The Malta Rugby Football Union has a new president as Steve Busuttil was elected to the post during an annual general meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel, on Monday.

Busuttil challenged outgoing president Brian Dalton for the MRFU top position and the former international referee re-ceived the highest number of votes from club members and delegates when he collected 69 to his rival’s 38.

Busuttil will now head the MRFU for the next three years.

He was joined by newcomer to the organisation’s board, Steve Ganado, a former player and club administrator at Phoenicians. He is the new general secretary.

Audrey Vella, a former vice-president under two previous administrations, will now serve as treasurer.

Joe Borda, who in the past three years acted as vice-president, retained his post while George Zammit Montebello is the new Public Relations Officer.

Busuttil’s immediate task will be to step up the MRFU preparations for the new season which will get underway on October 1 with the Ray Elliot Cup curtain-raiser at Marsa.

National team pitted in south conference

Also next month, the senior national team start their commitments in the FIRA AER European Championship qualifiers.

This season the competition will adopt a new format.

Malta will be playing in Conference 1 South and were drawn in the same group as Croatia, Israel, Andorra and Cyprus.

Damien Neill’s team play their first match on October 22 against Andorra in La Vella. A week later, Malta host Cyprus at the Hibernians Stadium.

The top team in Conference 1 South will go on to face the winner of Conference 1 North, formed of Czech Republic, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Luxembourg, in a play-off for promotion to the Trophy Division.