95-520: The Leichhardt Wanderers are a rugby league club based at Leichhardt, New South Wales . They compete in the Sydney Combined Competition . Their jersey is traditionally predominantly Red and Black. In recent years they have included white in their jersey. There were a number of Leichhardt clubs in the early years of Rugby League - Leichhardt Royals played in the Balmain JRL in 1908 and won
190-806: A schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). 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
285-437: A mix of the two sports' rules. Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American 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
380-616: 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. In 1922, the Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football. In 1895,
475-629: A professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked. The strongest rugby league nations are Australia , England , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga . The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are Australia , Cook Islands , England , Fiji , France , Ireland , Italy , Jamaica , Lebanon , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Russia , Samoa , Scotland , South Africa , Tonga , US and Wales . The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which
570-521: A rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football , the other being rugby union . It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield , Yorkshire , England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over the issue of payments to players. The rules of
665-453: A result play stops much less frequently in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union. Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15) and different rules for tackling . Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league and has changed less since the 1895 schism. Since rugby union turned professional in
760-415: 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 forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in
855-401: A value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line. Field position is crucial in rugby league, 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
950-611: Is a founding member of and a full member of the Rugby League International Federation (i.e. IRLB Jan. 1948) and of the Rugby League European Federation (i.e. May 2003). The French Rugby League Championship has been the major rugby league tournament for semi-professional clubs in France since the sport was introduced to the country in the 1930s. The championship is divided into several divisions;
1045-495: Is called a try , and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by 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 goals (or field goals) can be attempted from
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#17328592569161140-468: Is conducted under the direction of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with 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 tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch
1235-432: Is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland . The game is also among the predominant sports of Tonga 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 development in the islands. In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual State of Origin series ranks among
1330-536: Is therefore considered a limited-contact sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club in Sydney, Australia . 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
1425-413: Is worth. One of the main differences is the rules of possession. When the ball goes into touch , possession in rugby union is contested through a 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
1520-596: The 1921-22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain , but this had been blocked by the FFR. Then in 1934, Jean Galia took a French team that had never played rugby league to Yorkshire and Lancashire in England. The French Rugby League was formed on 6 April 1934. With France's continued suspension from the Five Nations Championship preventing its players from participating in quality international competition, many began to consider
1615-500: The 1938-39 European Championship , their first. In the same year, three leading rugby union clubs – Narbonne, Carcassonne and Brive – switched to rugby league. The invasion of France by Germany in May 1940 divided the country into Occupied France in the north and a southern pro-Nazi Vichy France , the latter of which roughly corresponded to the rugby-playing heartlands. The Vichy Government under Philippe Pétain associated rugby league with
1710-579: The 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. 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 International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on
1805-462: The 1999 NRL season . Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games. ** 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. Rugby league in France Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union , rugby league
1900-451: The ARL and NZRL . Since rugby league was introduced to Australia in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea is one of two countries to have rugby league as its national sport (with Cook Islands ). Australia's elite club competition also features a team from Auckland , New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league
1995-503: The Cook Islands and is a popular sport in countries such as England , Australia , New Zealand , France , Tonga , Fiji , Samoa , Lebanon , Jamaica , and Malta . 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 , the holders are Australia . A short-sided version of
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#17328592569162090-620: The New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street. 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. On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched
2185-722: 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. 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
2280-498: 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 , The Netherlands , Sweden , Norway , Spain , Sri Lanka , Hungary , Turkey , Thailand and Brazil to name a few. The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian National Rugby League and
2375-546: The Super League , and have done so since 2006. Toulouse Olympique also bid for a Super League franchise in 2009 but were rejected. They were however accepted in the second-tier Championship , and played two mostly unsuccessful seasons in that league before returning to the French league in 2012. Toulouse Olympique later returned to the British league system, beginning play in the third-tier League 1 in 2016 and earning promotion to
2470-543: The World Cup since the inaugural competition in 2008 and won the tournament in 2013 and 2017. Unlike, for instance, the BBC , France Television don't offer any programme to the French public about Rugby League. This has been a real issue for the game. Explanations usually given are the low number of participants in France but also pressure which would be made by the Union authorities on
2565-443: The home 1978 Test series by 2 Tests to nil - a feat not repeated over Australia by another international team until the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations series win by New Zealand. Their competitiveness against Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand began to decline in the 1980s and they have yet to recover their former strength, with their last win over one of those teams being in 1990 against Great Britain. The original proposal for
2660-466: 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
2755-518: The 1992 St George 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 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
2850-506: 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,
2945-558: The Annandale and Glebe competitions and finally in the Balmain JRL. Gladstone disbanded in the early 1940's. Rugby league Rugby league football , commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non- Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as football , footy , rugby , or league in its heartlands, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on
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3040-647: 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 . The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being
3135-515: The Championship for 2017. The city of Toulouse maintains a presence in the French leagues through Toulouse Olympique Broncos , which have been the official reserve side for Toulouse Olympique since being taken over by that club in 2012. In 2021, Catalans and Toulouse made history as both sides won the League Leaders' Shield for the Super League and Championship respectively. This marked
3230-502: The European Cup in 2009. In 2010, Direct 8 gained the rights to four international matches involving France: a test match against England on 12 June and the three French games of the 2010 European Cup . This marked the first time rugby league has been shown on French free-to-air television for at least two decades. Afterwards, in the 2010s, Rugby League was confined to the pay television again: Beinsport has been broadcasting
3325-688: The Final of the 2007 Rugby League Challenge Cup. In 2018 they won the RL Challenge Cup, beating Warrington Wolves 20 - 14 before a 50,672 crowd at Wembley. In 2022, France were awarded hosting duties for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup . However, in 2023, they withdrew as hosts. Since 26 June 1991 the governing body for rugby league in France has been the Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (i.e. formerly Ligue Française de Rugby à XIII then, Fédération Française de Jeu à XIII). The Federation
3420-431: The France national team toured Australia and won both Test series 2-1; these squads are still regarded as two of the strongest sides ever to tour Australia. The French maintained an excellent record in international rugby league until the 1980s, triumphing over Australia again in the home 1967-68 series and finishing as runner-up to Australia in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup . The Chanticleers also defeated Australia in
3515-604: The French Public Television Group. In the early 2000s, Orange TV showed every Catalans Dragons home match live. Selected games from the Elite Championship were also broadcast live on Orange TV and summaries of each match Elite 1 were available to subscribers. They also broadcast some of Toulouse Olympique's home games live. Orange TV had also secured to rights to broadcast Super League, the Four Nations and
3610-621: The NRL games and televised the Catalan Dragons Super League matches with an interruption in 2019. In the early 2020s, some Elite 1 games are televised by a local channel Vià Occitanie ; this is a free-to-air channel in the South of France but they are also available on the internet and via the triple play internet devices. Therefore, they offer, indirectly, a nationwide coverage of the domestic championship. Presently, French clubs have to fund
3705-693: The NSWRL 3rd Grade premiership in 1911. This club's final season was 1922. Leichhardt Gladstone won the C Grade of the Western Suburbs JRL in 1914, its first season in Rugby League. These two clubs had previously played Rugby Union. In 1918, Leichhardt Wanderers was formed by persons associated with the Leichhardt Boxing Stadium. Gladstone and Wanderers had a keen rivalry firstly in the Western Suburbs JRL where Gladstone were premiers in 1918 and then in
3800-525: The National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the 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. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than
3895-656: The Super League and recent strong performances from the international side led to this decision. Until the tournament's suspension in 2017, the winner of the Rugby League European Cup qualified as the fourth team when the competition was held in the northern hemisphere and the winner of the Pacific Cup was the fourth team when it was held in the southern hemisphere. 2009 remains the only year France has played in this tournament. The French territory of New Caledonia had its own rugby league team from 2003 to 2006, which
Leichhardt Wanderers - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-452: The Super League in 1995 was for two French clubs, with both Paris and Toulouse being proposed. This was subsequently reduced to one, after much discussion among clubs. In February 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was formed to take part in the otherwise English Super League . The players being drawn from the French league. It was abandoned in October 1997, partly because Paris was not in
4085-542: The UK. The French national mainstream media barely follow the game. Very occasionally, some articles about the sport are published in newspapers such as Le Monde , Le Figaro or the national Sport newspaper L'Équipe . Nevertheless, there is undoubtedly a French specificity : the Weekly Rugby Union magazine Midi Olympique has a one-page section devoted to Rugby League. However, only two local newspapers genuinely cover
4180-523: The amateur principle. 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". Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join
4275-447: The ball comes into contact with the ground. 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 his 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
4370-421: 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 he 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
4465-580: 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. The first of these, the 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
4560-497: The broadcast of their own games (e.g., Dragons Catalans) or to televise their own matches themselves via the social networks or Youtube . Radio Marseillette has rugby league debate and news every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. They also have exclusive live commentary of all Catalans Dragons home matches and Toulouse Olympique home matches. They also have commentary on some Elite League games. Radio France Bleu Roussillon carries commentary on every Catalans Dragons away match played in
4655-469: 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 since become recognised as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures. The objective in rugby league is to score more points through tries , goals and field goals (also known as drop goals) than
4750-625: The colour of their home jersey or as les Tricolores . They have competed in every World Cup and Rugby League European Cup , as well as playing in other tournaments such as the Victory Cup. In 2009, it was announced that France would enter the Tri-Nations tournament as a fourth team (necessitating its renaming to the Rugby League Four Nations ), playing alongside Australia, New Zealand and England. The introduction of Catalans Dragons into
4845-551: The damage caused by the Vichy Government's actions proved to be long-lasting and rugby league struggled to regain its pre-war momentum. On 10 July 1947, a "gentleman's agreement" was signed between the Ligue Française de rugby à treize ( Paul Barrière as representative), the French republic and the French rugby union for division of the Ligue Française de rugby à treize in two parts: a Federation française de jeu à treize as
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#17328592569164940-514: The first time that a French side had won either division. Toulouse later went on to win the Million Pound Game , thus gaining promotion to the Super League . Toulouse were relegated in 2022. Teams that have played in RFL leagues are summarised below: Rugby league is most popular in the south of France. The game struggles for attention in the national media, but it is covered by regional outlets in
5035-658: 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. 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 government that had governed France before
5130-530: 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
5225-407: 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. Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are
5320-406: The fourth tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played. The first sponsors, 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
5415-400: The game governed by the new 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 spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval ball and touching it to the ground beyond the opposing team's goal line; this
5510-448: The governing body of the amateur game and a Ligue de rugby à XIII as the governing body for the semi-professional game. Although the ban on rugby league was lifted, it was prevented from using the word rugby in its title from 24 April 1949 until 26 June 1991, having to use the name Jeu à Treize ( Game of Thirteen ). Rugby league remained banned in schools and was limited to 200 professional players under this dubious arrangement. After
5605-417: 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. 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
5700-411: 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. Players on the pitch are divided into forwards and backs , although the game's rules apply to all players
5795-504: The league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played. 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 The early 21st century has seen other countries take up the game and compete in international rugby league with
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#17328592569165890-453: 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 and Henry Paul ). The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental hybrid games being played that use
5985-530: The most popular sporting events. The Rugby League European Federation are responsible for developing rugby league in Europe . 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 corridor . Its popularity has also increased elsewhere. As of 2024 , only two of
6080-413: The national sport of the country. Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; Touch , OzTag , League tag , Nines , and 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 (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that
6175-548: The new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997. In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. 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
6270-402: The newly introduced 13-man code. With rugby league's acceptance of professionalism and spectator-friendly rules, the French viewed it as a modern and innovative game, and it grew quickly in popularity. Within five years, the number of rugby league clubs was approaching the number of rugby union clubs. By 1939, the French league had 225 clubs and the national side beat England and Wales to take
6365-405: 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". France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in
6460-669: 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. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by the International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and
6555-475: The opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are 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, 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
6650-400: 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 conversion or a penalty . A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the uprights in open play. A field goal has
6745-471: 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 world cup in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup competitions. Rugby league football takes its name from
6840-770: The passionate smaller rugby league towns of Carcassonne, Avignon, Lezignan, Albi, Villeneuve and Perpignan. French teams may apply to the RFL to play in tiers one , two , or three of the British rugby league system (providing they meet certain criteria) as this is generally considered a higher standard of rugby league. In addition French teams also take part in the Rugby League Challenge Cup , with Catalans Dragons (formerly known as Union Treiziste Catalan), Toulouse Olympique , Limoux Grizzlies , and Pia having done so. In terms of league membership, Catalans Dragons play in
6935-542: The position they play, similarly to association football . Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets tired or 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. 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
7030-700: The pre-war socialist government , the United Kingdom and General Charles de Gaulle . Some of the French Rugby Union's senior administrators took advantage of their close relationship with the new regime to have rugby league outlawed as a "corrupter" of French youth. All funds as well as grounds and equipment belonging to the French Rugby League Federation were confiscated and handed over to rugby union. The figure of assets stripped has been estimated at two million 1940 French francs, none of which
7125-711: The professional RFL system, with Catalans a mainstay in the Super League who most recently made the Grand Final in 2023 . In 2012, there were approximately 30,000 active participants. Rugby football was introduced into France by the British in the early 1870s. It began to flourish quickly in the poorer, more rural south. The French rugby clubs remained aligned with the Home Nation unions when rugby split into Rugby Union and Northern Union (later renamed Rugby League) in 1895. Allegations of professionalism and on-field violence in internationals led to France's suspension from
7220-531: The rugby league. In 1897, the line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced. In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after tackles with the play-the-ball . By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney , Australia. There, on 8 August 1907
7315-693: The rugby union Five Nations Championship in 1931. Following development work by both Harry Sunderland (on behalf of the Australian Rugby League ) and the British Rugby Football League , the Australian and British Test teams played an exhibition game at Stade Pershing in Paris in late December 1933. An earlier exhibition match between the two teams had been attempted to be played in Paris during
7410-501: 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
7505-496: The scrum see 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: 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 . Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at
7600-524: The sideline. 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 tries as the central scoring method and conversion kicks , penalty goals and drop goals as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method
7695-460: The south. However, the introduction of Catalans Dragons into Super League in 2006 and Toulouse Olympique into RFL Championship in 2009 has seen increased coverage with articles appearing in national newspapers such as L'Équipe , Libération and Le Figaro . It has also contributed to the rise in playing numbers to the current number of approximately 30,000. Locally, the France national rugby league team are often nicknamed les Bleus , after
7790-573: The southern heartland of French rugby league and partly because the players had the double burden of playing for both Paris and their original club. In 1998, XIII Actif were formed under the Chairmanship of French rugby league historian Robert Fassolette, to put pressure on the French government over the Vichy banning of the sport and the return of stolen assets. The French Minister of Sport commissioned an enquiry, which found in favour of XIII Actif but nothing
7885-526: The specific issues associated with a tag based game. Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are: The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are: * NRL double header played to open Round 1 of
7980-633: 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. 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
8075-441: 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
8170-650: The top league being Super XIII (known as Elite 1 until 2024), below that is the Elite 2 championship. There are several lower and regional divisions below them. The premier knock-out cup is the Lord Derby Cup and there is the Coupe Falcou for National Division One and Federal clubs. At its height, the French Championship maintained teams from the big cities of Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux and Toulouse, as well as
8265-453: 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 Championship . Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014
8360-552: The war the French game was re-established and the French became one of rugby league's major powers. France was the driving force behind the establishment of the Rugby League World Cup following the war. The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954 ; the final at Parc des Princes was narrowly lost by France 12-16 to a young, underdog Great Britain. France played major international series against Great Britain , Australia and New Zealand . In 1951 and 1955,
8455-518: The war. 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. Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event. In 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was one of eleven teams which formed
8550-424: Was 8,365. In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547. Ranked the eighth most popular sport in the UK overall, 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. This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago. While the sport is largely concentrated in
8645-509: Was done to ameliorate the damage done to rugby league. The Court then ruled that only the French rugby league federation could take action under its former name - a name it had been forced to change. Professional rugby league returned to France in February 2006 when Perpignan-based club Catalans Dragons joined Super League. They provided French rugby league with a major boost by demonstrating their prowess before nearly 85,000 people at Wembley in
8740-537: Was ever returned. In addition, rugby league players were forced to switch to rugby union or other sports or quit sport altogether. The banning of rugby league was "decided in 1941, by the Director of Sports [Colonel Pascot], who was himself a rugby union player, and who was convinced that the disappearance of rugby league would favour the development of rugby [union]". The federation was reinstated in September 1944, but
8835-476: Was hosted by England during October and November 2022, staged the Men's , Women's and Wheelchair competitions together for the first time. The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming 2026 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
8930-523: Was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is in the south of France . During the Second World War, in association with the French Rugby Federation (FFR), the sport was banned by the Vichy government , an act from which the code has struggled to recover. There has been a recent resurgence of the sport following the admission of Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique to
9025-723: Was run by the Fédération Francaise de Rugby à Treize. The France women's national rugby league team , also known as the Chanticleers ( for the Anglophone media) or locally as Les Tricolores , represents France in Women's rugby league . They are administered by the French Rugby League Federation . The France national wheelchair rugby league team represent France at wheelchair rugby league . They have competed at
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