Jett Cleary Eyes Further Glory With Ukraine After European Championship Triumph

Rising star Jett Cleary has vowed to help Ukraine continue their remarkable rugby league rise following their promotion in the European Championships, as the war-torn nation targets qualification for the 2030 World Cup.

Cleary Leads Ukraine to Historic Success

The 21-year-old Warriors playmaker, and younger brother of Penrith Panthers and Australia superstar Nathan Cleary, guided Ukraine to emphatic victories over Italy and Greece to top Group C of the 2025 European Championships.

The triumph earned Ukraine promotion to Group B for the 2026 tournament, where they will face Malta, the Netherlands, and Serbia—with one team set for relegation to Group C.

Significantly, Ukraine also produced a convincing 56–12 victory against the Netherlands in a pre-tournament warm-up. Cleary believes the side has the potential to compete at an even higher level with improved financial support.

“It was an awesome experience, probably one of the best things I’ve done in my life so far,” Cleary told NRL.com.
“It was a really proud moment to represent my family on my mum’s side and my nan, but it was also incredible to represent the boys from Ukraine.

“There’s so much happening over there, so it was amazing to win those games for them. They were really proud and said rugby league gets no funding, so these three wins will hopefully help us attract more support.”

Family Pride and Heritage Connection

With his parents Rebecca and Ivan Cleary watching on in Udine, Italy, Jett led Ukraine to a 44–20 win over Italy before sealing the group with a 34–6 victory over Greece, coached by Parramatta Eels NRLW mentor Steve Georgallis and featuring Billy Magoulias.

Cleary qualifies to represent Ukraine through his grandmother Maree, who was born in a Nazi camp during World War II.

He was among eight heritage players who joined the national side, many of whom are based in Australia, while several home-based Ukrainian players continue to balance rugby league commitments with defending their country amid Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The other heritage players included Owen and Yuri Hromow (Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks), Rhys Sciglitano (Blacktown Workers), Daniel Janissen (Cardiff Cobras), Jonah Ngaronoa (Glebe Dirty Reds), Zayn Sluvinsky (South Eastern Seagulls), and Victor Tereszko (Ipswich Jets).

Resilience Amid War and Adversity

Most members of Ukraine’s domestic rugby league competition—comprising teams from Kharkiv, Lviv, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Donetsk—have been displaced from their homes due to the war and now live in safer regions.

“A few of the boys told us stories about their families and homes being destroyed by the war,” Cleary revealed.
“The fact they still want to come and play football was pretty eye-opening. They’ve got so much going on at home, yet they absolutely love rugby league.

“Even when we were on the bus, they were all watching matches on their phones. It’s crazy to see how much passion there is for the game all the way over there.”

Building Bonds Beyond Language Barriers

Although communication was initially difficult—Cleary resorted to Google Translate to speak with some teammates—he said the experience built lifelong friendships.

He has since travelled with Ukraine captain Victor Tereszko and second-rower Jonah Ngaronoa, and will attend Liverpool to watch his brother Nathan represent Australia in the second Test of the Ashes Series, which will be broadcast live in Ukraine with commentary from Ukraine Rugby League president Artur Martyrosian and Test forward Yevhenii Trusov.

Both Nathan Cleary and Hudson Young have become adopted heroes in Ukraine, celebrated for their heritage and global rugby league success.

“Mum and Dad came to the Greece and Italy games — they were really proud,” Jett added. “Dad kept saying how cool it was that rugby league could bring together people from different parts of the world who don’t even speak the same language.

“From the first night we met, we were mates. Those boys made the trip amazing, and we bonded so quickly. They’re great footballers too — tough defenders who never stop tackling.

“It was a bit tricky in attack because of the language barrier, but they’ve got real talent. If they can get the right coaching and support, Ukraine will be a force. We’ve already won promotion — that’s massive.”