View source for Rugby league

{{short description|Full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field}}
{{distinguish|Rugby union}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox sport
|image = [[File:Rugby league play the ball cropped.jpg]]
|imagesize = 300px
|caption = An attacking player about to [[play the ball]].<!-- Just a description of the action here, not match details -->
|union = [[International Rugby League]]
|nickname = League, RL, rugby, rugby XIII (used throughout Europe)<br/>League, footy, football (used throughout Oceania)
|first = 7 September 1895, [[Yorkshire]], Northern England (post [[History of rugby league#The schism in England|schism]])
|contact = [[Full-contact|Full]]
|team = 13
|mgender = Single
|category = [[Team sport]], outdoor
|ball = [[Football (ball)#Rugby league|Rugby league ball]]
|venue = [[Rugby league playing field]]
| region = Worldwide (most popular in Oceania, northern England and southern France)
}}

'''Rugby league football''', commonly known as '''rugby league''' in English-speaking countries and '''rugby 13''' or '''rugby XIII''' in non-[[Anglophone]] Europe, is a [[contact sport|full-contact sport]] played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular [[Rugby league playing field|field]] measuring {{Convert|68|m|yd|abbr=on}} wide and {{Convert|112–122|m|yd|abbr=on}} long with H-shaped posts at both ends.<ref name="pitch and post dimensions">{{cite web|date=12 August 2019|title=A Guide to Rugby League Dimensions, Sizes and Markings: Everything you ever needed to know|url=https://www.harrodsport.com/advice-and-guides/rugby-league-pitch-dimensions-markings|access-date=16 August 2019|website=[[Harrod Sport]]}}</ref> It is one of the [[Comparison of rugby league and rugby union|two major codes]] of [[rugby football]], the other being [[rugby union]].{{efn|[[American football]] and [[Canadian football]] are both broadly speaking evolutions from the rugby codes - the [[Canadian Football League]] in particular evolved specifically from the [[Football Canada#1880–1955, Canadian Rugby Union|Canadian Rugby Union]] (not to be confused with [[Rugby Canada]] which governs [[rugby union in Canada]]), and maintained ''rugby'' in its name as late as 1967 when the organisation changed its name, and the name of its sport, definitively. However, the [[forward pass]] rules in both sports now differentiate the [[gridiron football|gridiron]] games to such an extent as not to be considered 'rugby codes' except in a broader sense.<p>Other hand in ball games, including private school sports such as the [[Eton Wall Game]] are not usually referred to as rugby, which is considered specific to games evolved from the game played at the private [[Rugby School]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}</p>}} 

It originated in 1895 in [[Huddersfield]],  West Yorkshire, England, as the result of a [[History of rugby league#The schism in England|split]] from the [[Rugby Football Union]] (RFU) over the issue of payments to players.<ref name="Tony Collins 2006 p.3">Tony Collins, ''Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain'' (2006), p.3</ref> The rules of the game governed by the new [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby Football Union]] progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to paying spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended.

In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval [[Rugby League ball|ball]] and touching it to the ground beyond the opposing team's goal line; this is called a ''[[Try (rugby)|try]]'', and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by [[Tackle (football move)#Rugby league|tackling]] the player carrying the ball and denying forward progress. On occasion, where a clear try scoring opportunity has been thwarted by foul play, a penalty try may be awarded without the ball being grounded over the try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. [[Drop goal]]s (or field goals) can be attempted from the hand at any time for a single point. Following a successful try, the scoring team gains a free kick to ''try at goal'' with a conversion worth a further two points.<ref name="WADeptRS-dimensions">{{cite web|url=http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/index.php?id=969|publisher=Government of Western Australia|title=Dimensions for Rugby League|author=Dept. Recreation and Sport|access-date=28 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008052442/http://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/index.php?id=969|archive-date=8 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Penalty kicks at goal, known simply as penalties, may also be awarded for general foul play, and are also worth two points. Unlike drop goals, penalty kicks and conversions are taken from the ground, with the ball usually set in a [[kicking tee]], and the opposing team not allowed to directly challenge the kicker.

The [[Super League]] in Europe and the [[National Rugby League]] (NRL) in Australasia are the world's premier club competitions. Rugby league is played [[List of international rugby league teams|internationally]], predominantly by [[Europe]]an, [[Australasia]]n, and [[Pacific Island]] countries, and is governed by the [[International Rugby League]]. Rugby league is the [[national sport]] of [[Rugby league in Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] and the [[Cook Islands]]<ref name="Post Courier-2010">{{cite web|date=21 October 2010|title=Rugby League, a uniting force in PNG|url=http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20101021/yutok01.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527175359/http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20101021/yutok01.htm|archive-date=27 May 2013|access-date=8 August 2012|website=Post Courier}}</ref><ref name="PNG vow to upset World Cup odds">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/7671217.stm|title=PNG vow to upset World Cup odds|date=15 October 2008|work=BBC Sport|access-date=3 July 2009|quote=But it would still be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history if Papua New Guinea - ''the only country to have rugby league as its national sport'' - were to qualify for the last four.}}</ref><ref name="PNG seal 2010 Four Nations place">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8336567.stm|title=PNG seal 2010 Four Nations place|publisher=BBC|date=1 November 2009}}</ref> and is a popular sport in countries such as [[Rugby league in England|England]],<ref name="heartlands">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/10397530/Rugby-League-World-Cup-2013-will-provide-the-sport-with-a-true-test-of-its-popularity.html "Rugby League World Cup 2013 will provide the sport with a true test of its popularity"]. The Telegraph, Tanya Aldred, 22 October 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2015</ref> [[Rugby league in Australia|Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Rugby league: National Rugby League and Australian Rugby League|url=http://www.hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/whats_the_score/pdf/rugby_league.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523132628/http://hreoc.gov.au/racial_discrimination/whats_the_score/pdf/rugby_league.pdf|archive-date=23 May 2012|access-date=11 August 2012|publisher=Australian Human Rights Commission}}</ref> [[Rugby league in New Zealand|New Zealand]], [[Rugby league in Tonga|Tonga]], [[Rugby league in Fiji|Fiji]] and [[Rugby league in Samoa|Samoa]].

The first [[Rugby League World Cup]] was held in France in 1954, the first World Cup of either rugby code, and has been held sporadically ever since, settling into a four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; {{As of|2023|||lc=y|bare=}}, the holders are [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lpDdBwAAQBAJ&q=rugby+league+popularity+united+kingdom&pg=PA254|title=Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing: From Buzkashi to Zorbing|first=Victoria Williams|last=PhD|date=28 April 2015|publisher=ABC-CLIO|via=Google Books|isbn=9781610696401}}</ref>

The first [[Women's Rugby League World Cup]] was held in 2000 and [[New Zealand women's national rugby league team|New Zealand]] won the inaugural title. The holders are [[Australia women's national rugby league team|Australia]].

A short-sided version of the sport, [[rugby league nines]], using modified rugby league rules also exists, and is comparable to [[rugby sevens]]. [[Wheelchair rugby league]] is a mixed-gender sport using heavily modified rugby league rules for disabled and able-bodied players. Unlike [[wheelchair rugby]] which adopted its name after the invention of the sport previously called murderball and is not directly linked to rugby union, wheelchair rugby league has grown out of the parent sport, and retains key aspects of that sport such as an egg shaped ball, the forward-pass rule and conversions. While not a Paralympic sport, the sport has its own [[Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup]]. A further variation for ambulatory disabled players, [[physical disability rugby league]], was created and had its first [[2021 Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup|world cup]] in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled [[2021 Rugby League World Cup]] competitions.

== Etymology ==
Rugby league football takes its name from the bodies that split to create a new form of rugby, distinct from that run by the Rugby Football Unions, in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand between 1895 and 1908. Within the original meanings of the words, Unions were broad collective organisations with a somewhat greater emphasis on hierarchies beyond merely the clubs, whereas 'Leagues' were essentially formal collections of individual clubs participating on an equal basis in competitions they devised themselves (''see also the use of '[[The Football Association|Football Association]]' in [[association football]], more commonly called 'football' or '[[soccer]]', and compare to the '[[English Football League|Football League]]'  competitions founded in that sport by its clubs'').

The first of these, the [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby Football Union]], was established in 1895 as a breakaway faction of England's [[Rugby Football Union]] (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new simpler game that was intended to be a faster-paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football ''league''s" and introducing Northern Union rules.<ref>''{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100120041946/http://www.crusadersrfl.com/page.php?id=419 Why Rugby League?]}}'' at Crusaders Rugby League website</ref> In 1922, the Northern Union also changed its name to the [[Rugby Football League]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spracklen |first=Karl |title='Black Pearl, Black Diamonds' Exploring racial identities in rugby league |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |page=72 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T3NMCF79r6wC&q=%22rugby+league%22 |isbn=978-0-415-24629-3}}</ref> and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football.

== History ==
[[File:The George Hotel, Huddersfield - geograph.org.uk - 676033.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[George Hotel, Huddersfield]], the birthplace of rugby league]]
[[File:Challenge cup 1897.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.15|The first ever [[1897 Challenge Cup|Challenge Cup Final, 1897]]: Batley (left) vs St Helens (right)]]
{{Main|History of rugby league}}

In 1895, a [[History of rugby league#The schism in England|schism]] in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby Football Union]] (NRFU).<ref name=begin>{{Cite book|last=Fagan|first=Sean|title=League of Legends: 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia|publisher=National Museum of Australia|year=2008|pages=vii|url=http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/attachments/league_of_legends/the_game_begins/files/22449/C-The_game_begins.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517000217/http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/attachments/league_of_legends/the_game_begins/files/22449/C-The_game_begins.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 May 2008|isbn=978-1-876944-64-3}}</ref> The success of [[working class]] northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to the RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle.<ref name="Tony Collins 2006 p.3"/> In 1895, a decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the [[George Hotel, Huddersfield]], on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Groeneveld |first=Margaret |title=Matters of the heart: The business of English rugby league |publisher=Berghahn Books |year=2007 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7rY2tVBypH0C |isbn=978-1-84545-054-0}}</ref> Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league.

In 1897, the [[line-out (rugby union)|line-out]] was abolished<ref>Tony Collins, ''Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain'' (2006), p.6</ref> and in 1898 [[Professional sports|professionalism]] introduced.<ref>Tony Collins, ''Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain'', p.5 (2006)</ref> In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the [[Playing rugby union#Ruck|ruck]] formed after tackles with the [[Rugby league gameplay#Play-the-ball|play-the-ball]]. By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin.<ref>Tony Collins, ''Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain'' (2006), p.6, quote:"in 1906 the number of players in a team was reduced to thirteen and an orderly play-the-ball, whereby a tackled player had to get to his feet and roll the ball behind him with his foot, was introduced. These two changes completed the break from the playing rules of rugby union and marked the birth of rugby league as a distinct sport with its own unique rules".</ref>

A similar schism to that which occurred in [[England]] took place in [[Sydney]], Australia. There, on 8 August 1907 the [[New South Wales Rugby Football League]] was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street.<ref name=baker>{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Andrew |title=100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era |newspaper=[[The Independent|Independent, The]] |publisher=independent.co.uk |date=20 August 1995 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html |access-date=25 September 2009 |location=London}}</ref> Unlike in England, where both codes maintained their own geographic areas of dominance, in Australia rugby league went on to displace rugby union entirely as the primary football code in [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]], while [[Australian rules football]] dominated the rest of Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jupp |first=James |title=The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2001 |pages=342 & 343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wgoFxfSTfYAC |isbn=978-0-521-80789-0}}</ref>

On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched the [[1954 Challenge Cup|1953–54]] [[Challenge Cup]] Final replay at [[Odsal Stadium]], [[Bradford]], England, setting a new record for attendance at a rugby football match of either code.<ref name=baker/> Also in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the [[Rugby League International Federation|International Board]] introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on the fourth tackle a [[Scrum (rugby)|scrum]] was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Collins|first=Tony|title=Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/rugbyleaguetwent00coll|url-access=limited|publisher=Routledge|date=18 April 2006|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rugbyleaguetwent00coll/page/n127 113]–114|isbn=978-0-415-39615-8}}</ref> 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played.

The first sponsors, [[Tetley's Brewery|Joshua Tetley]] and [[John Player]], entered the game for the [[1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season]]. Television had an enormous impact on the sport of rugby league in the 1990s, when News Corporation paid for worldwide broadcasting rights. The media giant's "Super League" movement created changes for the traditional administrators of the game. In Europe, it resulted in a move from Rugby League being a winter sport to a summer one, as the new Super League competition tried to expand its market. In Australasia, the [[Super League war]] resulted in long and costly legal battles and changing loyalties, causing significant damage to the code in an extremely competitive sporting market. In 1997 two competitions were run alongside each other in Australia, after which a peace deal in the form of the National Rugby League was formed. The NRL has replaced the ARL as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures.<ref name="rleague-attendances-1957-2010">{{cite web|url=http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html|title=Rugby League Attendances 1957–2010|publisher=rleague.com|year=2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408033449/http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html|archive-date=8 April 2009}}</ref>

== Rules ==
=== Laws of the game ===
{{Main|Rugby league gameplay|Laws of rugby league}}
[[File:WIN Stadium trial match.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|A typical game of rugby league being played]]

The objective in rugby league is to score more points through [[Try (rugby)|tries]], [[Goal (sport)#Rugby football|goals]] and [[Drop goal (rugby)|field goals]] (also known as drop goals) than the opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are [[Tie (draw)|drawing]], a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the [[golden point]] rule, depending on the relevant competition's format.

The try is the most common form of scoring,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/all/overall_ss.html|title=Season Summary|publisher=Rugby League Tables|access-date=7 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512174712/http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/all/overall_ss.html|archive-date=12 May 2010}}</ref> and a team will usually attempt to score one by running and kicking the ball further upfield or passing from player-to-player in order to manoeuvre around the opposition's defence. A try involves touching the ball to the ground on or beyond the defending team's goal-line and is worth four points. A goal is worth two points and may be gained from a [[Try (rugby)#conversion|conversion]] or a [[Penalty (rugby)|penalty]]. A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the [[Drop kick|half volley]] between the uprights in open play. A field goal has a value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line (equivalent to about 43.75 yards) .<ref>{{cite report|title=Rugby league laws of the game international level with notes on the laws and NRL Telstra premiership interpretations|publisher=Australian Rugby League Commission|date=July 2020|type=rule book|url=https://www.playrugbyleague.com/media/10100/nrl-international-rules-book-2020-a5-v2-web.pdf|access-date=5 April 2024|archive-date=10 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210210625/https://www.playrugbyleague.com/media/10100/nrl-international-rules-book-2020-a5-v2-web.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Field position is crucial in rugby league,<ref>{{cite news|title=Stats Insider: Grand Final by the numbers|work=nrl.com|place=Australia|publisher=[[National Rugby League|NRL]].COM and [[Telstra]] Corporation Pty Ltd.|date=28 September 2010|url=http://www.nrl.com/news/news/newsarticle/tabid/10874/newsid/60459/stats-insider-grand-final-by-the-numbers/default.aspx|access-date=21 September 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930101955/http://www.nrl.com/news/news/newsarticle/tabid/10874/newsid/60459/stats-insider-grand-final-by-the-numbers/default.aspx|archive-date=30 September 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> achieved by running with or kicking the ball. Passing in rugby league may only be in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates, therefore, have to remain on-side by not moving ahead of the player with the ball. The ball may be kicked ahead, but if teammates are in front of the kicker when the ball is kicked, they are deemed off-side.

Tackling is a key component of rugby league play. Only the player holding the ball may be tackled. A tackle is complete, for example, when the player is held by one or more opposing players in such a manner that they can make no further progress and cannot part with the ball, or when the player is held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding the ball comes into contact with the ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playnrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ARL-Rules-book-2015.pdf|title=RUGBY LEAGUE LAWS OF THE GAME INTERNATIONAL LEVEL WITH NOTES ON THE LAWS AND NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP INTERPRETATIONS|publisher=PLAYNRL.COM|year=2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051045/http://www.playnrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ARL-Rules-book-2015.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> An attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed over. Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to their feet to '[[play-the-ball]]'. Ball control is also important in rugby league, as a fumble of the ball on the ground forces a handover, unless the ball is fumbled backwards. The ball can also be turned over by going over the sideline.

=== Comparison with rugby union ===
{{main|Comparison of rugby league and rugby union}}
Rugby league and [[rugby union]] are distinct sports with many similarities and a shared origin. Both have the same fundamental rules, are played for 80 minutes and feature an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. Both have rules that the ball cannot be passed forward, and dropping it forwards leads to a scrum. Both use [[Try (rugby)|tries]] as the central scoring method and [[Try (rugby)#Conversions|conversion kicks]], penalty goals and [[Drop goal (rugby)|drop goals]] as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method is worth.

One of the main differences is the rules of possession.<ref name="telfer2010-05-05">{{cite web|last=Telfer|first=Jim|title=It's Le Crunch for Magners League|url=http://sport.stv.tv/rugby/175081-its-le-crunch-for-magners-league/|publisher=[[STV (TV network)|STV]]|access-date=25 July 2010|author-link=Jim Telfer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515154613/http://sport.stv.tv/rugby/175081-its-le-crunch-for-magners-league/|archive-date=15 May 2010|date=5 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> When the ball goes into [[Touch (rugby)|touch]], possession in rugby union is contested through a [[Line-out (rugby union)|line-out]], while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means that play focuses more on powerful running, hard tackling, forward progression and the contest for field position (commonly compared to an "arm wrestle"); as a result play stops much less frequently in rugby league,<ref>{{Cite book|author1=George Caplan|author2=Mark Adams|title=BTEC National: Sport|publisher=Heinemann|year=2007|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTrntg0Fv3oC|isbn=978-0-435-46514-8}}</ref> with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union.<ref name="cleary2000-10-05">{{Cite news|last=Cleary|first=Mick|title=Talking Rugby: No code like the old code|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 October 2000|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/4773076/Talking-Rugby-No-code-like-the-old-code.html|access-date=21 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315161349/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/4773076/Talking-Rugby-No-code-like-the-old-code.html|archive-date=15 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15)<ref>{{Cite book|last=Breivik|first=Simon L.|author2=British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences|title=Sport And Exercise Physiology Testing Guidelines: The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Guide|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2007|page=257|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXJuiiPIFfIC&q=%22rugby+league%22|isbn=978-0-415-36141-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Thomsen|first=Ian|title=Football Players Are Awfully Tough, but Enough for Rugby?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/10/sports/10iht-ian.t.html|access-date=19 June 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=10 January 1998}}</ref> and different rules for [[tackle (football move)|tackling]]. Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/18/1178995417135.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2|title=What they said|author=Peter Fitzsimons|date=19 May 2007|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sonny could be something under a canny Kiwi coach|author=Spiro Zavos|date=6 September 2009|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> and has changed less since the 1895 schism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/scoring.htm|title=Scoring through the ages rugbyfootballhistory.com|access-date=24 June 2012}}</ref>

Since rugby union turned professional in the mid-1990s, it has increasingly borrowed techniques, tactics and even laws from rugby league, while high-profile players and coaches from the league game have increasingly gone on to success in the union code in those countries where both codes are popular (e.g. [[Andy Farrell]], [[Jason Robinson (rugby)|Jason Robinson]] and [[Henry Paul (rugby)|Henry Paul]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Tony Collins|title=Rugby's Great Split: Class, Culture and the Origins of Rugby League Football|year=2006|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=UK|isbn=978-0-415-39616-5|pages=xii|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dr6FLNcLsgIC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Tony|title=A Social History of English Rugby Union|year=2009|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=UK|isbn=978-0-415-47660-7|pages=154|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pnAQHIkijc0C}}</ref> The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental [[hybrid sports|hybrid games]] being played that use a mix of the two sports' rules.<ref name="growden1">{{cite news|last=Growden|first=Greg|title=Hybrid rugby union-league experiment|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/news/4994642/Hybrid-rugby-union-league-experiment|access-date=22 June 2012|newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=12 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="ES 2000">{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Chris|title=It's all a code merger mystery|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/its-all-a-code-merger-mystery-6340766.html|access-date=14 June 2019|work=[[Evening Standard]]|publisher=ESI Media|date=9 October 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614132108/https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/its-all-a-code-merger-mystery-6340766.html|archive-date=14 June 2019|location=[[London]]}}</ref>

=== Comparison with gridiron codes ===
{{main|Comparison of American football and rugby league|Comparison of Canadian football and rugby league}}
Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American [[Gridiron football|gridiron]] codes. Although described as evolving from both rugby and [[association football]], the basic structures of American and Canadian football are remarkably similar to rugby league through a process of parallel evolution: a try-and-goal based scoring system, a set number of plays before handover of the football, each play restarting from a set piece position and ended by a tackle. Although the [[Canadian Football League]] in particular maintained the word 'rugby' in its name for many years, alluding to that shared past, the introduction of the [[forward pass]] and [[unlimited substitution]] in North American games created a fundamentally different species of game from either original rugby code. Although the historic link between the codes continues to be acknowledged, neither Canadian or American football is commonly considered a rugby code today except in the broadest sense, and are more commonly referred to collectively as gridiron codes, or simply as 'football' within their respective countries.

== Positions ==
[[File:Leeds Rhinos1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Leeds Rhinos]] and [[Wakefield Trinity]] contesting the 2008 [[Boxing Day]] [[Leeds Rhinos–Wakefield Trinity rivalry#Feative Challenge|Festive Challenge]] friendly at [[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]]]]
{{Main|Rugby league positions}}
Players on the pitch are divided into [[Rugby league positions#Forwards|forwards]] and [[Rugby league positions#Backs|backs]], although the game's rules apply to all players the same way. Each position has a designated number to identify himself from other players. These numbers help to identify which position a person is playing. The system of numbering players is different depending on which country the match is played in. In Australia and New Zealand, each player is usually given a number corresponding to their playing position on the field. However, since 1996 European teams have been able to grant players specific squad numbers, which they keep without regard to the position they play, similarly to [[association football]].<ref name="SLnumbers">{{citation|publisher=theRFL|title='history of the sport' in 1996|url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?areaid=46|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922085622/http://www.therfl.co.uk/about/page.php?areaid=46|archive-date=22 September 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Rugby League Formation and Positions.jpg|alt=A formation of a Rugby League team. This image shows the numbers of each position on a rugby field and where they should be placed. |thumb|A standard Rugby League formation, showing where different positions can be placed. ]]
Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets [[Fatigue (medical)|tired]] or [[Injury|injured]], although they can also be used tactically. Each team is currently allowed four substitutes, and in Australia and New Zealand, these players occupy shirt numbers 14 to 22.<ref name="SLnumbers2">{{citation|publisher=This is rugby|title='rugby league playing guide' squad numbers|url=http://www.thisisrugby.info/servlets/template?FILE=rugby-league-guide&navid=17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731131603/http://www.thisisrugby.info/servlets/template?FILE=rugby-league-guide&navid=17|archive-date=31 July 2009}}</ref> There are no limitations on which players must occupy these interchangeable slots. Generally, twelve interchanges are allowed in any game from each team, although in the National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season<ref name="NRLtensubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=15023|title=League rule changes for 2008|publisher=leagueunlimited.com (League Unlimited)|access-date=18 June 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216224450/http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=15023|archive-date=16 February 2009}}</ref> and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the [[Blood replacement|blood bin]] rule or due to injury, and this was the result of misconduct from the opposing team, the compromised team does not have to use one of its allocated interchanges to take the player in question off the field.

=== Backs ===
The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. They are often the most creative and evasive players on the field, relying on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line, instead of brute force. Generally forwards play a more collision oriented game, making ground by pure strength, and tackling near the play-the-ball.

* The title of ''[[Fullback (rugby league)|fullback]]'' (numbered 1) comes from the fullback's defensive position where the player drops out of the defensive line to cover the rear from kicks and runners breaking the line. Therefore, fullbacks are usually good ball catchers and clinical tacklers. In attack, the fullback will typically make runs into the attack or support a runner in anticipation of a pass out of the tackle. Fullbacks can play a role in attack similar to a halfback or five-eighth and the fact that the fullback does not have to defend in the first defensive line means that a coach can keep a playmaker from the tackling responsibilities of the first line whilst allowing them to retain their attacking role.
* The ''[[Rugby league positions#Wingers|wingers]]'' (numbered 2 and 5) are normally the fastest players in a team and play on the far left and right fringes of the field (the wings). Their main task is to receive passes and score tries. The wingers also drop back on the last tackle to cover the left and right sides of the field for kicks while the fullback covers the middle.
*The ''[[Center (rugby)|centres]]'' (numbered 3 and 4) are positioned one in from the wings and together complete what is known as the three-quarter line. Usually the best mixture of power and vision, their main role is to try to create attacking opportunities for their team and defend against those of the opposition. Along with the wingers, the centres score plenty of tries throughout a season. They usually have a large build and therefore can often play in the {{rlp|sr}}.
Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are a team's creative unit or 'playmakers'. During the interactions between a team's 'key' players (five-eighth, half-back, fullback, lock forward, and hooker), the five-eighth and half-back will usually be involved in most passing moves. These two positions are commonly called the "halves".
* The stand-off half, or [[five-eighth]] (numbered 6): There is not much difference between the stand-off half and the scrum half ([[Scrum-half (rugby league)|halfback]]), in that both players may operate in front of the pack during 'forward play' (as prime receiver [7] and shadow receiver [6], one on each side of the ruck, or both on same side of the ruck), and both players may operate in front of the backs during 'back play' (as prime pivot [6] and shadow pivot [7], one on each side of the pack, or both on same side of the ruck / pack). The Five-Eighth position is named with regard to the distance that the player stands in relevance to the team.
* The [[Scrum-half (rugby league)|halfback]] (numbered 7): There is not much difference between the halfback and the five-eighth, in that both players may operate in front of the pack during 'forward play' (as prime receiver [7] and shadow receiver [6], one on each side of the ruck, or both on same side of the ruck). Both players may operate in front of the backs during 'back play' (as prime pivot [6] and shadow pivot [7], one on each side of the ruck/pack, or both on same side of the ruck/pack). The halfback position is named with regard to halfway between the fullback and the forwards.

=== Forwards ===
[[File:Ftwins.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Rugby league is noted for its hard physical play.]]
The forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in the scrum see [[scrum (rugby)#Rugby league|rugby league scrummage]]. Forward positions are traditionally named after the player's position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to "normal play" with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally assigned as follows:
* The ''[[Prop forward|props or front-row forwards]]'' (numbered 8 and 10) are normally the largest players on field. They are positioned in the centre of the line. The prop will be an "enforcer", dissuading the opposition from attacking the centre of the defensive line and, in attack, will give the team momentum by taking the ball up to the defence aggressively.
* The ''[[Hooker (rugby league)|hooker]]'' (numbered 9) is most likely to play the role of [[Rugby league positions#dummy half|dummy half]]. In defence the hooker usually defends in the middle of the line against the opposition's props and second-rowers. The hooker will be responsible for organising the defence in the middle of the field. In attack as dummy-half this player is responsible for starting the play from every play-the-ball by either passing the ball to the right player, or, at opportune moments, running from dummy-half. It is vital that the hooker can pass very well. Traditionally, hookers "hooked" the ball in the scrum. Hookers also make probably more tackles than any other player on the field. The hooker is always involved in the play and needs to be very fit. They need to have a very good knowledge of the game and the players around them.
* The ''{{rlp|sr}} forwards'' (numbered 11 and 12) The modern day second row is very similar to a centre and is expected to be faster, more mobile and have more skills than the prop and will play amongst the three-quarters, providing strength in attack and defence when the ball is passed out to the wings. Good second-rowers combine the skills and responsibilities of props and centres in the course of the game.
* The ''[[Lock (rugby league)|Loose forward or Lock]]'' (numbered 13) is the only forward in the third (last) row of the scrum. They are usually among the fittest players on the field, covering the entire field on both attacking and defending duties. Typically they are big ball-runners who can occasionally slot in as a passing link or kick option; it is not uncommon for locks to have the skills of a [[five-eighth]] and to play a similar role in the team.

== Rugby league worldwide ==
{{See also|Geography of rugby league|List of rugby league competitions}}
Rugby league is played in over 70 nations throughout the world. [[Papua New Guinea]] is the only country to have rugby league as its [[national sport]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Cook Islands loses to Papua New Guinea at Rugby League World Cup, but the game means more than the result|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-26/cook-islands-hold-head-high-worlds-only-two-rugby-league-nations/101579188|access-date=26 October 2022|newspaper=ABC News|date=26 October 2022}}</ref> Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at a professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/rugby-league-nations/91-rugby-league-test-match-or-international-game/2486-rugby-league-strategic-roadmap-aims-to-double-worldwide-tv-audience-by-2025-full-version|title=Rugby League Planet - Rugby League strategic roadmap aims to double worldwide TV audience by 2025 (Full Version)|website=www.rugbyleagueplanet.com|access-date=14 December 2015|archive-date=11 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211201622/http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/rugby-league-nations/91-rugby-league-test-match-or-international-game/2486-rugby-league-strategic-roadmap-aims-to-double-worldwide-tv-audience-by-2025-full-version|url-status=dead}}</ref> The strongest rugby league nations are [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]], [[England national rugby league team|England]], [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]], [[Samoa national rugby league team|Samoa]] and [[Tonga national rugby league team|Tonga]].

=== World Cup ===
{{main|Rugby League World Cup}}
{{update|section|date=October 2022}}
The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]], [[Cook Islands national rugby league team|Cook Islands]], [[England national rugby league team|England]], [[Fiji national rugby league team|Fiji]], [[France national rugby league team|France]], [[Ireland national rugby league team|Ireland]], [[Italy national rugby league team|Italy]], [[Jamaica national rugby league team|Jamaica]], [[Lebanon national rugby league team|Lebanon]], [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]], [[Papua New Guinea national rugby league team|Papua New Guinea]], [[Russia national rugby league team|Russia]], [[Samoa national rugby league team|Samoa]], [[Scotland national rugby league team|Scotland]], [[South Africa national rugby league team|South Africa]], [[Tonga national rugby league team|Tonga]], [[United States national rugby league team|US]] and [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]]. The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which was hosted by [[England national rugby league team|England]] during October and November 2022, staged the [[2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup|Men's]], [[2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup|Women's]] and [[2021 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup|Wheelchair]] competitions together for the first time.<ref name="RLWC 2021 Competition Structure">{{cite web |title=Rugby League World Cup 2021 Competition Structure |url=https://www.rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/competition-structure |access-date=16 August 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621221539/https://www.rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/competition-structure}}</ref> The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming [[2026 Rugby League World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-24 |title=Australia and PNG to host 2026 Rugby League World Cup as number of competing nations slashed |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/rugby-league-world-cup-2026-australia-and-papua-new-guinea-to-host-10-teams-down-from-16-teams-mens-womens-wheelchair/news-story/5d01b96e43b9af22a5ab0e2dec1d4231 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Fox Sports |language=en}}</ref>

=== Oceania and South Pacific ===
[[File:Manu Vatuvei (26 October 2008).jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]] vs [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] at the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup]]]]

The [[Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation]]'s purpose is to spread the sport of rugby league throughout their region along with other governing bodies such as the [[Australian Rugby League Commission|ARL]] and [[New Zealand Rugby League|NZRL]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiapacificrl.com/|title=Home - Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation|website=Asia Pacific Rugby League Confederation|access-date=14 June 2016|archive-date=30 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430190256/http://www.asiapacificrl.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since rugby league was introduced to [[Australia]] in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia.<ref>[http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/countries/australia.htm Most Popular Sports in Australia]. Topendsports.com. Retrieved 20 August 2013.</ref> Neighbouring [[Rugby league in Papua New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]] is one of two countries to have rugby league as its [[national sport]] (with [[Rugby league in the Cook Islands|Cook Islands]]).<ref name="PNG vow to upset World Cup odds"/><ref name="PNG seal 2010 Four Nations place"/> Australia's elite club competition also features a team from [[Auckland]], New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]].<ref>{{cite journal|first=David|last=Rowe|date=15 August 2016|journal=Journal of Sport and Social Issues|volume=21|issue=2|pages=221–226|doi=10.1177/019372397021002008|title=Rugby League in Australia: The Super League Saga|s2cid=145452627}}</ref> The game is also among the predominant sports of [[Rugby league in Tonga|Tonga]]<ref name="Matt Fletcher, Nancy Keller 2001 73">{{cite book|last=Matt Fletcher, Nancy Keller|title=Tonga|year=2001|publisher=[[Lonely Planet]]|location=Australia|isbn=978-1-74059-061-7|page=73|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EABPLrDovFAC}}</ref> and is played in other Pacific nations such as [[Samoa]] and [[Fiji]]. Researchers have found that rugby league has been able to help with improving [[Sustainable development|development]] in the islands.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Stewart-Withers|first1=Rochelle|last2=Everill|first2=Adam S.|date=2015|title=Transforming Hegemonic Masculinities in Papua New Guinea: Rugby League as a Vehicle for the Prevention of Gender-based Violence and HIV/AIDS|url=https://doi.org/10.18848/2152-7857/CGP/v04i04/53987|journal=The International Journal of Sport and Society|language=en|volume=4|issue=4|pages=57–69|doi=10.18848/2152-7857/cgp/v04i04/53987|issn=2152-7857|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual [[State of Origin series]] ranks among the most popular sporting events.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ford|first=Greg|title=State of Origin bigger test for James Tamou|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/6761017/State-of-Origin-bigger-test-for-James-Tamou|access-date=16 June 2012|newspaper=Fairfax NZ News|date=18 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Apathy in old Dart like an arrow through our heart|url=http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/sport/apathy-in-old-dart-like-an-arrow-through-our-heart/1349226.aspx?storypage=0|access-date=17 June 2012|newspaper=Stock & Land|date=1 November 2008}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

=== Europe ===
The [[Rugby League European Federation]] are responsible for developing rugby league in [[Europe]].<ref>[http://www.rlef.eu.com/index.php RLEF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111220032208/http://www.rlef.eu.com/index.php|date=20 December 2011}}. Rlef.eu.com. Retrieved 20 August 2013.</ref>
{{location map+|Northern England|float=right|width=300|caption=Rugby league is most popular along the [[M62 motorway|M62]] corridor in the north of England where the sport originated. Icons shown are the location of teams competing in the [[2025 Super League season|2025 Super League]] (barring [[Catalans Dragons]]) all located along the M62 Corridor.|places=
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.491|long=-2.529|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-10px;right:+5px">[[Leigh Leopards|Leigh]]</div>}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.547778|long=-2.653889|label_size=100|label=[[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]|position=left}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.469444|long=-2.375|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:+5px;right:+2px">[[Salford Red Devils|Salford]]</div>}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.447492|long=-2.726078|label_size=100|label=[[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]|position=left}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.395|long=-2.595556|label_size=100|label= <div style="position:relative;top:+12px;right:+10px">[[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]]</div>}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.746111|long=-0.367778|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:+4px;right:+7px">[[Hull F.C.|Hull]]</div>|position=top}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.753889|long=-0.264722|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-10px;right:+5px;">[[Hull Kingston Rovers|Hull KR]]</div>|position=right}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.730343|long=-1.340831|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-4px;right:+4px;">[[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]]</div>}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.655586|long=-1.766964|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:-5px;left:+2px;">[[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]]
</div>|position=left}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.817947|long=-1.583588|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:+3px;">[[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]]</div>|position=top}}
{{location map~|Northern England|lat=53.669821|long=-1.479525|label_size=100|label=<div style="position:relative;top:+12px;right:+10px;">[[Wakefield Trinity|Wakefield]]</div>}}
}}

In England, rugby league has traditionally been associated with the historic northern counties of [[Yorkshire]], [[Lancashire]], and [[Cumberland]], where the game originated, especially in towns and cities along the [[M62 motorway|M62 corridor]].<ref name="heartlands"/> Its popularity has also increased elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC Sport|title=Interest growing in Conference|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/2266867.stm|access-date=14 December 2008|date=14 December 2008|first=Dave|last=Woods}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|publisher=Active Surrey|title=Rugby League Activity|url=http://www.activesurrey.com/content-1973|access-date=14 December 2008|date=14 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228231649/http://www.activesurrey.com/content-1973|archive-date=28 February 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|publisher=Rugby Football League|title=Engage Super League Attracts Strong Viewing in 2008|url=http://therfl.co.uk/~therflc/home/news_item.php?id=10137|access-date=14 December 2008|date=14 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718203735/http://therfl.co.uk/~therflc/home/news_item.php?id=10137|archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, only two of the twelve Super League teams are based outside of these traditional counties: [[Catalans Dragons]] and [[London Broncos]]. One other team from outside the United Kingdom, [[Toulouse Olympique]], competes in the [[British rugby league system]], although not at the highest tier Super League level, but rather in the second tier [[RFL Championship|Championship]].

Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014 was 8,365.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rugby union and rugby league compared ahead of Manchester showdown between England v Uruguay and Super League final|url=http://www.cityam.com/226244/rugby-union-and-rugby-league-compared-ahead-of-manchester-showdown-between-world-cup-2015-and-super-league-final|publisher=CityAM|date=8 December 2017}}</ref> In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-league-average-attendances-for-2018-revealed-and-its-not-good-reading-18712/|title=Super League average attendances for 2018 revealed - and it's not good reading!|date=9 January 2019}}</ref> Ranked the [[Sport in the United Kingdom#Popularity|eighth most popular sport in the UK]] overall,<ref>[http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/928/Rugby-Union-Britains-Second-Most-Popular-Sport.aspx MORI Sports Tracker - Interest in Sports] ''Ipsos MORI'' Retrieved 2 March 2018</ref> rugby league is the 27th most popular participation sport in England according to figures released by [[Sport England]]; the total number of rugby league participants in England aged 16 and over was 44,900 in 2017.<ref name="Participation"/> This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago.<ref name="Participation">{{cite news|title=What is the most popular sport in England?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2017/02/15/popular-sport-england/rugby-league/|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2017/02/15/popular-sport-england/rugby-league/|archive-date=11 January 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|agency=The Telegraph|date=8 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> While the sport is largely concentrated in the north of England there have been complaints about its lack of profile in the British media. On the eve of the [[2017 Rugby League World Cup final]] where England would face Australia, English amateur rugby league coach Ben Dawson stated, "we're in the final of a World Cup. First time in more than 30 years and there's no coverage anywhere".<ref>{{cite news|title=Rugby League World Cup: The final hardly anyone seems to be talking about|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-42191891|agency=BBC|date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Thomas Bosc 2013 (1).JPG|thumb|upright=1.35|[[France national rugby league team|France]] vs [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] in the [[2013 Rugby League World Cup]] at [[Parc des Sports (Avignon)]]]]

France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in the five years prior to the [[Second World War]], the sport's popularity increased as Frenchmen became disenchanted with the state of French rugby union in the 1930s.<ref name="BBCFranceHistory">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/2307043.stm|title=French rugby league fights for rights|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk (BBC News)|access-date=18 July 2009|last=Schofield|first=Hugh|date=8 October 2002}}</ref> However, after the Allied Forces were defeated by Germany in June 1940, the [[Vichy regime]] in the south seized assets belonging to rugby league authorities and clubs and banned the sport for its association with the left-wing [[Popular Front (France)|Popular Front]] government that had governed France before the war.<ref name="BBCFranceHistory" /> The sport was unbanned after the [[Liberation of Paris]] in August 1944 and the collapse of the Vichy regime, although it was still actively marginalised by the French authorities until the 1990s.<ref name="BBCFranceHistory" /> Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Worldcup/1954worldcup.htm|title=Rugby League Planet – 1954 Rugby League World Cup|publisher=rugbyleagueplanet.com|access-date=18 July 2009|archive-date=13 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713072347/http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Worldcup/1954worldcup.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Worldcup/1968worldcup.htm|title=Rugby League Planet – 1968 Rugby League World Cup|publisher=rugbyleagueplanet.com|access-date=18 July 2009|archive-date=30 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730084053/http://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Worldcup/1968worldcup.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1996, a French team, [[Paris Saint-Germain Rugby League|Paris Saint-Germain]] was one of eleven teams which formed the new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/print.php?type=N&item_id=718|title=Step Back in Time: Catalans (H)|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com (cherryandwhite.co.uk)|access-date=18 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090730012703/http://wigan.rlfans.com/print.php?type=N&item_id=718|archive-date=30 July 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern [[Languedoc-Roussillon]] region.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/3748507.stm|title=French join Super League|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk (BBC Sport)|access-date=18 July 2009|date=26 May 2004}}</ref> They have subsequently reached the [[2007 Challenge Cup Final]] and made the playoffs of the 2008 [[Super League XIII]] season. The success of the Dragons in Super League has initiated a renaissance in French rugby league, with new-found enthusiasm for the sport in the south of the country where most of the [[Super XIII]] teams are based. In other parts of Europe, the game is played at semi-professional and amateur level.

=== North America ===
As of 2023, there is no professional rugby league in North America. From 2017 to 2020, the [[Toronto Wolfpack]] were [[North America]]'s only active professional Rugby League team, competing in the English Rugby League system. They won the 2017 Kingstone Press League 1 in their inaugural season and earned promotion to the 2018 Rugby League Championship. In 2019 The Wolfpack won promotion to the Super League, lasting only a few months before having to withdraw due to the ongoing worldwide [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. New ownership is currently trying to revive the club with matches against amateur clubs in the US and Canada. Beginning in 2022, the [[Ottawa Aces]] were scheduled to join the English league pyramid, becoming the only Canadian team in the system after the Wolfpack were denied re-entry. The club subsequently relocated to [[Penryn, Cornwall]], and are now known as Cornwall R.L.F.C.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/rugby/english-rugby-league-ottawa-1.5142569|title=Ottawa gets green light for English rugby league franchise|publisher=CBC|author=Neil Davidson|date=20 May 2019|access-date=25 June 2019}}</ref>

In 2021, the [[North American Rugby League]] announced an attempt to be North America's professional championship, with Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack joining several [[USA Rugby League]] clubs, New York Freedom and [[Cleveland Rugby League]] to form the league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/the-14-teams-taking-part-in-the-new-north-american-rugby-league-competition/|title=NARL confirmed c/o Love Rugby League|date=April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/north-american-rugby-league-western-division-suspended-until-2022/7xrp0tzmue4v1pbrd1c65r4xm|title=2022 for NARL Western Conference via Sporting News AU|access-date=25 May 2021|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514084345/https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/north-american-rugby-league-western-division-suspended-until-2022/7xrp0tzmue4v1pbrd1c65r4xm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The new competition is sanctioned by [[Canada Rugby League]], but not yet by the United States governing body. Unfortunately, while some exhibition matches were played in 2021 and 2022, NARL was defunct by 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/new-north-american-rugby-league-not-sanctioned-by-governing-body/|title=USA Rugby League not ready to sanction NARL via Love Rugby League|date=15 April 2021}}</ref>

=== Other countries ===

The early 21st century has seen [[Template:Rugby League Playing Nations links|other countries]] take up the game and compete in international rugby league with the [[Rugby League European Federation]] and [[Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation]] expanding the game to new areas such as [[Chile]], [[Canada]], [[Ghana]], [[Philippines]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Germany]], [[Netherlands|The Netherlands]], [[Sweden]], [[Norway]], [[Spain]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Hungary]], [[Turkey]], [[Thailand]] and [[Brazil]] to name a few.<ref>[http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/238/hungary-prepare-for-belgrade-visit RLEF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114090343/http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/238/hungary-prepare-for-belgrade-visit|date=14 November 2011}}. Rlef.eu.com (29 July 2011). Retrieved 20 August 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/features/meet-the-yorkshireman-determined-to-bring-rugby-league-to-madrid-1-6780857|title=Meet the Yorkshireman determined to bring rugby league to Madrid|website=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sslcam.news.com.au/cam/authorise?channel=pc&url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/the-hills/latin-america-rugby-league-team-to-play-fellow-minnows-thailand-at-windsor/story-fngr8i1f-1226933070974|title=The new nations of rugby league}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

=== Domestic professional competitions ===

The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian [[National Rugby League]] and the British [[Super League]] (with teams from New Zealand and France respectively).

Other professional and semi professional leagues include Australia's [[Queensland Cup]] (which includes a team from [[Papua New Guinea]]) and [[NSW Cup]], the British [[RFL Championship]] and [[RFL League 1]], the French [[Super XIII]] and [[Elite 2 (rugby league)|Elite 2]].

The [[PNGNRL|Papua New Guinea National Rugby League]] operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being the national sport of the country.

== Variants ==
Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; [[Touch (sport)|Touch]], [[Tag rugby|OzTag]], [[League tag]], [[Rugby league nines|Nines]], and [[Rugby league sevens|Sevens]].

Touch, OzTag, and League Tag are all non-contact versions of the sport, where as Nines and Sevens are both reduced form (shorter match times and smaller teams) of the sport.

=== Touch ===
{{Main|Touch (sport)}}
Touch (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that is conducted under the direction of the [[Federation of International Touch]] (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with [[Rugby football|rugby league]], it is recognised as a sport in its own right due to its differences which have been developed over the sport's lifetime.

Touch is a variation of rugby league with the [[Tackle (football move)|tackling]] of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch is therefore considered a [[Contact sport#Limited-contact|limited-contact]] sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club]] in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]].<ref name="Sportingpulse.com-2011">{{cite web|date=2 November 2011|title=The Evolution of Touch – Federation of International Touch – SportingPulse International|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=14-4863-0-0-0&sID=61690&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=14726332&sectionID=61690|access-date=20 August 2014|publisher=Sportingpulse.com|archive-date=22 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822001749/http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=14-4863-0-0-0&sID=61690&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=14726332&sectionID=61690|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== OzTag ===
{{Main|Tag rugby}}
OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby league, and can be seen as a variation of British tag rugby. Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons halfback [[Perry Haddock]] introduced the sport in Australia while coaching the 1992 St George [[Jersey Flegg Cup|Jersey Flegg]] side. Together with Chris Parkes, the two took the sport to fields across Australia. Today, it is played by over 200,000 players in organised leagues across the country.

=== League Tag ===
{{Main|League tag}}
League Tag replaces tackling with the removal of one of two tags carried on an opponent's hips, attached directly to specific League Tag shorts with Velcro patches, but otherwise retains almost all other rules of traditional rugby league (such as kicking). A number of additional rules are also added relating to the specific issues associated with a tag based game.

=== Nines ===
{{Main|Rugby league nines}}
Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game.

=== Sevens ===
{{Main|Rugby league sevens}}
Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game.

== Attendances ==
=== International ===
The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are:
{| class="wikitable" width=90%
|- bgcolor=#bdb76b
! Game !! Date !! Team 1 !! Score !! Team 2 !! Venue !! City !! Crowd
|-
|[[2013 Rugby League World Cup final|2013 World Cup final]]|| 30 November 2013|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]]|| 34–2|| {{flagicon|NZL}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]|| [[Old Trafford]]|| [[Manchester]]|| 74,468
|-
|[[1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup#Final|1992 World Cup final]]|| 24 October 1992|| {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia|| 10–6|| {{flagicon|UK}} [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]|| [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]]|| [[London]]|| 73,631
|-
|[[1932 Great Britain Lions tour|1932 Ashes series]], game 1|| 6 June 1932|| {{flagicon|GBR}} Great Britain|| 8–6|| {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia|| [[Sydney Cricket Ground]]|| [[Sydney]]|| 70,204
|-
|[[1962 Great Britain Lions tour|1962 Ashes series]], game 1|| 9 June 1962|| {{flagicon|UK}} Great Britain|| 31–12|| {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia|| Sydney Cricket Ground|| Sydney|| 70,174
|-
|[[1958 Great Britain Lions tour|1958 Ashes series]], game 1|| 14 June 1958|| {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia|| 25–8|| {{flagicon|UK}} Great Britain|| Sydney Cricket Ground|| Sydney|| 68,777
|}

=== Domestic ===
The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are:
{| class="wikitable" width=90%
|- bgcolor=#bdb76b
! Game !! Date !! Team 1 !! Score !! Team 2 !! Venue !! City !! Crowd
|-
|[[1999 NRL Grand Final]]|| 26 September 1999|| {{leagueicon|Melbourne|16}} [[Melbourne Storm]]|| 20–18|| {{leagueicon|St George|16}} [[St George Illawarra Dragons]]|| [[Stadium Australia]]|| [[Sydney]]|| 107,999
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[1999 NRL season]] Round 1||rowspan="2"| 6 March 1999|| {{leagueicon|Newcastle|16}} [[Newcastle Knights]]|| 41–18|| {{leagueicon|Manly|16}} [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles]]||rowspan="2"| Stadium Australia||rowspan="2"| Sydney||rowspan="2"| 104,583*
|-
|{{leagueicon|Parramatta|16}} [[Parramatta Eels]]|| 20–10||{{leagueicon|St George|16}} St George Illawarra Dragons
|-
|[[1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season#Challenge Cup|1954 Challenge Cup Final replay]]|| 5 May 1954|| {{leagueicon|Warrington|16}} [[Warrington Wolves]]|| 8–4|| {{leagueicon|Halifax|16}} [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]]|| [[Odsal Stadium]]|| [[Bradford]]|| 102,569**
|-
|[[1984–85 Rugby Football League season#Challenge Cup|1985 Challenge Cup Final]]|| 4 May 1985|| {{leagueicon|Wigan|16}} [[Wigan Warriors]]|| 28–24|| {{leagueicon|Hull fc|16}} [[Hull F.C.]]|| [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]]|| [[London]]|| 99,801
|-
|[[1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season#Challenge Cup|1966 Challenge Cup Final]]|| 21 May 1966|| {{leagueicon|St Helens|16}} [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]|| 21–2|| {{leagueicon|Wigan|16}} Wigan Warriors|| Wembley Stadium|| London|| 98,536
|}
<small>* NRL double header played to open Round 1 of the [[1999 NRL season]]. Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-1999/round-1/manly-warringah-vs-newcastle/summary.html|title=NRL 1999 - Round 1 - Rugby League Project|first=Shawn Dollin and Andrew|last=Ferguson|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=19 June 2016|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808115118/http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-1999/round-1/manly-warringah-vs-newcastle/summary.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-1999/round-1/parramatta-vs-st-george-illawarra/summary.html|title=NRL 1999 - Round 1 - Rugby League Project|first=Shawn Dollin and Andrew|last=Ferguson|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=19 June 2016|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808115751/http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-1999/round-1/parramatta-vs-st-george-illawarra/summary.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><br>** The official attendance of the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay was 102,569. Unofficial estimates put the attendance as high as 150,000, Bradford Police confirming 120,000.</small>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Sports}}
* [[History of rugby league]]
* [[List of rugby league terms]]
* [[Playing rugby league]]
* [[List of international rugby league teams]]
* [[List of official Rugby League organisations]]
* [[Rugby league nines]]
* [[Rugby league sevens]]
* [[Tag Rugby]] (OzTag) – a completely non-contact version of rugby league
* [[Touch football (rugby league)|Touch football]] – an almost non-contact version
* [[League tag]] – A semi-contact version of Rugby League
* Comparison topics
**[[Comparison of rugby league and rugby union]]
**[[Comparison of American football and rugby league]]
**[[Comparison of Canadian football and rugby league]]
* [[Geography of rugby league]]

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/clientdocs/rugby_laws_book_2004_.pdf|publisher=Rugby League International Federation|title=The International Laws of the Game and Notes on the Laws|author=RLIF|year=2004|access-date=30 July 2008|ref=RLIF-ILG-2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326215923/http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/clientdocs/rugby_laws_book_2004_.pdf|archive-date=26 March 2009|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
*{{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Malcolm |title=Rugby league, the greatest game of all |publisher=Horwitz |year=1981 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_X78OAAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-7255-1338-2}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
*{{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Malcolm |title=The A-Z of Rugby League |publisher=Hodder Moa Beckett |year=1995 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JoP_GwAACAAJ |isbn=978-0-340-59956-3}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline|Rugby league}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|Rugby league}}
* [https://intrl.sport/ Official website of the International Rugby League] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224195319/https://intrl.sport/|date=24 December 2021}}
* [https://stats.rugbyleaguerecords.com Rugby League Record Keepers' Club]

{{Rugby football}}
{{International rugby league}}
{{Football codes}}
{{Team sports}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugby League}}
[[Category:Rugby league| ]]
[[Category:Team sports]]
[[Category:Ball games]]
[[Category:Sports originating in England]]
[[Category:Games and sports introduced in 1895]]
[[Category:Rugby football variants]]
[[Category:Turf sports]]