Lebanese rugby league crowned new champions this week as Club Libanais joined the big three in the pantheon of league winners. In an unprecedented move, the title was decided in the LRLC's boardroom rather than on the football field as the ongoing crisis in the north prevented the remaining matches in the season being played. It is the second successive season to be affected by the unstable security situation, with the 2006 Winter Championship disrupted by the assassination of government minister Pierre Gemayel.

Following the start of hostilities in the north last month the LRLC was forced to put the season on hiatus due to the closure of the University of Balamand, with the mountainous region surrounding the campus placed under tight military control due to the presence of militants in the vicinity. The university was forced to keep its doors closed for two weeks, opening on Monday but with an indefinite activities curfew of 5pm. With the Balamand Razorbacks featuring in two of the three remaining matches in the regular season, the executive committee ruled that circumstances precluded a satisfactory end to the season and therefore awarded the title to the team in first place.

That team, CL, last kicked a football in anger on May 12 when they completed their campaign with a hard fought victory against AUB to finish on 10 points – six ahead of both Balamand and the LAU Immortals. They join AUB (two championships), UOB (two) and LAU (five) as Lebanese rugby league completed its tenth season. Next season the Winter/Spring format will be replaced with one Lebanese national championship, running from October until May.