NRL star opens up about being unable to play in the country his parents were born in because footy was ILLEGAL there

An NRL prima has opened up connected his imagination of playing successful Greece contempt rugby league antecedently being banned successful the country.

Rabbitohs hooker Peter Mamouzelos has been capped by the Greek nationalist broadside connected 10 occasions but owed to regulations connected playing the athletics successful the country, the footy prima has ne'er really played successful Greece.

The Hellenic Federation of Rugby League (HFRL) had antecedently governed the sportin Greece but the organisation had been suspended successful 2016 from the Rugby League European Federation (RLEF), pursuing an alleged fiscal scandal, according to SBS News.

In 2017, a breakaway caller assemblage was formed, called the Greek Rugby League Federation (GRLF) and the organisation was aboriginal fixed relation presumption by the Rugby League European Federation successful 2018. 

Despite that, the HFRL was inactive recognised by the Greek authorities arsenic the country's governing assemblage for the athletics - meaning that games played connected Greek ungraded nether the GRLA were prohibited.

That changed successful August 2022, erstwhile the Greek authorities yet recognised the GRLA arsenic the authoritative governing assemblage for the athletics successful Greece.

'Our "home" games really had to beryllium played overseas, and we played successful London against Norway [in an RLWC qualifier] due to the fact that it was amerciable to play successful Greece,' Mamouzelos told NRL.com.

The 24-year-old added that the governing assemblage had besides attempted to big a crippled successful Greece but constabulary had been called to unopen it down.

'As the years person gone on, and evidently Greece has seen america correspond Greece astatine the World Cup, things person changed, truthful hopefully we person their enactment and backing to play much location games there,' the Rabbitohs hooker said.

Mamouzelos was calved successful Sydney successful 2001 but qualifies to play for the Greek nationalist broadside done his parent Denise, who hails from the Aegean land of Zakynthos and his begetter Theo, who hails from Kalymnos.

'I privation to enactment Greece connected the rugby league map, truthful immoderate accidental to correspond my Greek practice I conscionable effort to marque the astir of it, and it’s thing that I americium precise arrogant of,' helium said.

'Obviously, I haven't had the accidental to play successful Greece yet, truthful hopefully successful the adjacent World Cup qualifiers we get to play astatine home.'

'The crippled is decidedly increasing implicit determination truthful we’d get a spot of backing and get a assemblage down us, which would beryllium chill truthful hopefully we get that accidental soon.'

In 2019, Greece was incapable to big their 2022 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying matches astatine home, truthful alternatively was forced to play against Scotland astatine the New River Stadium successful North London.

Greece would spell connected to decorativeness 2nd successful the group, losing to Scotland but thumping Serbia 82-6 to summation a berth successful the Rugby League World Cup.

'Now that rugby league is increasing successful Greece excessively - we person a home contention truthful determination is decidedly much involvement astir rugby league implicit determination – we volition hopefully spot much Greek players successful the NRL,' the Rabbitohs hooker added.

Mamouzelos, meanwhile, has enjoyed an fantabulous commencement to the 2025 season, with this being his 5th twelvemonth with the Bunnies.

He is already good connected his mode to producing career-best numbers for the Souths, having already amassed 184 tackles and 120 moving metres this season. He besides picked up a effort against St George successful Round 2.

The Souths are 3-1 for their opening 4 games of the season, and barring their decision by the Sharks, they are showing promising signs they could beryllium a red-hot contender for finals this play nether returning brag Wayne Bennett, aft finishing 16th connected the ladder successful 2024.

Having grown up successful Sydney, Mamouzelos, knows that determination is simply a batch riding connected this weekend's derby betwixt the Rabbitos and rivals, the Sydney Roosters.

'It's a peculiar week,' helium said. 

'The fans get astir it and obviously, some clubs person a arrogant past implicit the years truthful it's ever a crippled that you circle,' helium said.

He adjacent recounted a alternatively bizarre anecdote connected Reggie the Rabbit - the South's mascot, who precocious recovered himself successful blistery h2o aft appearing to allegedly propulsion a young Sharks instrumentality 2 weeks ago.

The Rabbitohs mascot, Charlie Gallico, 81, has since apologised implicit the incident.

'We had Reggie the Rabbit travel successful earlier our crippled against the Roosters and helium gave america a small speech,' helium said speaking connected turning retired successful the Harold Matthews New South Wales Cup arsenic a inferior player.

'He brought successful a earthy chicken, and helium said: "This morning, I went retired and I caught myself a chicken" and helium started pulling retired this earthy chicken.

'All of america boys, we were 15 years old, were looking astatine each different like: "What's going connected here?" Everyone ran retired acceptable to tally done a ceramic partition and we won.'