Wigan Warriors’ Australian full-back Matt Bowen helped promote rugby league in Serbia last weekend.
The former North Queensland Cowboy, who has lost his place in the Wigan team, will lend his support to a pilot schools tournament which is part-funded by the Australian Embassy in Belgrade during a whistle-stop trip to the country with his wife and two children.
The tournament coincides with the centenary of ANZAC Day, marking 100 years since the First World War landings at Gallipoli, and comes 61 years since the first official rugby league match was played in Serbia.
Serbia Rugby League Football vice-president Nebojsa Sretenovic said: “This is a huge honour for Serbia Rugby League to welcome such a wonderful player and one of the most respected men in the sport, on and off the field.
“The Australian Ambassador in Serbia, Julia Feeney, will be the main host for the Bowen family. It is scheduled for Matt to visit the headquarters of SRLF in Belgrade and he will have a couple of TV appearances but the main event is the youth tournament.”
State of Mind would like to wish the Serbian rugby league all the very best for the future as we know about the fantastic work all development officers around the world do!