The Euro Med Challenge is a second or third tier competition for European rugby league teams.

However, many of the Lebanese players could not obtain visas to travel to Russia in time for the match.

In 2009, the RLEF announced that Russia, Lebanon and Serbia would be promoted to a revamped European Nations Cup.

The Euro-Med Challenge was therefore contested by three new teams in 2009 – Belgium and Catalonia, who made their competitive debuts, and Morocco.

Belgium recorded their first international win, beating Catalonia in game 2 of the tournament, but the experienced Moroccan team won the competition.