Sharks junior Yuri Hromow has the rare distinction of playing international football before featuring in the NRL after representing Ukraine at the European Championships earlier this month.
Hromow, who qualifies for Ukraine through his paternal grandfather, honoured his heritage alongside brother Owen – who will join Cronulla from Canberra next year – along with Warriors playmaker Jett Cleary and a host of homegrown players.
After defeating Netherlands 56-12 in a standalone match, Ukraine recorded convincing Test wins over Greece (34-6) and Italy (36-14) at the European Championships in Udine – earning promotion from 'Euro C' to 'Euro B'.
"It was honestly one of the best experiences I've had in my life," said Hromow, who will progress from SG Ball to Jersey Flegg with the Sharks in 2026.
"It was going over there to play footy with a bunch of boys you've never met before who don't really speak English, so it was a task to communicate.
“But they just love footy, so it made it really easy ... Off the field, you can use Google Translate. On the field, we just had to teach a couple of words.
"I'm so grateful for the opportunity they gave me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
The ongoing war in Ukraine put rugby league into perspective for Hromow, with many of his new teammates directly impacted by the conflict.
"It was honestly quite sad but happy at the same time," he said of the tournament.
"They were struggling. We found out on a game day that they were getting bombed during the morning. You've got to give everything you've got for them because of what they're going through – and they can still manage to play a game after hearing that. They are so bloody awesome, those boys."
Despite primarily lining up in the back-row for the Sharks, Hromow showed his skill at fullback for Ukraine – scoring tries against Italy and Greece.
A Canberra native, the 19-year-old attended renowned rugby league nursery Erindale College before being recruited to join Cronulla this season.
"I want to play good footy in Flegg and hopefully get an extension," he said.
“I've played everywhere. Fullback's really fun – you can do pretty much whatever – but edge back-row is more of a hard-working job. I don't really prefer either one.
“During juniors, I used to play pretty much everywhere. But when I went to Erindale, I played fullback and that's where I started playing some good footy."
Ukraine Rugby League is holding a fundraiser to cover the cost of travelling to and participating in the European Championships. CLICK HERE for more information and to purchase a ticket – a signed Sharks NRL jersey is among the prizes.
