141-537: The New Zealand national rugby league team ( Māori : tīma rīki motu Aotearoa ) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League , they are commonly known as the Kiwis , after the native bird of that name . The team's colours are black and white, with the dominant colour being black, and the players perform a haka before every match they play as
282-539: A 22–16 victory. Australia crashed to a defeat on Tuesday 21 July 1987, when the Kangaroo dominance of the international game suffered a rare setback. New Zealand were their opponents in a match which had been arranged to fill the gap created by the non-appearance of France. New Zealand won the game 13–6. The next four internationals between Australia and New Zealand were all staged in New Zealand, and all were won by
423-617: 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. In 1922,
564-498: A challenge to their opponents. The New Zealand Kiwis are currently second in the IRL World Rankings . Since the 1980s, most New Zealand representatives have been based overseas, in the professional National Rugby League and Super League competitions. Before that, players were selected entirely from clubs in domestic New Zealand leagues. A New Zealand side first played in a 1907 professional rugby tour which pre-dated
705-564: A coughing fit and dropped a British newspaper. Baskerville picked it up and noticed a report about a Northern Union (NU) match that over 40,000 people had attended. Baskerville wrote to the NRFU asking if they would host a New Zealand touring party. The 1905 All Blacks tour was still fresh in English minds, thus the NU saw the upcoming competitive New Zealand tour as exceptional opportunity to raise
846-399: A crowd of 42,680 saw New Zealand play, setting a new record for the team on British soil. The Kiwis were unbeaten in any test series from 1948 to 1951 and won six of their nine tests. They toured England and France in 1951–52. New Zealand were hosted by France for the first ever World Cup match in 1954's inaugural tournament. They lost that match as well as the remaining two to finish last. In
987-580: 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 the rugby league. In 1897,
1128-519: A far more spirited performance in the third test the Kiwis were unable to prevent the whitewash losing 22–28 after leading 12–0 early in the match. Kemble was forthright in expressing his desire to remain Kiwi coach following the loss with the general feeling being that the loss was "close enough" for him to retain the position. Kemble was the subject of some ridicule for post-match comments which suggested that
1269-405: A four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; as of 2023 , the holders are 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
1410-455: A huge anti-climax and they were outplayed by the Aussies. On 20 June 1993 the first all-professional, and all-overseas based, Kiwis side took the field against Australia. New Zealand almost got their revenge on Australia in the 1995 World Cup semi-final when, with the scores level at 20–20, a last minute drop-goal attempt by skipper Matthew Ridge brushed the wrong side of the post, allowing
1551-424: A magical moment to level the scores and then convert his try after the siren to win the match and make the Kiwis advance to a third consecutive World Cup final. The win also made the Kiwis equal their best winning streak record of five games. In the final, watched by a record international attendance of 74,468, they were outclassed at 'The Theatre of Dreams' as Australia earned revenge for their 2008 final defeat. After
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#17327901214731692-472: A major success for the rugby rebels of Australia, as they finally had the money to start the first professional Rugby Football League and hence change the face of rugby in Australia. New Zealand made it to Great Britain in 1907. They included Australian Dally Messenger in their party. He missed the first Test defeat, but played in the two Tests which the All Golds won. At this time professional rugby, under
1833-437: 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
1974-580: A narrow 16–10 loss in Sydney before a convincing 44–12 victory over Queensland in Perth during game 2. In game 3, the blues once again needed to play a decider in Brisbane. New South Wales lead the game 12–10 at half-time but conceded two late tries in the second half and lost 22–12. Ahead of the 2024 State of Origin series , Fittler stood down as head coach and was replaced by Michael Maguire . In game one of
2115-633: 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
2256-453: 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
2397-491: A second time in the tournament, this time in the semi-final. In the group stage, the Kiwis were at one point trailing 24–8 before scoring 26 consecutive points and keep the Poms scoreless in the second half to go on to win 36–24. The Kiwis didn't have to recover a deficit in the semi-final as they went on to another World Cup final meeting with Australia. In a see-saw like battle, the Kiwis created history after full-time when they won
2538-412: A street fight with another member of the tour party after the opening match. In mid-November, following further disturbances, which almost led to the tour party being evicted from their Harrogate hotel, it was decided that coach Mair would withdraw from team selection and match tactics for a period of four weeks. The tour, and the costly disputes, continued, with the rebels eventually setting sail for home
2679-415: 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
2820-474: A test match since 2007. In September 2016, Kearney left New Zealand after accepting an offer to coach New Zealand's only NRL team . David Kidwell 's first match as New Zealand coach was against Australia in Perth. This was the first time an international rugby league game was held in Western Australia. In the 2016 Four Nations , New Zealand beat England for the first time on English soil since
2961-564: A total of thirteen different coaches at State of Origin level, eight of which have previously played for the Blues. The list also includes the known coaches from the pre-Origin era and only counts games against Queensland. Games against touring teams from New Zealand , Great Britain and France are not included. Ted Glossop , Frank Stanton and Terry Fearnley are the only coaches to have coached NSW in both State of Residence and State of Origin formats. NSWRL Hall of Fame inductee Brad Fittler
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#17327901214733102-401: 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
3243-548: A week earlier than their colleagues. Three months later all seven players were banned for life by the New Zealand authorities. New Zealand did not visit Europe again until 1939. In 1938, for a tour of Australia, the New Zealand Rugby League officially adopted the name the "New Zealand Kiwis". This side was also the first to wear a white "V" on their jerseys. In 1947 at Odsal Stadium , Bradford in England,
3384-510: Is Accor Stadium in Sydney , the largest stadium in the state, having been constructed for the 2000 Summer Olympics . The New South Wales team retained the 2019 Holden State of Origin Shield after beating Queensland 2–1 after being down 1–0, becoming the first NSW team to win a decider since 2005 , and were victorious again in the 2021 series . The New South Wales rugby league team pre-dates
3525-557: Is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on 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
3666-474: 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
3807-432: 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
3948-503: 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
4089-413: 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
4230-602: 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
4371-405: The 1957 World Cup New Zealand got their first World Cup win, with victory against France in one of their three matches. The Kiwis got exactly the same result in the 1960 World Cup too. During the 1961–63 era, New Zealand won seven out of ten test matches, including a 2–0 series win over Great Britain, then considered the top rugby league nation in the world. The most outstanding performance by
New Zealand national rugby league team - Misplaced Pages Continue
4512-518: 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. New South Wales rugby league team The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since
4653-697: The 2008 State of Origin series , to celebrate the game's centenary that year, New South Wales named their team of the century : Clive Churchill – FB Ken Irvine – WG Reg Gasnier – CE Graeme Langlands – CE Dally Messenger – WG Bob Fulton – FE Andrew Johns – HB Frank Burge – PR Sandy Pearce – HK Glenn Lazarus – PR Ron Coote – SR Norm Provan – SR Johnny Raper – LK Wally Prigg – positions Dave Brown – positions Steve Rogers – positions Roy Bull – positions Ahead of
4794-1260: The 2017 State of Origin series , NSW named the inaugural inductees to the NSWRL Hall of Fame, joining automatic inductees Dally Messenger and the seven Immortals who represented NSW. As part of the 25-year celebrations in 2005, New South Wales named 25 legends for each year before that. Tim Brasher – FB Noel Cleal – SR Bradley Clyde – LK Laurie Daley – FE Benny Elias – HK Andrew Ettingshausen – CE Brad Fittler – FE Eric Grothe Sr. – WG Paul Harragon – PR Garry Jack – FB Andrew Johns – HB Brett Kenny – FE Glenn Lazarus – PR Paul McGregor – CE Steve Mortimer – HB Michael O'Connor – WG Wayne Pearce – LK Ray Price – LK Steve Roach – PR Ian Roberts – PR Paul Sironen – SR Peter Sterling – HB Ricky Stuart – HB Geoff Toovey – HB Rod Wishart – WG Table last updated: 14 June 2024. New South Wales have had
4935-454: 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
5076-729: The Australian national team , playing their inaugural match against a rebel New Zealand rugby team on the 1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain under existing rugby union rules. That inaugural "All Blues" side, the first football team assembled by the newly formed NSWRFL was: Backs: Charles Hedley · Johnno Stuntz · Ed Fry · Dally Messenger · Frank Cheadle · Albert Rosenfeld · Lou D'Alpuget Forwards: Harry Hamill · Arthur Hennessy · Bob Mable · Peter Moir · Sid Pearce · Billy Cann · Robert Graves · Herb Brackenreg Two further matches were played against New Zealand before their tour took them to
5217-634: The International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and 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
5358-649: 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
5499-585: The New Zealand Maori team 44–10 at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth . Stephen Kearney 's first match as New Zealand coach was against Australia in the 2008 Centenary Test . The match celebrated 100 years since the first Trans-Tasman clash began. Later on in that year, the 2008 World Cup kicked off. Wayne Bennett assisted Kearney in the competition. Kearney's Kiwis advanced from the group stage in second position which saw them face England for
5640-694: 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
5781-598: 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
New Zealand national rugby league team - Misplaced Pages Continue
5922-497: The World Cup as defending champions for the first time. The Kiwis advanced out of their group with ease despite suffering a scare against Samoa in their opening game. Kearney's men then advanced to the semi-finals, courtesy of a win over Scotland, where they then met hosts England at Wembley. It was a see-saw affair which saw the Kiwis trailing 18–14 with one minute on the clock remaining until star play-maker Shaun Johnson produced
6063-556: 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
6204-526: 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
6345-518: 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
6486-528: The 2013 World Cup semi-final. On 15 May 2015, the new RLIF World Rankings were announced and it read that, for just the second time, New Zealand were officially the best team in the World. New Zealand were last ranked World number one back in 2008 after their World Cup success. At the end of the year New Zealand were unable to beat their winning record after losing the Baskerville Series to England. At
6627-515: 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,
6768-513: The 2024 series, New South Wales lost 38–10 in Sydney. The game was marred by the sending off of Joseph Sua'ali'i in the seventh minute. In game two, New South Wales would win 38–18 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to set up a decider in Brisbane. In game three, New South Wales would win 14–4 to claim the series and their first win in a decider at Brisbane since 2005. On 1 October 2024, Michael Maguire stepped down as coach of
6909-573: The Blues continued their losing streak during Stuart's tenure, he is credited with restoring passion and pride to the NSW jersey and closing the gap between the two states. He was replaced by former Canberra, NSW and Australia teammate Laurie Daley . Daley's appointment as NSW State of Origin coach was announced in August 2012 and effective from season 2013. Daley got job over candidates including Trent Barrett , Brad Fittler and Daniel Anderson . Daley coached
7050-659: The Blues in Game 1 forcing Fittler to make seven changes to the Blues starting line-up. Though he was roundly criticised for the move, the Blues went on to win the series 2–1, easily defeating Queensland 38–6 in Game 2 in Optus Stadium in Perth Western Australia , the greatest winning margin of a Blues squad since Game 3, 2000. Finally, in a thrilling Game 3 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, winger Blake Ferguson and fullback James Tedesco combined to score
7191-409: The Blues to a series win in 2014, their first since 2005 and over his coaching rival and long time Canberra & Australian teammate Mal Meninga . Daley ended Meninga's and Queensland's run of eight series wins with victories in Game I and Game II of the 2014 series . In 2015, New South Wales suffered its biggest origin loss losing 52–6 against Queensland in the decider. In 2016, New South Wales lost
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#17327901214737332-674: 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
7473-867: The Kangaroos in the final 34–8. After the final Anzac Test fixture was played, Kidwell spoke on behalf of the NZRL to announce that captain Jesse Bromwich , and Kevin Proctor were suspended from playing in the World Cup after they were caught buying cocaine from a stranger after the test-match. 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,
7614-629: The Kangaroos. In the final Test match of the 1988 Great Britain Lions tour , New Zealand just pipped the British 12–10 in a freezing encounter in Christchurch for a place in the final against Australia . Played at Eden Park in Auckland, it was the most hyped game in the history of rugby league in New Zealand, and the crowd of 47,363 was the biggest ever for a game in Auckland. The final proved to be
7755-406: The Kiwis "almost won the test series" despite an aggregate score of 92–36 across the three tests. In December 2007 the NZRL held its annual awards dinner. Being one hundred years since the inception of rugby league in New Zealand, a 13-man New Zealand team of the century was named on the evening, with Cliff Johnson named at captain. Mark Graham was named in the second-row and was also honoured as
7896-534: The Kiwis faced another scare against Samoa when they were on the verge of a 12–10 defeat with just minutes remaining before Kearney's men scored near full-time to avoid the shock result. After defeating England in their final game they qualified for the final held in Wellington where they'd face Australia again. New Zealand won the match 22–18 and therefore the Four Nations, their second tournament title. This
8037-498: The Kiwis played their 100th international against Australia. Brian McClennan was appointed national coach of New Zealand in June 2005. His appointment was controversial, mainly because he had no professional coaching experience. 2005 would be considered one of the Kiwis greatest years, as they captured the 2005 Tri-Nations title, effectively becoming "de facto" World champions as the three best countries competed in that competition. In
8178-493: The Kiwis the familiar result of a sole win against France. A World Cup rated Test took place on Sunday 7 July 1985 at Carlaw Park . Australia's 18–0 defeat was the first time they had failed to score in a Test against New Zealand. On Tuesday 7 July 1987, New Zealand team warmed up for internationals against Papua New Guinea and Australia by taking on the Queensland state team at Lang Park, Brisbane. They then went on to record
8319-426: The Kiwis' first ever test on home soil, with the British side proving too strong. In 1911 the New Zealand national team toured Australia. 1920 represented a high point for New Zealand rugby league (and sport in that country) with two matches against the touring British Lions rugby league team drawing 40,000 fans each in Auckland's Domain. The NZRU was able to control a lot of what the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL)
8460-470: The Lions at Huddersfield on 27 October 2007. Following the loss an Australian newspaper reported that former Kiwi captain Hugh McGahan was concerned at Kemble's poor start and suggested that former Australian and current Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett should be pursued for the role. McGahan later claimed that his comments had been grossly misreported by the journalist. In the second test of
8601-547: The NZRL announce an extension to his contract until the end of the 2017 World Cup. The 2015 Anzac Test was held in Suncorp Stadium. The Kiwis continued their great record in Brisbane with a commanding 26–12 victory giving them their first Anzac test win since 1998. It was also the first time since 1953 that New Zealand beat Australia in three consecutive test matches. This win also meant New Zealand equaled their best winning streak record once again just like they did after
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#17327901214738742-534: 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
8883-617: The New Zealand Government's Agent General in London deliver a statement to the British press in an effort to undermine the tour's credibility. This had little effect and by that time the professional All Blacks were already sailing across the Tasman to give Australia its first taste of professional rugby. It was during this time that references to the professional All Blacks as the All Golds first appeared. Clearly, "All Golds"
9024-589: The New Zealanders was their record-breaking 19–0 win over Britain in 1962. It was only the second time a British team had been held scoreless. New Zealand in the period 1960–65 won the Courtney Goodwill Trophy for most successful test-playing nation, The Kiwis again got a sole win against France from their three matches of the 1970 World Cup. In 1971, the Kiwis embarked on a 34 match tour of England and France. While they only won half of
9165-567: The Northern Hemisphere, with Jim Devereaux also featuring for the Blues. The visiting All Golds won all three games. However, on the return leg of their tour, almost a year later, with the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership established, the Blues won the first two matches they ever played under 13-a-side rules against New Zealand. Later in 1908 the Queensland team , whose first taste of rugby league football
9306-630: 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, 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
9447-411: 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. In 1895,
9588-496: The Round-robin fixtures, New Zealand produced their biggest win on home soil with a 64-point win over Papua New Guinea. The Kiwis qualified for the final where they played Australia at the same venue as the 2008 World Cup final. The Kiwis won at Lang Park once again after a try in the final seconds of the game sealed the low scoring game, and 2010 Four Nations title, for the Kiwis, winning 16–12. In 2013 New Zealand headed into
9729-485: The World Cup Kearney was put under pressure after it was found out players were mixing sleeping pills and energy drinks during the tournament which affected performances. He had to reapply for his job and was only given a two-year contract, unlike the usual one that would end after the next World Cup, which the NZRL said was because he needed to "re-establish the culture at the Kiwis which was damaged so badly at
9870-635: The World Cup for the first time. They also contest the Baskerville Shield against England . Rugby football was introduced into New Zealand by Charles John Monro, son of the then speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives , Sir David Monro. He had been sent to Christ's College, East Finchley in north London, where he became an enthusiastic convert to the new code. He brought the game back to his native Nelson, and arranged
10011-403: The World Cup". Kearney immediately took action, naming six debutantes for the first test-match of 2014. At the end of the 2014 club season New Zealand played in the 2014 Four Nations . In the first game they continued their good record against Australia at the 'Cauldron' with another win setting the record at 3 wins in the past 4 meetings against the Kangaroos at the venue. In the second game
10152-568: The annual interstate series. In 1912 the New South Wales team first toured New Zealand . They also visited New Zealand in 1913. During the 1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia New South Wales played four matches against the Kiwis, winning three of them. The New South Wales team lost its first game against Queensland in 1922. In 2019 the Blues also toured New Zealand. During the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand New South Wales played one match against
10293-447: 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
10434-421: 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
10575-457: The banner of the Northern Union, was not played by the RFU rules which was all the All Golds knew. The All Golds took on a week of intensive training after which they started the tour. From a New Zealander's point of view, the tour may not have been successful, but to the All Gold's credit they performed well considering they only had a week to learn the rules. However, from the NU's point of view
10716-503: The birth of rugby league football in the Southern Hemisphere, making it the second oldest national side after England . Since then the Kiwis have regularly competed in international competition, touring Europe and Australia throughout the 20th century. New Zealand have competed in every Rugby League World Cup since the first in 1954, reaching three consecutive tournament finals between 2000 and 2013. In 2008, New Zealand won
10857-469: 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
10998-636: The conclusion of that series, it was revealed that Kearney had the best record out of any New Zealand coach to date as he was involved in the most matches (41), won the most matches (23), and won the most matches against Australia (5). He also revealed that despite the defeat to England he wanted the Kiwis to 'dominate the next decade of international rugby league'. Before the 2016 Anzac Test , controversy had occurred when regular New Zealand players Manu Vatuvei and Ben Matulino were caught partying and mixing energy drinks with prescription drugs. Kearney toughened his stance and announced he'd not be selecting them for
11139-496: The course of winning the Tri-Nations the Kiwis defeated Australia in Sydney for the first time in half a century. In London, the Kiwis posted their highest score ever against Great Britain and, in winning the final, posted the first shut out of Australia in 20 years. The 24–0 result at Elland Road , Leeds equalled the Kiwis' biggest ever win against Australia – a 49–25 win in Brisbane almost 50 years previously. It
11280-459: The final 34–20. This was New Zealand's first ever World Cup title, as well as the Australian team's first loss since Great Britain defeated them in November 2006 and their first loss to New Zealand since November 2005. It was also their first loss in a World Cup match since 1995 and in a final since 1972. At the end of the 2010 domestic season, New Zealand played in the 2010 Four Nations . During
11421-591: The final test at JJB Stadium in Wigan . Intense criticism followed the second test loss, some of it directed at the players, some of it toward the management of the NZRL . However, Kemble also copped severe criticism from some quarters with one commentator suggesting that Kemble "must be sacked at the series-end" and describing him as a "captain of calamity" . Following the loss, Kiwi's captain Roy Asotasi hinted at
11562-610: The first rugby match between Nelson College and Nelson Football Club, played on 14 May 1870. When New Zealand's national rugby team (the All Blacks ) toured Britain in 1905 they witnessed the growing popularity of the breakaway non-amateur Northern Union 's games. On his return in 1906, All Black George William Smith met the Australian entrepreneur J J Giltinan to discuss the potential of professional rugby in Australasia . The first New Zealand team to play professional rugby
11703-630: 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
11844-547: 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
11985-407: 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
12126-406: 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
12267-454: The game to go into extra-time. From there, Australia went on to win. Due to the NZRL's alignment with Super League, a New Zealand team selected only from Australasian-based players competed in 1997's Super League Tri-series against Queensland and New South Wales . In 1998 the Kiwis travelled to the UK for a three-test series against Great Britain , winning the first and second tests and drawing
12408-406: The greatest Kiwi player of the century. Kemble resigned as head coach after captain Roy Asotasi and David Kidwell both publicly said that they had no confidence in his coaching abilities. Subsequently, former Kiwi, Stephen Kearney was appointed coach with Wayne Bennett given a role as an advisor. The All Golds were revived again in 2008 as a testimonial match for Ruben Wiki, where they defeated
12549-585: 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. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by
12690-411: 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
12831-440: 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 ,
12972-412: The issue of payments to players. The rules of 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
13113-511: 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
13254-458: The matches they played against English club teams, they won the test series 2–1 (winning the first test 18–13, the second 17–14 but losing the third 3–12). They won the series against France 2–0 (winning the first test 27–11, the second 24–2 but drawing the third 3–3). In the 1972 World Cup New Zealand failed to win a game. In the season-long 1975 World Series, New Zealand won 2 out of their 8 games, finishing second last. The 1977 World Cup brought
13395-453: 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
13536-537: 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
13677-465: The name has stuck ever since. The 1926–27 New Zealand tour of Britain involved several skirmishes within the Kiwi party. Problems began on the boat journey over, with disputes developing about aspects of the trip and a rift developed between tour manager and coach, Mr Mair, an Australian and seven forwards. The disputes continued once the party arrived in Britain, with one of the rebels being involved in
13818-413: 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
13959-561: 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
14100-405: 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
14241-404: The opposing team's goal line; this 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
14382-475: 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
14523-400: 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
14664-542: 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
14805-413: The possibility of internal issues for the players in adjusting to Kemble's coaching style when he compared Kemble's approach with that of his predecessor McClennan describing them as "very different" and reporting that the group was "still trying to gel" . Following the loss Kemble acknowledged that he was contemplating resigning from his post if the Kiwis were whitewashed 3–0 by Great Britain. Despite
14946-461: The profile and finances of the NU game. The NU agreed to the tour provided that some of those original All Blacks were included in the New Zealand team. George Smith arrived back in New Zealand and after learning of Baskerville's plans, the two teamed up and began signing players. The New Zealand Rugby Union became aware of the tour and promptly applied pressure to any All Black or New Zealand representative player it suspected of involvement. They had
15087-481: The rebel Super League which competed in the one-off Super League Tri-series . Ricky Stuart , who had previously coached New South Wales in 2005, was announced as the first full-time Blues coach in November 2010. Following the 2012 series, the Blues' seventh consecutive loss, Stuart resigned the role. Stuart took a role as the Parramatta Eels head coach in 2013, citing family reasons for his move. Although
15228-501: 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
15369-496: 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
15510-417: The series 2–1 but managed to win the third and final dead rubber game. In 2017, New South Wales were widely tipped to win the series as Queensland had a number of key players injured. In Game 1, New South Wales beat Queensland in convincing fashion 28–4 and in Game 2 were leading the maroons 16–6 at halftime before Queensland won the game in the final two minutes to win 18–16. In Game 3, New South Wales lost
15651-547: The series losing 22–6 in Brisbane. In August 2017, Daley was terminated as coach of New South Wales. In 2018, Brad Fittler was appointed as the new coach and left out established players such as Aaron Woods , Josh Jackson , Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan . The Blues went on to win the series 2–1. In 2019, the Blues were widely tipped to win the series owing to the retirement from representative football of Queensland Origin greats Cooper Cronk , Billy Slater and Cameron Smith . However, Queensland had an upset win 18–14 over
15792-414: The series on 3 November 2007, Kemble returned to KC Stadium , the ground on which he had spent a large portion of his playing days with Hull F.C. It was to be a disastrous homecoming, however, as the Kiwis suffered their second humiliating defeat under Kemble when beaten 44–0 by an inspired Great Britain. The win gave Great Britain an unassailable series lead leaving the Kiwis with only pride to play for in
15933-524: 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
16074-526: 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
16215-843: The sponsor was the naming-rights partner of the State of Origin series at the time, but the logo was displayed independently of the State of Origin logo. The official New South Wales rugby league team supporter group is known as "Blatchy's Blues". State of Origin (17): 1985 , 1986 , 1990 , 1992 , 1993 , 1994 , 1996 , 1997 , 2000 , 2003 , 2004 , 2005 , 2014 , 2018 , 2019 , 2021 , 2024 Interstate Series (54): 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 197, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 Before Game I of
16356-663: 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
16497-578: The sport's beginnings there in 1907. Also known as the Blues due to their sky blue jerseys, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against Queensland . For 2024, the team was coached by Michael Maguire and captained by Jake Trbojevic . Prior to 1980 when the "state of origin" selection criteria was introduced, the New South Wales team, in addition to playing annually against Queensland, played matches against foreign touring sides and occasionally toured overseas themselves. Their home stadium
16638-477: The successful France national rugby league team , a 14-all draw. The New South Wales team hosted 2 matches of the 1953 American All Stars tour of Australia and New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground , winning 62–41 and 27–18. In a 1954 tour match between Great Britain and New South Wales the referee left the field in disgust at the players' persistent fighting after 56 minutes so the match
16779-418: The team with a search underway for a new coach. The primary colour of New South Wales Blues is sky blue , which represents the state colour of New South Wales . The secondary colour is navy blue , with additional contrasting colour of white . – Denotes no applicable sponsor for the listed period. ~ Major sponsor logo was featured on the jersey sleeve rather than the front from 1991–2003. ^ Indicates
16920-408: The test-match in a decision which saw commends from fellow New Zealand internationals. These players were just two of ten regular name players missing from the New Zealand side for the fixture, with others missing through injury or private issues. New Zealand lost the match 16–0 and in the process ended their winning streak against Australia. This was also the first time New Zealand scored zero points in
17061-529: The third. The Kiwis handed England their biggest ever loss to again make the final in the 2000 World Cup , but again went down to the Kangaroos 40–12. Gary Freeman coached New Zealand from 2001 to 2002. Beginning in 2002, a 'New Zealand A' team was selected from players in the domestic New Zealand competition. New Zealand A toured France and the United States in 2002, and the United Kingdom in 2003. In 2004 they hosted New South Wales Country. In 2003
17202-466: The tour would have been a godsend, because professional rugby was left in a better state than when they arrived. The tour's results were seen the following year when the NRFU clubs more than doubled their membership numbers. The tour had obviously excited the public, raised the profile of their game as well as the game's finances. During their return voyage from England, the All Golds made a stop-over in Australia where they discovered that professional rugby
17343-422: The tournament was introduced in 2009. In New Zealand's last round-robin fixture, they drew with Scotland and, in the process, gave the 'fourth nation' their first ever point in the tournament's history. Despite the shock result, New Zealand still managed to qualify for a rematch with Trans-Tasman rivals, Australia, in the final. After losing by just 6 points in the round-robin stage meeting, the Kiwis were thrashed by
17484-482: The try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. Drop goals (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. 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
17625-507: 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
17766-499: The two points earned from their 18–14 win. In July 2007, the Leeds Rhinos announced that Brian McClennan would be joining the club as Head Coach on a two-year contract from 1 December 2007. McClennan subsequently resigned as national coach and his position was taken up by Gary Kemble in August 2007. Under Gary Kemble the Kiwis went on to lose the first of their three test series against Great Britain going down 14–20 against
17907-527: 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
18048-451: The winning try with just 32 seconds to go in the game to secure the series, off the back of play started from recalled halfback Mitchell Pearce . In the 2020 State of Origin series , New South Wales narrowly lost game 1 against Queensland 18–14 before bouncing back in game 2 winning 34–10. In game 3, New South Wales travelled to Brisbane for the decider, the blues would lose the match at Suncorp Stadium 20–14. The 2021 State of Origin series
18189-424: 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
18330-479: Was Australia's first defeat in a series or tournament since 1978. In New Zealand, Brian McClennan earned praise from the press and signed an extension to his coaching tenure with the Kiwis. In 2006 the Kiwis lost both mid-season tests to the Kangaroos and Lions . The 2006 Tri-nations brought controversy when New Zealand fielded an ineligible player, Nathan Fien , against Great Britain and were later stripped of
18471-500: Was a play on the amateur "All Blacks" name but it was also an insult to the players, criticising the arrangement where they would each share in the wealth of the tour. The name "All Golds" is now thought to have originated in a New Zealand newspaper in May/June 1907 (see panel below), amidst editorial arguments over whether it was honourable for the proposed "professional All Blacks" team to be paid. The first documented use in Australia
18612-507: Was abandoned. New South Wales' dominance over Queensland came to an end with the introduction of 'state of origin' selection rules in the early 1980s. During the Super League war , in 1997 New South Wales was represented by two teams: one made up of players from clubs that remained loyal to the Australian Rugby League , which competed in the 1997 State of Origin series ; another made up of players from clubs that joined
18753-527: Was able to get its hands on. In 1926, the Union took legal action, trying to stop the League from using the name, the "All Blacks" as their touring name. The NZRL felt that they had equal ownership to the name and were not ready to relinquish it. However, by this time the press had already nicknamed the team 'the Kiwis', because of the badge included on their jerseys. Despite the League trying to discourage its usage,
18894-415: Was also against the visiting Kiwis, traveled to Sydney for the first series of games between the two states . New South Wales won all three matches, setting a precedent for interstate dominance that would continue throughout most of the 20th century. In 1910 New South Wales defeated the touring England team in two of their three games. After that they became the first Blues side to travel to Queensland for
19035-1067: Was being played with Northern Union rules, under the banner of the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL). The All Golds played another 10 games in Australia, boosting the finances of the fledgling NSWRFL premiership ; making the All Golds tour one of the most significant contributions to the sport of rugby league in Australia. The All Golds were Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright (captain), George William Smith (vice-captain), Albert Baskirville (secretary), Herbert Turtill , Harold Rowe , Duncan McGregor , Dally Messenger , Edgar Wrigley , Joseph Lavery , Richard Wynyard , William Wynyard , Lance Todd , Edward Tyne , William Tyler , Arthur Kelly , Tom "Angry" Cross , William Massa Johnston , Eric Watkins , Conrad Byrne , Adam Lile , Daniel Gilchrist , Arthur Callam , Charles Pearce , William Trevarthen , Charles Dunning , William Mackrell , Daniel Fraser (assistant manager), Jim Gleeson (treasurer), and H.J. Palmer (financial manager). The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand saw
19176-497: 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 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
19317-479: 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
19458-607: Was in a headline in the Sydney Morning Herald (7 August), just before Baskerville's team arrived. Those same Herald articles also had a tag for those who supported the amateur rugby union calling them the "Lily Whites" (who were clean, pure, and repelled the evils of professionalism). Professional rugby in the southern hemisphere kicked off with the professional All Blacks playing a professional rebel New South Wales team organised by Smith's contact, James Giltinan. The games drew little interest to start with, but were
19599-580: Was known as the All Blacks. To avoid confusion, the terms professional All Blacks or All Golds are used. In the meantime, a lesser known New Zealand rugby player, Albert Henry Baskerville (or Baskiville) was ready to recruit a group of players for a Great Britain pro tour. It is believed that Baskerville became aware of the profits to be made from such a venture while he was working at the Wellington Post Office in 1906. A colleague had
19740-518: Was one which had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic with all three matches being played in Queensland. New South Wales would win convincingly in game 1 defeating Queensland 50–6 in Townsville before defeating Queensland 26–0 in Brisbane to claim the series. Queensland managed to avoid a series clean sweep by winning game 3 20–18. New South Wales started the 2022 State of Origin series with
19881-444: Was their first win over Australia on home soil since 2003 where they beat the Aussies at North Harbour Stadium. In the final, winger Manu Vatuvei scored two tries to become New Zealand's top try-scorer after tallying his 20th try during the match to beat a record that's been held by Nigel Vagana since 2006. This was the first time New Zealand went through an entire tournament unbeaten. In March 2015, Kearney's successful management saw
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