Rugby League

On 29 August 1895 twenty-one clubs met at The George Hotel in Huddersfield and formed the Northern Rugby Union (later to become known as Rugby League).

The inaugural competition which the 22 founding clubs played for was called the Northern Rugby Football League (NRL).

In Victorian times, it was considered unseemly and unsafe for gentlemen to be seen scrapping about in an unsightly mess of humanity, laying about on the ground in a heap.

How times have changed.

Today, the arguement still arises; which rugby code is better? The inference they are trying to make is that rugby union is the pure form of rugby (derived from Rugby School), while rugby league is some sort of a half-bred inferior off-spring.

Rugby League fans snicker.

When changes were made in the decade that followed, league became the far more popular code in England amongst spectators and players alike.

Today’s sportsmen, Rugby League Players in particular, are known for their brutality, strength, somewhat insanity at the physical punishment they endure each match, without nothing more than literally the clothes on their back. Whilst the primary objective in rugby league is to carry the ball across the opponent’s goal line to score a try (the equivalent of a “touchdown”), it’s the journey to cross that line that embodies all that is rugby.

The scrums, the tackles, the boldness, at times even anger.

The players take their game seriously, as do the millions of hard core fans and nothing in the world beats the rivalry that is known as Rugby League.

The most famous battle between states has to be the State of Origin. An annual three ‘test’ series between Queensland and New South Wales, the series is regarded as the toughest rugby league tournament in the world, and is one of Australia’s most keenly anticipated sports events.

It would have to be the only game where normal team rivalries are forgotten as players are united together for geographical reasons.

They done their coloured jersey’s with pride and the battle that emerges is one of strength, skill, endurance, toughness and that good ole competitive attitude, determination to take that trophy home.

Rugby league today has much in common with the rawness and spontaneity of “old school” American football – the footballers play both offence and defense, wear minimal protection, have six “downs” to advance the ball, and re-start play with a “play-the-ball” – a stream-lined version of the line of scrimmage. While American football reduced its teams from rugby’s 15 players a-side to 11, rugby league went with 13. Both games soon removed the rugby union rule which called for a scrum, maul or ruck after every tackle, replacing them with the “scrimmage” and “play-the-ball”. Both codes evolved into becoming games based on maintaining possession and advancing territory.

Besides being a popular spectator sport, Rugby League is also a popular betting sport, receiving extensive market coverage with Bookmakers both in Australia and the United Kingdom.

[catlist orderby=date id=24]