127-593: The State of Origin series is an annual best-of-three rugby league series between two Australian state representative sides, the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons . Referred to as “Australian sport's greatest rivalry”, the State of Origin series is one of Australia's premier sporting events, attracting huge television audiences and usually selling out the stadiums in which
254-402: A New South Wales poker machine." Before 1956, NSW had won 75% and Qld only 25% of series played. From 1956 to 1981, NSW dominance soared even higher and Qld wins dwindled to only 3.8% with only 1 series win, in 1959. By the 1970s the prestige of interstate matches had been seriously downgraded, in most part due to the fact that a number of Queensland players signed to NSW clubs could not unseat
381-617: 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,
508-580: 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,
635-405: 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
762-555: A golden period for Queensland in the 1920s. From 1922 to 1925 Queensland defeated New South Wales 11 times in 12 matches. At the end of the 1925 season, a Kangaroo team was to be picked for touring Great Britain. Instead of announcing an Australian team dominated by Queenslanders, the Australian Rugby League Board of Control informed the media that the Rugby Football League had decided that
889-413: A historic 7th series win in 2012, winning the final game by 1 point. In 2013, New South Wales defeated Queensland 14 to 6 in game 1, Queensland defeated New South Wales 26 to 6 in game 2, while in-game 3 Queensland defeated New South Wales 12 to 10 to take out the overall Origin title for the eighth consecutive time. The 2013 series set a new State of Origin television rating record for a whole series since
1016-641: A huge 44–12 finish. Game 3 finished in a nail biting 22–12 to Queensland, with Hooker Ben Hunt intercepting a mid-air kick from New South Wales halfback Nathan Cleary , securing the game with an 80 metre sprint to score. The game has been called "one of the greatest games in State of Origin history". 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,
1143-506: A journalist known as 'The Cynic' wrote in The Referee that star rugby player and recent immigrant to Queensland, Stephen Spragg, should be able to play for his home state of New South Wales . Since the beginning of Australian rugby league in 1908, an interstate competition between New South Wales and Queensland has been conducted almost annually (apart from during WWI, Spanish flu and WWII). Until 1982 each team drew its players from
1270-501: A journalist, was the first to suggest that Sydney-based Queenslanders should be available for selection to represent their state. Brisbane Courier-Mail reporter Hugh Lunn , Barry Maranta (the future co-founder of the Brisbane Broncos ) and Maranta's business partner Wayne Reid played a part in persuading QRL chairman Ron McAullife that the concept could be used in rugby league. Lunn told McAullife that "you can take
1397-437: 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
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#17327875205921524-633: 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
1651-421: A replacement. A Commissioner who has been removed from office may not seek re-appointment for a period of three years. Peter V'landys 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
1778-453: 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
1905-411: A revenue source unmatched by Queensland clubs. From this time on an increasing number of Queensland players moved to the much stronger Sydney Rugby League competition , which then made them ineligible to play for Queensland in state selection. Paul Hogan famously told a Queensland Rugby League gathering in 1977 that "every time Queensland produces a good footballer, he finishes up being processed through
2032-452: A row. Since the 1908 establishment of rugby league in Australia , the sport's two major states, New South Wales and Queensland , have played representative matches against each other which have continued into the "state of origin" era which began in 1980. The two states' teams are frequently referred to as the Blues and Maroons, reflecting the respective colours of their jerseys. These were
2159-415: 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
2286-401: 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
2413-557: 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
2540-474: 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
2667-434: 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 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
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#17327875205922794-432: 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
2921-555: 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
3048-413: 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
3175-602: 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
3302-586: 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 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
3429-537: 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. Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as
3556-454: 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
3683-525: The ARL and one by the News Limited-owned Super League , and an interstate series was played in each. Under the Super League banner, there was a Tri-Origin series with a New Zealand side added to the competition. The ARL meanwhile stuck to its traditional format. The teams were selected using origin rules, and New South Wales and Queensland met twice. These matches do not count towards the official state of origin record. As with
3810-634: 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
3937-603: The Kiwis would provide stronger opposition and that there would be no Australian tour. The period spanning 1922 to 1929 saw no Australian team play in Great Britain, the only such hiatus outside the two World Wars. The New South Wales dominance of interstate football increased after 1956 when gaming machines were legalised for all registered clubs in New South Wales. This provided New South Wales football clubs with
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4064-671: 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 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
4191-704: 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
4318-749: 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
4445-598: 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
4572-464: 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 a bold bid to create a rival competition, Super League (Australia) . Super League successfully attracted eight of the ARL clubs. In
4699-556: 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
4826-526: 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
4953-518: 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
5080-770: The 2001 introduction of the rating system. In 2014, New South Wales defeated Queensland 12–8 in the first game of the series, and 6–4 in the second. In the third game, Queensland defeated New South Wales 32-8 after scoring the first try of the game in the 37th minute, with Queensland leading 6–2 in the first half. This gave the Blues the first series win in 8 years. In 2015, Queensland defeated New South Wales 11–10 in game 1 played in Sydney, New South Wales defeated Queensland 26–18 in game 2 played in Melbourne, Queensland defeated New South Wales 52–6 in game 3 played in Brisbane, winning
5207-462: 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 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
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5334-454: 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,
5461-545: 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 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
5588-645: 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 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
5715-746: The American public. The match was played at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, California in front of 12,349 fans. The Blues won the game 30–18. On 15 July 2003 the Australian Rugby League announced that the fourth 1987 game was to be classified as an official match, and that a win in the state of origin match on 16 July 2003 would take New South Wales into the overall lead. ARL chief executive Geoff Carr said: "There had been some debate over whether
5842-747: 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, the ARL has administered the Australian national team and represented Australia in international rugby league matters. Prior to 1998,
5969-475: The Blues the edge when the games were on the line. It wasn't until the upheaval of the Super League war in 1995 that the Maroons were able to again clinch a series. The main cause for concern for Queensland was the fact that the Brisbane Broncos , its players and many other Queenslanders were not aligned with the ARL prohibiting any players signed with the Super League to play for the Maroons. Despite this,
6096-674: 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
6223-529: The MCG after another COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne. This became the first Origin match to be played in a regional centre. New South Wales then recorded their biggest win in series history, defeating Queensland 50–6. NSW would go on to win the series with a 26–0 win against Queensland at Suncorp, with Queensland gaining a consolation win by defeating NSW 20–18 on the Gold Coast, with the venue being required due to
6350-537: The Maroons 10–0, but a huge upset secured the game for Queensland. Game 2 held in Sydney, New South Wales, at ANZ Stadium, was a blue wave. Queensland scored the first try but eventually lost the game to New South Wales 34–10. Game 3 was held in Brisbane on 18 November at Suncorp Stadium and was a physical match which saw Queensland regain the shield with a 20–14 win over New South Wales. In his post game speech, Captain Daly Cherry Evans quipped “and on behalf of
6477-589: The Maroons in their 3–0 series wins in both 1988 and 1989. The rise of the Canberra Raiders in the then Winfield Cup club competition produced for the Blues the formidable halves combination of Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley who brought New South Wales back from defeat in the opening game with two wins in the 1990 series. It was evident that as the rivalry between the two states grew, the Origin matches had become much more physical forward orientated game than
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#17327875205926604-724: 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 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
6731-666: The NSW incumbent and also were not eligible for Queensland selection, so they did not play at all. Matches were played mid-week, so as not to interfere with the Sydney club competition, and the small crowds in New South Wales were hosted at suburban grounds. Interstate football reached its nadir in 1977 when the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) declined to host the Queensland team, and both interstate games were played in Queensland. Former Queensland captain and Australian vice-captain Jack Reardon , who had later become
6858-452: 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 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
6985-507: 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 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
7112-534: 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
7239-558: 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
7366-588: The Origin fixture . . . in 1987 was counted as an official match but a search of ARL records has confirmed the status conferred on that clash by the game's governing body at the time. In announcing the match in Big League in April 1987, Ken Arthurson , the ARL's chief executive in 1987, was quoted as saying 'It's an exciting experiment but the match isn't and won't be billed as an exhibition match'." The Queensland halves pairing of Allan Langer and Wally Lewis led
7493-629: 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 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
7620-558: The Queenslander out of Queensland, Ron, but you can't take the Queensland out of the Queenslander." McAuliffe was initially skeptical. "What if we recall our boys from Sydney to play, and we are beaten. Where would we go from there?" Reid spoke to NSWRFL president Kevin Humphreys and suggested that a one-off state of origin match could be used as a Test Match selection trial. New South Wales clubs were reticent in their support of
7747-484: The Queenslanders won the 1995 series 3–0 in a shocking white-wash. The 1996 series saw the off-field contract dramas put aside as all players were allowed, regardless of contract, state of origin selection. Having the majority of the Queenslanders back didn't help the Maroons though as the Blues 1996 white-wash with a 3–0 series win of their own. The Australian game divided in 1997 into two competitions, one run by
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#17327875205927874-411: 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,
8001-447: 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
8128-421: 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
8255-447: 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 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,
8382-430: The clubs based in that state. No consideration was given to the origins of the players themselves. The first of these interstate games was played at Sydney's Agricultural Ground on 11 July 1908, before Queensland had even commenced its club competition. New South Wales easily accounted for Queensland in a 43–0 victory. The local media were unimpressed. The interstate series was dominated by New South Wales, apart from
8509-720: 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 the State of Origin series , the Indigenous All Stars Match , the Affiliated States Championship and the Women's National Championships . The ARL previously ran
8636-469: 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
8763-428: The colours of the Australia national rugby league team 's jersey until the adoption of the green and gold. The Blues team is administered by the New South Wales Rugby League and the Maroons by the Queensland Rugby League . The New South Wales team are sometimes referred to by the nickname " Cockroaches " and the Queensland team as " Cane Toads ", due to names given to them by Barry Muir and Johnny Raper respectively. It
8890-406: 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 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
9017-437: The concept and set two conditions: Three Sydney clubs remained opposed to the plan: St. George Dragons , South Sydney Rabbitohs and Eastern Suburbs Roosters . As these clubs were refusing to release players, Humphreys threatened to make the game an official Australian Rugby League trial, which would make release mandatory. The clubs backed down. After Queensland lost the first two interstate matches in 1980 (35–3 and 17–7,
9144-403: The decade saw a dramatic series with each side taking one game each and game three ending in a draw. Queensland was awarded the series as at the time the previous winners retained the interstate honors. The early to mid-2000s saw New South Wales starting to assert its traditional interstate dominance, causing some critics to question the future of State of Origin. However, this imbalance tipped in
9271-475: The first time. Queensland convincingly beat New South Wales 20–10. I was strongly against such a match, but last night's gripping clash showed that such a fixture would be a welcome addition to the League program. In 1981 the first two interstate matches were again played under the old selection rules. As New South Wales won the first two matches in the series, state of origin selection rules were used once more in
9398-690: The first to do so since 1996. Queensland dominated the Blues, winning 22–6, with Queensland winger Dane Gagai winning the Wally Lewis Medal for Best Player in the series. It also had Johnathan Thurston raise the Origin Shield with Queensland Captain Cameron Smith, before being chaired off the ground by his teammates, ending Thurston's representative career on a high note. In 2018, New South Wales won their first State of Origin series in four years, defeating Queensland 22–12 and 18–14 in
9525-462: The first two games of the 2009 series becoming the first state to win four series in a row. In 2010, Queensland won its historic, record-breaking, fifth consecutive Origin series with a 23–18 win in the third and final match. This was the first Queensland team to win all three consecutive State of Origin Games in 15 years. Queensland full-back Billy Slater won the man of the match in the third game and
9652-416: The first two games. Queensland scored a consolation victory 18–12 in the final game. In 2019, Queensland defeated New South Wales in the first match 18–14. New South Wales then defeated Queensland 38–6 in the second and also won the third game 26–20. This was the first time since 2005 which New South Wales won a series decider and a consecutive series win. In 2020, Ampol became the naming rights partner of
9779-681: 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
9906-547: 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
10033-407: 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
10160-406: 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
10287-414: The games are played. It is regularly described as the pinnacle of rugby league, inclusive of comparisons with international competitions. Players are selected to represent the Australian state in which they played their first senior rugby league game (either high school or local senior club). Before 1980 players were only selected for interstate matches based on where they were playing their club football at
10414-513: 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
10541-411: 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
10668-489: The interstate series to survive. Despite the Maroons' success so far in the State of Origin experiments, the New South Wales media dismissed the seriousness of the Queensland threat to the Blues' long-held dominance in series wins. Queensland, under the leadership of immortal captain Wally Lewis , was inspired by this, and for the first three State of Origin series, Queensland won 2 matches to 1. However, in 1985, under
10795-440: 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 ,
10922-412: 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
11049-579: The leadership of captain Steve Mortimer , New South Wales won the deciding match in front of 39,068 spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground , claiming the series for the first time. The following year the Blues were able to go one better and complete the first state of origin whitewash, taking the series 3–0. After Queensland had won the 1987 series 2–1, a fourth game was played at Long Beach , California to showcase rugby league to
11176-511: 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
11303-453: 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
11430-537: 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
11557-413: 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
11684-561: 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
11811-460: 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
11938-400: The old selection rules and one experimental "State of Origin" match. From 1982 onwards a best-of-three match series has been played around the middle of the rugby league season for the State of Origin shield. During the early years the overall series results remained relatively even, but Queensland surged ahead between 2006 and 2017, winning 11 out of 12 series, including a record eight series in
12065-408: The open running play seen in earlier series. As the great Queensland players from the 1980s began to retire from the game, the Maroons struggled with a team of fresh faces and considerable inexperience. 1992, 1993 and 1994 series all went to NSW as the talent and experience of Blues players such as Brett Mullins , Daley and Stuart in the backs and Benny Elias and Bradley Clyde in the forwards gave
12192-404: 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
12319-475: 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
12446-400: 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
12573-549: 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 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
12700-542: 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
12827-475: The premiership, players were spread between two representative tournaments as well. The competitions merged again in 1998 as the current National Rugby League , and the series that year proved to be enthralling as both sides won a game each away from home, setting up a decider at the Sydney Football Stadium where 39,000 fans witnessed the visiting Queenslanders take the series 2–1. The end of
12954-566: The resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic . The 2022 series took place on 8 June 26 June and 13 July, being played at Accor Stadium in Sydney , Optus Stadium in Perth and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with the notable addition of former player Billy Slater , as coach for the Queensland side. Queensland would go onto win the first game 16–10, with New South Wales hitting back on game 2 with
13081-501: 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
13208-496: 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
13335-470: The second game in front of only 1,638 Sydneysiders) it was announced that a 'state of origin' match would take place on 8 July at Lang Park in Brisbane. The New South Wales media gave both the event and Queensland's chance of winning it, little credence, calling the game a "three-day wonder". Australia's 1978 captain Bob Fulton called the match "the non-event of the century". Ron MacAullife, however,
13462-463: The series 2–1. In 2016, Queensland defeated New South Wales 6–4 in game 1 and clinched the series with a 26–16 win in the second match. New South Wales closed off the series with an 18–14 win over Queensland. In 2017, New South Wales won Game 1, 28-4 sparking the New South Wales media to start proclaiming the beginning of the Blues Dynasty. Queensland won Game 2, 18-16 after making changes to
13589-585: The series 34–24 in the 2011 decider in what was Queensland captain Darren Lockyer's 36th and final game. Cameron Smith won the man of the match in both the first and third game and was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Man of the Series. In 2012, then NRL CEO David Gallop introduced the Under-20s State of Origin for Toyota Cup players which saw New South Wales winning. Queensland went on to win
13716-512: The series until at least 2023, taking over from Holden . The 2020 series was originally due to be played during the middle of the season , but was shifted to the post-season for the first time in history, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the suspension of all non-essential services in March. The series was played on consecutive Wednesday nights in November (4th, 11th, and 18th), with
13843-524: 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
13970-526: 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
14097-663: 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
14224-517: The team with the returning Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston, who kicked the winning goal for Queensland. Thurston injured his shoulder in the 30th minute of the match, essentially disabling it as he played out the whole match. Thurston was later ruled out for the rest of the year after scans revealed his shoulder needed a reconstruction, ending his representative career as he announced 2017 would be his last representative year. In Game 3, New South Wales went in with an unchanged lineup for all three games,
14351-444: The third and deciding game of the 2006 State of Origin series , which is seen as the starting point of Queensland's unprecedented dynasty. Queensland followed by winning the 2007 series , as well as the 2008 series , which made Queensland's streak three series in a row. New South Wales won Game 1 on 21 May 2008, however, Queensland won Game 2 on 11 June 2008, and Game 3 on 2 July 2008. Queensland continued to follow this up by winning
14478-424: The third match. Although New South Wales ran out to an early 15–0 lead in the game, Queensland rallied to win 22–15. The interest generated by the experimental state of origin matches of 1980 and 1981 and the potential for financial rewards were enough to convince the authorities to play all three games under the state of origin rules the following year. The State of Origin format is the only possible way to allow
14605-405: The time. Queensland was not generally competitive under these selection rules, with a total record of 54 wins, 8 draws, and 159 losses, as their smaller economy and ban on poker machines meant that leagues clubs could not compete and the vast majority of elite players ended up playing in the much richer Sydney Rugby League premiership . In both 1980 and 1981, there were two interstate matches under
14732-482: 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
14859-571: 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
14986-515: The venues for the fixtures designated as: Adelaide Oval , ANZ Stadium and Suncorp Stadium . Former New South Wales captain Paul Gallen and Daily Telegraph journalist Dean Ritchie notably described the Queensland team as the worst ever Maroons side. Game 1, held for the first time in Adelaide, saw Queensland beat New South Wales in a nail biting 18–14 win. At half time, the Blues were leading
15113-580: 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
15240-466: The worst ever Queensland team, thank you very much”. A reference to critical comments made by former New South Wales Captain Paul Gallen. Cameron Munster was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal for his exceptional performances throughout the series, despite being out due to HIA for most of Game 2. Game 1 of the 2021 series was held at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville on 9 June, moved from
15367-472: 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
15494-498: Was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Man of the Series in 2010. The 2010 State of Origin series was also the second televised program in Australia to be shot in 3D 1080i DVB-T as well as being simultaneously broadcast in regular 576i , 1080i DVB-T and PAL . In the first game of the 2011 series, Queensland defeated New South Wales 16–12. In the second game, New South Wales defeated Queensland 18–8. Queensland won
15621-552: 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
15748-479: 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
15875-442: Was now committed to the concept and vigorously promoted the match. Thousands of tickets were sold before the game had been officially sanctioned. Although interstate matches in Brisbane had still been well attended (24,653 had attended the opening match of the 1979 series), few expected the sell-out crowd of 33,210 Queensland rugby league fans, delighted to see their heroes in the likes of Arthur Beetson representing their home state for
16002-507: 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 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
16129-428: Was reinforced by a marketing campaign used in the 1980s where the respective teams were caricatured as such. While other Australian states and territories also have representative rugby league teams, they have not competed in the State of Origin. The first calls for a state of origin selection policy in interstate rugby football came before the schism between the union and league codes eventuated in Australia. In 1900
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