International
season off to brilliant start

The club season may just be over, and the international season just beginning, but already we have seen some fantastic football, and proof that the game on the international level is expanding. The international season kicked off last Wednesday when a near full strength French side was simply too good for the visiting New Zealand Maori outfit, recording a 28 ? 16 victory in Carcassonne.

Down under up at Darwin, the Australian Junior Kangaroos, which made up of the best players from the NSWRL and QRL competitions as well as some Under 21 National Rugby League players, only just defeated the Australian based PNG Presidents XIII 22 ? 18.

Saturday saw the Samoan side take the international field again, recording a thrilling 32 ? 20 victory over the Auckland based Maori side as a curtain raiser to the very well published 30 ? 16 victory by the New Zealand Kiwis over the Australian Kangaroos as part of the 2003 Kangaroo Tour.

Back in France, the New Zealand Maori have recorded a 32 ? 12 victory over the French selection side, whilst in Cumbria, the New Zealand A side has draw 24 ? all.

The PNG based Presidents XIII has recorded a historic 24 ? 22 victory over the Junior Kangaroos, and over in Lebanon at the moment the Mediterranean Cup has kicked off, with results to be posted as soon as they become available.

Most of the attention may be on the Rugby Union World Cup at the moment, in terms of the international scene, but League is still moving forward in leaps and bounds in the background.