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59-603: The TNRL was founded in 1949 and has been a member of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) since 1974. In September 2019 membership of the RLIF was suspended after Semisi Sika , acting-prime minister of Tonga, wrote to the RLIF to advise that TNRL had lost the confidence of the government, the Tongan rugby league clubs and the country's players. In a statement the RLIF stressed that "the suspension of TNRL

118-650: A Development Officer position and they also provided coaching and player assistance and continued to have the Kangaroos tour France despite the costs. After the Australian Rugby League introduced the World Sevens in 1988, the International Board took a much more active part in worldwide developments. Harry Edgar states: "Much of the successful participation in the 1995 World Cup came as a direct result of

177-459: A bold bid to create a rival competition, Super League (Australia) . Super League successfully attracted eight of the ARL clubs. In the 1995 State of Origin series , the ARL forbade the players of those eight clubs from participating in the interstate competition. However, those clubs were allowed to participate in the premiership seasons of 1995 and 1996 , while the ARL fought in the courtroom to stop

236-598: A consequence of the Super League war . Between the 1998 season and the first few months of the 2012 season the ARL had six out of twelve seats on the NRL Partnership board. In 2012 News Limited exited the partnership on condition that the ARL was restructured with an independent board. The ARL was renamed as the Australian Rugby League Commission and restructured on 10 February 2012 and took control of

295-459: A different one in the World Cup tournament. The rule change did not apply to players who had played for a country in a Test series or non-World Cup related tournament. Applications must still be made to the RLIF for those changes still permitted. The rules were clarified in 2016 by introducing tiers which determine if and when a player can represent more than one country. The changes also increased

354-525: A display of its democratic values towards the game, although some were sceptical that the representatives of the powerful richer nations would allow themselves to be overruled. The Pacific island nations were only associate members of the IRLB with only the full members Australia, Great Britain, France, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea having a vote. In 1998, the Super League International Board

413-469: A four-yearly cycle beginning in 2002 that would mean rugby league facing strong competition from other major sporting events for corporate sponsorship. During the build-up to the 2008 World Cup , which had been timed to coincide with Australia's Centenary of Rugby League celebrations, it was stated and confirmed afterwards that the following tournament in the United Kingdom would be held in 2013 to avoid

472-506: A move to full international rugby league laws . The ARL is governed by a board of directors, referred to as a “commission”. The board was previously composed of representatives of member clubs and state leagues but was reconstituted with directors independent of the member clubs and leagues and renamed as a “commission”. It is headquartered in Sydney at “Rugby League Central”, Moore Park, New South Wales . All 17 National Rugby League clubs and

531-465: A nominated time, resign and seek re-election at an Annual General Meeting. Commissioners in Group A were required to stand down before the 2013 Annual General Meeting, where they were able to re-apply for their position. Group B members were required to stand down before the 2014 AGM and Group C members were required to stand down before the 2015 meeting. Ten members may, with the additional support of both

590-425: A say in the altering of the rules and laws of rugby league. The RLIF reiterated in 2008 that a player may represent a country if it is the country of their parents or if that country has been the player's "principal country of residence" for three years up until the date of the player's selection. A player may also be selected for country that they have represented in international rugby league in any age level before

649-522: A scrum on the fourth tackle. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. The Australians had always been strong in supporting expansion of the game including places such as "South Africa, America and Canada". The Australians even took a lead role in aiding the game in France, in what might be considered the British sphere of influence, the ARL funded Tas Baitieri in

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708-491: A ten-year international plan in 2007. In 2009 the member nations agreed that the RLIF should negotiate over sponsorship, licensing and broadcast rights for international rugby league rather than the member nations. As of 2009, the RLIF imposed a levy of 10% on net gate receipts at all international matches, providing the International Federation with revenues. The RLIF makes grants to member nations to help foster

767-498: Is not an expulsion and is intended to provide a period of stability, while the matters raised by the various stakeholders can be properly and fully investigated" although a new body Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League has been set up by the Tongan Sports Council and the players which is expected to take over running of the national teams. The board of TNRL announced on 27 September 2019 that they would be taking legal action against

826-563: The 2012 Summer Olympics in London and that subsequent World Cups would be contested on a four-year cycle. The absence of a formal schedule of international competition has been criticised as leaving the sport "weak in international development, and in finances to help the game survive and grow outside the UK and Australia". Some moves have been made to correct this though, with the RFL's Richard Lewis proposing

885-787: The 2021 Rugby League World Cup , IRL chairman Troy Grant announced that he was pushing for a nines tournament to be introduced to the Summer Olympics by Brisbane 2032 as well as a wheelchair tournament to be introduced to the Paralympics . In March 2024, the IRL downgraded Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Russia, and Scotland from full to affiliate members due to noncompliance with the full membership criteria; Russia remained suspended. Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad and Tobago were expelled due to inactivity. The federations of Argentina and Spain were admitted as observers. Under

944-640: The Court of Arbitration for Sport but the appeal was dismissed in April 2021 leaving IRL to work with interested parties in Tonga to establish a new governing body. Rugby League International Federation The International Rugby League ( IRL ) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. The IRL organises the Rugby League World Cup , the oldest international rugby World Cup, as well as

1003-634: The Mal Meninga Cup for male Under 18 players, with players Under 21 that are outside NRL squads playing for clubs in the open-age Queensland Cup . Rugby league started in Australia in the period 1907–08. The Australian Rugby Football League Board of Control was formed by the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) and Queensland Rugby League (QRL) in December 1924 to administer the running of

1062-550: The National Rugby League competition. From 1995 to 1997, the ARL directly administered the national club premiership competition. Although they only won one ARL premiership in 1996, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles dominated the competition in its three years under the ARL name, winning each minor premiership (1995-1997), and appearing in all three Grand Finals. ARL Development is a non-profit company that

1121-482: The New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League are members of the commission. This means that the commission has 19 shareholder members in total. The primary objects of the ARL are to: The appointment of the original nine commissioners was intensely followed by the media. Placement firm Spencer Stuart shortlisted a list of potential members and the NRL Partnership whittled it down to

1180-581: The Rugby League International Federation between 1998-2020. There are two regional associations affiliated to the IRL; the European Rugby League (ERL) and the Asia-Pacific Rugby League (APRL). Rugby league, which had started in England in 1895 and spread to Wales in 1907 and Australia and New Zealand in 1908, was introduced into France in 1934 after their rugby union side was banned from

1239-801: The State of Origin series , the Indigenous All Stars Match , the Affiliated States Championship and the Women's National Championships . The ARL previously ran the National Youth Competition . This competition, which was for male players Under 20 years of age, was replaced in 2018 by state-run competitions. The New South Wales Rugby League run the Jersey Flegg Cup for male Under 21 players. The Queensland Rugby League run

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1298-712: The Women's and Wheelchair equivalent. International Rugby Leagues headquarters are in London, England and is currently made of 32 members. Founded as the Rugby League Imperial Board in 1927 by the Rugby Football League , French Rugby League Federation , Australian Rugby League Board of Control and the New Zealand Rugby League . In 1948 it became the International Rugby League Board when its membership expanded and then

1357-609: The national team . George Ball was the first secretary of the Board and John La Maro the first chairman. Prior to this time, the international rugby league was organised jointly by the NSWRL and the QRL. It was only after this time that the Australian team began to wear the now-familiar sporting colours of Green and Gold. Since 1924, rugby league bodies in all other states and territories became affiliated to

1416-449: The 10-team 1995 World Cup was accompanied by an Emerging Nations tournament of seven teams, supporting international growth. The 1995 World Cup was the "swansong of the original Board". With the Super League war started, the Board held what would be their last meeting immediately before that tournament, it ended "acrimoniously" as every member nation except Australia "stated their intention to withdraw their membership" and to establish

1475-414: The 1998 introduction of the RLIF's constitution, or a country which the player has represented in a senior international competition in any other sport. In 2009, international qualification regulations were modified in response to dissatisfaction about players representing different nations too easily. Players who have represented one country in World Cup qualifiers would now "not be permitted" to play for

1534-474: The ARL has administered the Australian national team and represented Australia in international rugby league matters. Prior to 1998, the code in Australia had been principally administered by individual state leagues on a domestic basis, and the ARL on a national and international basis. The ARL controls the National Rugby League and NRL Women's Premiership as well as annual representative competitions such as

1593-556: The ARL's World Sevens tournament"; "the game in Fiji was launched solely because of [the] World Sevens." Some nations were introduced to international rugby league through the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). The RFL would often feel embarrassment at meetings when they "could claim to have done so little" while BARLA was praised by other attendees. Maurice Lindsay has been credited with ensuring

1652-478: The Aussies, and France would vote with Great Britain, leaving Papua New Guinea as Australia's only guaranteed supporter." Oxley reveals, "a lot of the really positive things were initiated by the British - certainly on rule changes, and the move to actually expand the role of the Board." Oxley states: "it was a British idea to introduce the levy on all Test match receipts to go into an international development fund. It

1711-487: The Board of Control and ARL. Until 1984 the ARFL Board of Control was effectively run by the NSWRL board, and many Queensland players and administrators throughout this period believed that the NSWRL used this power to the detriment of Queenslanders, especially with respect to national team selection. In 1986 the ARL was incorporated under the name Australian Rugby Football League Limited as a separate entity and Ken Arthurson

1770-471: The IRLB grew to see twelve full member nations join the federation along with around thirty member nations and countless affiliates. 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 ending unlimited tackles and instead allowing the team in possession three play-the-balls followed by forming

1829-459: The IRLB some months later. Over the next few years the IRLB held meetings with the outcomes forming the Rugby League World Cup which made its début in 1954 . In the view of Harry Edgar, from the Board's establishment "until his death in 1986, Bill Fallowfield was a dominant figure in its activities. Always a keen student of the rules of the game, [Fallowfield], like Australia's Tom Bellew in more recent times, strove to establish uniformity in

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1888-488: The International Rugby Board (now World Rugby ) for both breaching amateur regulations and for constant foul play on the field. The Imperial Rugby League Board was formed in 1927. The Rugby Football League 's authority in the sport was supported by having a majority of the representatives on the Board. The RFL had three representatives while Australia and New Zealand each had one. According to Collins (2000),

1947-516: The International Rugby League Constitution, the Board of Directors consists of 12 members from pre-defined representative nominations. The International Rugby League was founded in its current form in 1998 by ten national governing bodies: At present, a further four national governing bodies have become full members: The laws of rugby league have been the responsibility of the RLIF since its formation in 1998. Before that

2006-458: The NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues, vote to remove a Commissioner. Fourteen members are required to remove a Commissioner without the support of both the NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues. Should either of these events occur, the remaining Commissioners would appoint a replacement. A Commissioner who has been removed from office may not seek re-appointment for a period of three years. Peter V'landys

2065-660: The RLIF in 2010 at a meeting in Melbourne, Australia. At a special general meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2010, a new constitution was approved that gave New Zealand, Australia and England permanent seats on the RLIF board, with provision made for an additional seat each by May 2011 for the RLEF and a soon-to-be-formed Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC), once RLEF and APRLC were granted Associate Membership status by

2124-503: The RLIF. The APRLC was incorporated in April 2011 with member nations New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Scotland and Ireland were each granted full membership of the RLIF, and the RLEF and APRLC Associate Membership, at the annual general meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in May 2011. A new Chairman, Scott Carter was also elected, becoming

2183-641: The Rugby Football League and IRLB, after its inception in 1948, were the bodies that maintained the Laws. The International Federation in conjunction with the nations governing bodies (mainly the Australian Rugby League , Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII , New Zealand Rugby League and the Rugby Football League ) often meet on a semi-regular basis of up to four times per year to make changes or decide new rules; although all test playing nations have

2242-503: The Super League International Board (SLIB) to govern Super League worldwide. The agreements that the former IRLB members signed with Super League had the effect of "usurping" the international board's control and diminishing the influence of its director-general, the Australian Rugby League's chairman, Ken Arthurson . The agreements removed international playing opposition for the Australian Rugby League's representative sides. The SLIB gave its Pacific island members full voting rights in

2301-456: The Super League competition from eventuating. However, Super League conducted a rival competition in 1997 . Both the ARL and Super League competitions ran parallel to each other that year. At the close of the season, despite having the financial backing of Optus , the ARL decided that it could not survive if two competitions were run and undertook moves to approach News Corporation and join

2360-399: The Tongan government and Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League and appealing the suspension by the RLIF. In December 2019 an International Rugby League (IRL) report proposed a number of changes to the governance of TNRL which TNR had 30 days to act upon. TNRL responded that the changes were "undemocratic" and "being forced upon them". The IRL board met on 13 February and announced on 17 February that

2419-628: The appointment of the first full-time CEO, former England and Wales Cricket Board CEO David Collier . In February 2018, John Grant was appointed as the new Chairman of the RLIF On 14 October 2019, the RLIF board voted to officially change its name to International Rugby League with the change taking effect the next day. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the International Rugby League and European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions. During

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2478-412: The board had informed TNRL that it is expelled from membership of IRL. As a precedent concerning a Tongan Invitational XIII to play has already been set, it is not considered that the expulsion of TNRL will affect the participation of Tonga's national teams in any competition. On 31 March 2020, the International Rugby League started looking for new applicants to govern Tongan rugby league. TNRL appealed to

2537-639: The current members. Commissioners were required to not have had any link to any rugby league football governing body or organisation for the previous 2 years to ensure their independence. The inaugural ARL Commissioners were agreed by representatives of the NRL Partnership, the Leagues and the NRL clubs. Future Commissioners are appointed by the Commission itself. The Commissioners are appointed into different groups and, initially, for differing terms. Each Commissioner must, at

2596-559: The first Kiwi to hold the role. This prompted a walkout by the Rugby Football League 's Richard Lewis who believed he should have succeeded Australia's Colin Love . Serbia and Lebanon were each granted full membership of the RLIF at the annual general meeting held in Manchester, England in May 2012. Ukraine, Russia and Jamaica were granted full membership in 2013. Nigel Wood was elected as Chairman in 2014 following and oversaw reforms, including

2655-528: The game but the effectiveness of these has been questioned. The Pacific Rim nations of Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands united to form the Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation (PIRLF) in December 2009. However, PIRLF was not formally recognised by the RLIF, as consideration was being given to modernising the RLIF constitution and membership structure. The Wales Rugby League were granted full membership of

2714-646: The imbalanced voting rights were a result of the RFL being the representative for the "mother country" and the other members being keen to demonstrate their loyalty to the Crown. In 1935 the French Rugby League proposed the constitution of an international board for rugby league, but the Australians were not favourable, and the idea was abandoned for a while. The Board was formed on 25 January 1948 in Bordeaux , France at

2773-519: The impetus of the French, led by Paul Barrière . The Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII , New Zealand Rugby League and Britain's Rugby Football League met during the 1947–48 Kiwi tour of Europe and these three governing bodies agreed to form the International Rugby League Board (IRLB). At the meeting, it was decided that initially the RFL would oversee the sport's rules while the IRLB developed. The Australian Rugby League joined

2832-502: The national competition that had been created by Super League. As a consequence of the negotiations that followed, the National Rugby League was formed before the 1998 season from the ARL and Super League competitions. From 1998 to 2012, the National Rugby League Partnership, a power-sharing arrangement between News Corporation and the Australian Rugby League (ARL), ran the National Rugby League competition as

2891-735: The residence period from three years to five. Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australian Rugby Football League Limited and succeeded the Australian Rugby Football League Board of Control which had been formed in 1924. Since its inception,

2950-533: The rules between all nations". Former RFL Chief Executive David Oxley, an attendee of International Board meetings for close to 20 years, confirmed that proceedings were not dominated by the Australians: "Despite their dominance of the game on the field, the Aussies did not get everything their own way on the old Board because frequently the New Zealanders were at loggerheads with them. The Kiwis would vote against

3009-494: Was appointed Chair on 30 October 2019, replacing Peter Beattie who reverted to a commissioner role. Beattie had served as Chair since February 2018. Andrew Abdo served as Interim CEO from late April 2020 until his appointment as CEO in early September 2020. David Gallop was the initial chief executive officer of the restructured ARL Commission. He was previously the CEO of the NRL and his contract extension to become inaugural ARL CEO

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3068-524: Was disestablished and replaced by a new organisation, the Rugby League International Federation, as the Super League war ended in Australia and international rugby league reunited. The replacement saw worldwide governance of rugby league handed back to the sport's national governing bodies. The meeting in Sydney at which it was agreed to form the RLIF was held at the request of the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Leagues. Britain

3127-444: Was due to his personality. At that time the Board's role was mostly restricted to discussion of rule changes. Oxley states that it was the British who "established the procedure that the Board should meet on a more regular basis - at least once a year - and should look at ways of helping the expansion of the game." After 1948, when only four sanctioned international teams being overseen by the IRLB and competing in annual competition,

3186-433: Was formed by the ARL to develop the sport from an introductory level to the age of 18 years. In achieving this, ARL Development has developed new modified codes that gradually introduce children to rugby league. This is done by restricting the rules and then gradually releasing these restrictions. The two introductory modified codes currently in use are mini footy and mod league . On completion of mod league, players make

3245-624: Was only 2 percent, but it did apply to television broadcast fees as well as gate receipts, so it built up into sizeable amounts, and it was that fund that paid for all we did in Russia, South Africa and the fine work done by Bob Abbott in the South Pacific, plus a significant part of the Student World Cup." Oxley says that Kevin Humphries may have dominated for the Australians for a time but that

3304-462: Was regret that rugby league had been so badly damaged, Harry Edgar , a rugby league writer, warned, "there can be no place for politics or individuals seeking personal glorification" as the "international game picks up the pieces after three years of bitter fall-out". The RLIF's scheduling of competitions made shortly after its formation, specifically the timing of world cups, was criticised by Graham Clay, editor of Open Rugby magazine for opting for

3363-485: Was represented by the Rugby Football League, rather than Super League (Europe), the company formed by its leading clubs. John McDonald , chair of the Australian Rugby League, became chair of the RLIF. Maurice Lindsay, the chairman of the Super League International Board (SLIB), was bypassed after he had suggested that the SLIB, with him leading it, should carry on the governance of the international game. Lindsay's candidature

3422-426: Was the first executive chairman of the new body. With national expansion of the competition implemented for the 1995 season the NSWRL passed control of the Winfield Cup competition to the ARL. Following Kerry Packer 's announcement that his Optus Vision company owned both free-to-air and pay television broadcasting rights for the sport in Australia, News Corporation , controlled by Rupert Murdoch , undertook

3481-497: Was weak due to his role in the Super League war. The cessation of Super League operations in Australasia and the notice that had been given of the SLIB's intention to cease funding the sport in the Pacific islands, meant the SLIB could be left with only Britain left as a member. The French were happy to cut ties with SLIB and join the new Federation as, allegedly, "they never saw a penny of the £1 million they believed they had been promised to sign up with Super League". In 1998, there

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