and they got the local Rugby League head arrested in 2015, which required the IRL to plead Emirati state authorities for his release. RL was also similarly banned in Morocco by the local RU authorities, and RU may have had a hand in Greece's banning of RL a few years ago too. RU has done this throughout history across many countries, including in Scotland and Wales in the UK itself. RU authorities also have de-facto bans on RL in South Africa, Japan and elsewhere, where if a rugby player ever competes in RL they are banned from competing in RU. The three most popular team sports in Turkiye are soccer, basketball and volleyball. Each are good sports but have their problems. Turkiye is good at soccer but not great and it's a burnpit for money because they're competing with Western Europe for players while not having any of the TV distribution or merch sales globally. Turkiye will never achieve the on-field success or financial success in soccer as some countries do, as the pool is too large. Turkiye is a much bigger player in basketball on the court, but basketball is heavily NBA-centric and most fans globally don't even watch the EuroLeague (or the EuroCup, the FIBA Champions League, FIBA Europe Cup or the ABA League), let alone the national leagues. Outside of the NBA and China's CBA, basketball players in other leagues don't even get sneaker deals from the big sportswear brands. Even European basketball YouTubers seem to only talk about the NBA. Rugby League is a sport that has so much potential for some countries. Unlike soccer, it's not over-crowded with countries that you're drowned out; and unlike basketball or baseball, public attention doesn't revolve around one league alone. Countries across the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, Caucasus, Iran, North Africa and West Africa have a great shot at making a name for themselves through Rugby League. The problem is that the sport's most financially-powerful entities, the NRL and ARLC, are isolationist when it comes to promoting the game outside of Oceania while the historic entities in England are too poor to do anything and lack direction.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
It was hell on Earth being in the trenches. Those who survived had shell shock driving them crazy or terrible injuries like my great uncle Arthur who had his legs amputated from above the knees.
ALL ABOUT BALLS
Roar Rookie
Thanks TB3 for educating me on the historic matter, well was more ghost feeling ,especially in the trenches, and gravestones.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Would the unexplained feeling of Gallipoli be why were we there? We were there because Winston Churchill wanted to add Jerusalem to the British Empire. The Aussie Prime Minister Billy Hughes, a Pom, was looking to add PNG to the British Empire. We were in France to help them win back territory lost to Prussia in the war of 1871. The English, the Great Invaders, were also dealing with Irish uprising in Dublin in 1915.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Thanks for the article, PJ. Great to hear and I hope the ANZAC day games come to pass.
Nat
Roar Guru
Really cool story PJ, thanks for sharing. :thumbup:
Adsa
Roar Rookie
What a great idea, Turkey v ADF team in mens and woman comp.
ALL ABOUT BALLS
Roar Rookie
Excellent article, Ive got goose bumps,loved Turkey,I can still feel that unexplained feeling of Gallipoli.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
By any chance are they named "The Turkish Delights " . Good article .
Tony
Roar Guru
Congratulations on a terrific first article PJ. Welcome to the jungle. Istanbul has to be one of my favourite travel destinations. I imagine the rugby league clashes between Turkey and Greece are pretty willing given their history.
Go Warriors
Guest
Great article, love hearing these stories. I hope your friends will be watching the world cup, it is going to be an unreal tournament.