The Lebanese Rugby League Committee has released the schedule for the 2007-8 Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship, which kicks off next Saturday with a double-header in Bhamdoun featuring a tie between the defending champions and perennial victors, LAU.

Last season’s champions-by-decree, Al-Galacticos of Club Libanais, who were awarded the title following a terminal rupture in the season due to the violence at Nahr El Bared, have relocated to the Kesrouan and been renamed Jounieh Rugby League Football Club. They retain their distinctive black and gold colours. Negotiations are currently under way to tie up usage of the Fouad Chehab stadium, which has hosted rugby league only once before, back in 2005 for an NDU v AUB match. Other changes at Al-Galacticos sees Jean Paul Zakhour take over as head coach. The former NDU forward has an abundance of talent at his disposal, including a spine of Espoir hooker Fadi Azzam, lock Youssef El Helou, halves Danny Chemaly and Roy Abla and fullback Pierre Nasr, and it will be interesting to see how the squad progresses over the course of a 16-week championship.

LAU have also experienced a change at the top, with coach Ibrahim Ballout exiting for Belgium to continue his education. His replacement is Remond Safi, who departs AUB after a frustrating three years at the helm. Safi inherits a strong squad whose only seeming flaw is an occasional lapse in discipline. Interestingly, in a bid to address this, Safi has named the enigmatic Mohamed Jamil – the only player to be sent off last season - as captain. Once more the Immortals will serve up a three-course meal of power, then power, followed by more power. Veteran forwards Robin and Rudy Hachache, Nayef Abisaid and Ahmad Hammoud will bolster a strong pack while Safi sifts through a massive LAU squad.

In Safi’s wake at AUB comes rookie coach Mikhael Shammas, a member of the first ever AUB squad back in October 2002. Shammas has another huge squad to handle, but if he can improve the side defensively and eradicate the hurtful losses of concentration that seemed to afflict AUB more than any other side he will be able to harness the attacking threat of arguably the fastest side in the competition.

Balamand are grateful to welcome back two pillars of the side from overseas, with Amin Maassarani and lock Omar Darwich returning from China and Dubai respectively. However, coach Mohamed Habbous has to bear what is possibly the greatest individual player loss felt by any team with hooker Darwich Darwich out for the season following his sickening injury on tour with Liban Espoir when he fractured his knee, tibia and suffered nerve damage in his foot.

Finally USJ enters what will be a surefire test of their character and mental toughness. Yet to register to a win, the squad has some talented players but is burdened by a massive deficiency in experience that led to one self-destruction after another in last season’s friendly matches. Former Balmain junior Faysal Jaber will hope to offer them some guidance as they enter the rough and tumble of championship football for the first time.

The season also sees breaks for two representative fixtures, with the President’s XIII hoping to repeat the heroics of the inaugural team on 2 February, before a UAE XIII takes on the 2008 Bank of Beirut Espoirs in March.

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