From a diminutive base in Sydney-Australia, the MRLA promoted the ‘Malta Knights’ brand name within Australia’s Maltese community through a vibrant committee and earned the services of Australian-Maltese personalities to promote a common bond; Rugby League and Malta.

Assisted by rugby league legend and MRLA ambassador Mario Fenech, Malta’s rugby league jersey gained regular exposure on the Channel Nine network’s rugby league orientated shows, The Footy Show and Boots n All. Fenech later represented the Malta Knights at the 2005 Orara Valley Sevens.

Malta’s nominated head coach from day one, Joe Grima placed a call for all players of Maltese heritage to show interest in representing Malta at national representative level. This plea was met overwhelmingly by requests to play from afar as New Zealand, England, Canada, predictably Australia and even Malta.

Included in an encouraging number of players requests to represent Malta was the notable inclusion of ex NRL level players including inaugural captain Dallas Weston, Ben Sammut and Anthony Xuereb whilst current NRL players including Michael Vella took on an active role within the Maltese community drumming up interest for the fledgling rugby league governing body.

Australian Maltese Chamber of Commerce president and nominated MRLA Patron Chev Syd Borg was instrumental in the MRLA organising the contacts necessary for the MRLA to gain recognition with members of high status including former Maltese prime minister and current Malta opposition leader Dr Alfred Sant.

Malta drew respectable crowds to their inaugural 13-a-side representative matches in Sydney were they successfully displayed true Maltese passion in performances against the touring British Defence Forces, and 3 weeks later against Fiji A.

The early summer months of 2005 saw Malta represented in ‘sevens’ rugby league with a notable performance at the Orara Valley Sevens where Hollywood personality Russell Crowe joined a growing bandwagon of support in donning the famed Maltese rugby league jersey.

Australian-Maltese Iron Woman and MRLA ambassador Candice Falzon represents the women’s outlook on the MRLA and were very appreciative of her acceptance of the role of ambassador for the inaugural Miss Malta Knight Pageant, a major fundraising event directed to the promotion and development of rugby league within the Maltese community; and furthering the commitment to introducing rugby league to the Maltese islands. The pageant was attended to by a number of celebrities and saw Miss Rachel Muscat take the inaugural pageant honours before an audience of over 430 people.

Renowned Maltese journalist Josephine Zammit Cordina began an influx of media to reign on the MRLA’s success when her crew for popular rating Maltese television show Waltzing Matilda flew to Australia to meet with the MRLA, conducting interviews and displaying a masterpiece segment on the MRLA’s success to date. This visit was followed by the equally prominent Maltese television show Xarabank who conducted a similar display on their Friday night show.

The weeks leading up to rugby league’s arrival on Maltese soil saw notable mentions throughout all levels of the Maltese based media.

Aside from a stirring welcoming reception at the Malta International Airport, the team and its touring party’s arrival in Malta was highlighted in media the following day thanks to a photographer from Malta’s largest selling newspaper, the Times of Malta.

The governing body for evidently Malta’s national sport; football, the Malta Football Association invited all members of the 45 strong touring party to the Sunday Malta Premier League match of the day between the previously undefeated Sliema FC and Floriana FC at Malta’s National Stadium- Ta Qali. This prompted Smash Televisions’ Monday night football review program to invite MRLA PRO Anthony Micallef as an hour-long special guest.

A familiar sport to the Australian-Maltese rugby league players was cricket and the MRLA accepted an invitation to play Marsa CC in a friendly match at the Marsa Cricket Ground. The latter won the match by no more than thirty-three runs, but not before a 50 score by ex NRL first grader Anthony Xuereb.

Advertisements in print media invited all interested persons to a rugby league introductory day at Marsa Stadium. The event was well attended, predominantly by members of the Hibs Sharks Rugby Club where players were put through their paces in a session that included all rugby league fundamentals, by members of the Malta Knights coaching and playing staff.

Under the watchful eye of Malta’s coaching staff, Malta national team rugby union international 31 year old Robert Bonavia was selected to join the Malta Knights squad in preparation for the historic rugby league international friendly the following Saturday.

Amongst a host of training and bonding sessions was a ‘Beach Sevens Rugby League tournament’ on the sands of Mellieha Bay following a public training session by both squads - the Malta Knights and the England Lionhearts.

A red carpet invitation by Australia’s Maltese residing High Commissioner HE Richard Palk at his personal residence was welcomed by all members of the Maltese rugby league touring party where amongst speeches, toasts and presenting of awards, the Malta Rugby Football Union’s (MRFU) presence was formally introduced to the board members of the MRLA.

Following the usual media hype of all sorts; television, radio and newspaper, public appearances, and general promotion of the rugby league fixture itself by members of both rugby league squads and their supporters, the fateful day was soon to be realized.

Saturday 22 October 2005 welcomed post 30-degree temperatures, humidity unseen in the previous week and over 500 supporters making the curious visit to Marsa’s Matthew Micallef St John Athletic Stadium (Marsa Stadium) for the well-billed ‘historic first rugby league game on Maltese soil’

Both official parties were equally impressed by the Rugby League European Federation (RLEF) appointment of Ashley Klein as referee, whom had officiated the English Super League Grand Final the previous week following his naming as 2005 Engage Super League Referee of the Year.

Under the watchful and impressed eye of RLEF Media Officer Benjamin Araud, natural obstacles in the vein of audio, general matter and typical Maltese fortune preceded the historic encounter before the presence of both Australia and Malta’s respective High Commissioners, media from the nation’s two television stations, photographers from the country’s Maltese and English written newspapers, journalists from all aspects of Maltese sport and despite rugby league’s non IOC recognition, an extremely content visit by Malta Olympic Committee Secretary Joe Cassar.

Initial simmering tensions were released with two players from each team removed from the game: two for the entirety. Malta defeated England Lionhearts and wrote into the record books a 36 to 6 score line. Only the five hundred plus spectators can tell of the sensation of the match and its moments.

Notably, Maltese local Robert Bonavia played over 25 minutes in the introduction of rugby league to not only himself, but also his fellow Maltese locals. Provided the support he received from the followers in the grandstand, Robert made a more than average account of himself.

Post match presentations and celebrations were boosted when the national nightly news supplements on both stations revealed footage and results of the encounter that had taken place only hours earlier. Nothing but praise and good word evolved.

The following week’s rugby union World Cup Qualifiers between Malta, Germany and Serbia respectively introduced Maltese rugby league player Simon Micallef to the fold joining the incumbent fly-half and joint Maltese rugby league player Rohan Spiteri as a dual international; a privilege brought on through the cooperation between the MRLA and MRFU.

The MRLA has established office within the Maltese islands and engaged a local resident to take charge of the MRLA’s Maltese operations with support from the governing body’s Australian base. Maltese rugby league operations will be helped with the future introduction of a development officer working on the island.

What the future of rugby league holds for the Maltese Islands is anyone’s presumption, but if the introduction is anything to follow from, rugby league in Malta will only continue to grow.