BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Nederlandse Rugby League Bond president Craig Shepard has been voted on to the board of European Rugby League (ERL) after defeating former Central and Eastern European regional director Jovan Vujosevic in an election.
Shepard is expected to be formally ratified as a director at the annual general meeting tomorrow. Vujosevic worked for the ERL for 17 years until he was controversially departed late last year.
rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads understands Shepard received 32 votes while Vujosevic received 20.
“I congratulate Craig sincerely and wish him success in fulfilling his responsibilities,” Vujosevic said in a statement.
“While I fully respect the voting process and the outcome, I feel obliged to speak openly about a broader issue that goes far beyond this single election. With the conclusion of this vote, the current composition of the ERL Board stands as follows: five Directors from the United Kingdom, one Director from Ireland, one Director from France (ex officio by the ERL Constitution).
“This means that six of the seven voting Directors come from outside Continental Europe. At the same time, the ERL has adopted a major strategic decision: to establish a new legal entity in Toulouse, France, in order to access Erasmus+ and other EU funding programmes.
“This creates a contradiction that cannot be ignored. If the ERL intends to operate within EU frameworks, benefit from EU funding and represent European interests, then its governance structure should reflect the diversity and geography of the European continent. Today, it does not.
“For 17 years I have worked across the continent on rugby league development:
youth systems, women’s programmes, domestic competitions, regional cooperation and international diplomacy. Many other nations — large and small — have done the same.
“Yet despite all these efforts, Continental Europe is almost entirely absent from ERL leadership. I want to be clear: this is not about me losing an election. This is about ensuring that the European Rugby League reflects Europe — not only one region or one traditional rugby league culture.
“This is a question of legitimacy, fairness and the future. My concern is simple and sincere: Can ERL remain credible in the eyes of European institutions with such a governance imbalance?
“Can ERL claim to represent Europe when Europe is nearly absent from its own Board? Is this structure compatible with the diversity and inclusion principles ERL itself promotes? These are not emotional questions. They are structural questions that matter for the future of our sport.
“I will continue to support the development of rugby league across Europe and to work for stronger international cooperation, fairness and representation.
“My hope — and my request — is that this moment becomes an opportunity for reflection among all Member Federations, so that the European Rugby League can align its governance with the values, diversity and geography it claims to represent. I remain grateful for the support I received and proud of the work we have all accomplished together.”
According to the ERL website, the organisation’s current board includes chairperson Dean Andrew, independent director Tatiana Doncaster, former Wales Rugby League chairman Brian Juliff, Rugby League Ireland chairman Jim Reynolds, Italian Rugby League board member Ileana Iacopetti, the RFL’s director of insight & customer Alison O’Brien and FFRXIII president Gilles Dumas.
The ERL has proposed moving its headquarters from England to France.
