116-725: Wee Waa ( / w iː w ɑː / ) is a town located on the north-western slopes of the New England region in New South Wales , Australia . The town is within the Narrabri Shire local government area and is on the Namoi River . Wee Waa is 41 kilometres (25 mi) north-west of Narrabri and 571 kilometres (355 mi) northwest of Sydney on the Kamilaroi Highway . At the 2021 census , Wee Waa had
232-714: A Bureau of Meteorology forecast as such, but the whole of the Northern Tablelands and part of the North West Slopes and Plains forecasts cover this region. New England's major settlements are Tenterfield , Inverell , Glen Innes , Moree , Armidale , Narrabri , Tamworth , Gunnedah , Quirindi and Wee Waa . Of these, Tamworth and Armidale are the major commercial areas, both with large shopping centres and tourist attractions. Of these, Inverell and Moree are considered semi-major towns. The narrowest and most common definition of New England consists of
348-617: 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,
464-536: A comprehensive range of educational facilities available, including 125 public schools. Armidale is the home of the University of New England , Australia's oldest regional university and was the location of the former Armidale Teachers College. Other Armidale schools include, New England Girls' School (NEGS), The Armidale School (TAS), Armidale High School , Duval High School , O'Connor Catholic College and Presbyterian Ladies' College . Calala, near Tamworth,
580-580: 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,
696-405: 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
812-560: A maximum of 35 °C (95 °F). Mean winter temperatures range from 4 °C (39 °F) to 18 °C (64 °F). Mean annual rainfall is 575 millimetres (22.6 in), falling on 80 days of the year. The town and surrounding area have often been flooded by the Namoi River, which can require supplies to be flown in by helicopter. The town has two motels, four schools, a preschool, Nurruby Wee Waa Early Education Service, two hotels and two caravan parks as well as eating-places,
928-437: 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
1044-487: A north-western direction for 620 km, from Willow Tree passing through Quirindi, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Wee Waa until it reaches Bourke . Fossickers Way is a tourist route that runs from Nundle to Warialda in the north and then east to Inverell and Glen Innes passing through some rich gem areas. The major towns have air, coach and rail services that supplement the road network. The Main North railway line following
1160-519: A population of 2,034. It is home also to the current queen of Wee Waa - Lara Ciesiolka. Wee Waa is 42 kilometres from the Newell Highway , and is referred to as a gateway to the far west centres of Walgett, Collarenebri, Lightning Ridge opal fields and beyond. The Aboriginal meaning of Wee Waa is "Fire for Roasting" from the language of the Kamilaroi people. The town is known to be
1276-633: 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
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#17327873972621392-532: A public swimming pool, a nine-hole golf course, bowling club, tennis courts, a modern sporting complex, a hostel for the aged and a new medical centre. Wee Waa is serviced by NSW TrainLink rail services, interstate coaches, and daily air services offered through Narrabri. In 1973 Arthur Murray led the Aboriginal cotton-chippers on strike for better pay and working conditions. The Wee Waa Echo called them "radicals and professional troublemakers", adding that "it
1508-453: 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
1624-415: 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
1740-401: 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
1856-780: Is rugby league , the name of the town's club is the Wee Waa Panthers . The Panthers compete in the Group 4 Rugby League competition, which is based in the areas surrounding Tamworth . The club's most famous export is Jamie Lyon . A club junior, Lyon famously left his professional career with the Parramatta Eels to return for a season with the Wee Waa Panthers. The first-grade team went on to win that year (2004) against Moree , 55 to 12. Lyon returned to professional football with St Helens for two years to play in
1972-557: 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
2088-680: Is a geographical region in the north of the state of New South Wales , Australia, about 60 km (37 mi) inland from the Tasman Sea . The area includes the Northern Tablelands (or New England Tablelands) and the North West Slopes regions. As of 2021, New England had a population of 185,560, with over a quarter of the people living in the area of Tamworth Regional Council . The region has been occupied by Indigenous Australians for tens of thousands of years, in
2204-484: Is a major route linking Victoria and Queensland through Narrabri and Moree. Thunderbolts Way from Gloucester provides the shortest route from Sydney to the New England and continues through Walcha, Uralla and Bundarra to Inverell. The Oxley Highway, Gwydir Highway , the scenic Waterfall Way and Bruxner Highway traverse the New England region from west to east. On Western Slopes the Kamilaroi Highway runs in
2320-551: Is a major western spur of the highlands, culminating in Mount Kaputar near Narrabri . The hilltops of the Great Dividing Range are basalt from north of Uralla to Glen Innes, and the eastern slopes are the lighter "trap" soils. On the western slopes near Bendemeer, Bundarra, Kentucky and Tenterfield the country is granite, with extensive sandy loams. The New England Peppermint Grassy Woodland lies within
2436-520: Is a species of turtle found only in the upper reaches of the Namoi River, Gwydir River and Macdonald River . The area is also known to have supported vast populations of Australian megafauna . Pest animals in the New England region include, foxes, rabbits, feral goats and feral pigs. The New England region has a great diversity of mineral deposits ranging from large coal deposits in the Werris Creek to Boggabri area to metallics and gemstones on
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#17327873972622552-474: 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
2668-459: Is currently truncated to Weemelah between Moree and Mungindi. The line between Werris Creek and Moree is also known as the North-West line. A branch line was opened from Moree to Inverell in 1901. This line was closed in 1994. A branch line was opened between Camurra (11 km north of Moree) to North Star and Boggabilla in 1932 but it is now closed beyond North Star. Another branch
2784-640: Is home to the University of New England , one of Australia's oldest universities. It also has large shopping centres and is the second largest city in the region. Tamworth is the bigger of the two, and is now best known as the centre of Australian country music and the home of the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC) and Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre (TREC). Other major towns and districts of New England include Narrabri , Moree , Glen Innes , Inverell , Tenterfield , Gunnedah and Walcha . At its broadest definition, during
2900-811: Is in the Central Region. National parks including World Heritage listed areas that form part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (CERRA), gorge country and wild rivers on the rugged eastern fringe of the region include: New England has been the home of Australia's most persistent attempt to form a new state within the Australian commonwealth . In the 1930s and again in the 1960s, the New England New State Movement campaigned for New England to be separated from New South Wales. The movement
3016-542: Is not fanciful to see the Aboriginal problem as the powder keg for Communist aggression in Australia". It was in Wee Waa police station that rugby player Eddie Murray died in 1981, one of the Aboriginal deaths in custody that prompted a Royal Commission to be set up. It was also the first town in Australia to use DNA testing to find a rapist. On 17 May 2013 at the 79th Annual Wee Waa Show, Columbia Records held
3132-630: Is often referred to as the New England Tableland, New England Plateau, or Northern Tablelands. There are widespread peaks over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and the highest point at Round Mountain is 1,585 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level . Other key peaks include Point Lookout at 1,564 metres (5,131 ft), Ben Lomond at 1,512 metres (4,961 ft), Mount Grundy at 1,463 metres (4,800 ft), Mount Hyland at 1,434 metres (4,705 ft), and Mount Duval at 1,393 metres (4,570 ft). This definition of "New England" includes
3248-432: 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
3364-508: Is the home of Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School , a public high school for boys. Calrossy Anglican School , Oxley High School , Peel High School , Tamworth High School and Tamworth Public School are the other principal schools that are located in Tamworth. The New England Institute of TAFE has campuses in Tamworth, Armidale, Boggabilla, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Quirindi and Tenterfield. On 25 August 2000,
3480-555: 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
3596-413: 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
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3712-602: 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
3828-454: 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
3944-518: The Ebor Falls and Wollomombi Falls which are on Waterfall Way east of Armidale. These gorges fragment the eastern side of the plateau, which in some areas such as New England National Park and Point Lookout are quite close to the coast. There are many National Parks along the rugged eastern fringes of the highlands including Cathedral Rock National Park , which has the region's highest peak, and Nymboida National Park . The western side of
4060-563: The Gamilaraay /Kamilaroi Aboriginal people. The Wee Waa run was taken up by squatter George Hobler in 1837 and the settlement developed. It became an administrative centre in the late 1840s. A police station and court of petty sessions were established in 1847 and a post office opened two years later. It is the oldest established town in the area and is the birthplace of the commercial cotton industry in Australia. Rail services were extended in 1901 from Narrabri to Walgett, passing through
4176-634: 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
4292-713: The Namoi River then followed it to Narrabri . Moving on, Mitchell found a deep, broad river which was the Gwydir . In 1832, Mitchell cut across the plains to the Gwydir River near Moree. The team then spent several weeks charting the tributaries between the Gwydir and the Barwon Rivers. Hamilton Collins Sempill was the first settler in the New England area when he took up the 'Wolka' run in 1832, establishing slab huts where 'Langford' now stands close to Walcha . During
4408-1065: The New England New State Movement the New England Region included the northern coastal lowlands of New South Wales, known as the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers region, and including cities such as Lismore and Grafton . Several proposals were made for a new Australian state of New England and this included the North Coast region in the boundaries. Apart from this usage, the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers region are not considered to be part of New England. Police stations in New England Local Area Command (LAC) are Armidale, Ashford, Bundarra, Deepwater, Delungra, Emmaville, Glen Innes, Guyra, Inverell, Tenterfield, Tingha, Uralla and Yetman. Bendemeer, Nowendoc, Walcha and Walcha Road are in
4524-640: 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
4640-581: The Northern Tablelands highland area which forms part of the Great Dividing Range , from the Moonbi Range in the south to the border of Queensland in the north. This tableland region is about 320 kilometres (200 mi) long by approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) wide. It includes substantial areas more than 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea-level, with a distinctive cold climate and distinctive vegetation. This highland region
4756-749: 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
Wee Waa - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-615: The Oxley Highway . On 22 May 1839 the New England District was gazetted thus: New England District: Bounded on the east by a line north by compass from the top of Werrikimber Mountain which is at the head of the Hastings River; on the south by a line west by compass from the top of Werrikimber Mountain to the Great Dividing Range; on the west by the western extreme of the Great Dividing Range so as to include
4988-598: 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
5104-512: The brush-tailed rock-wallaby ( Petrogale penicillata ) which may be spotted in isolated sections of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park . Bundarra is one of only three breeding areas in New South Wales for the endangered regent honeyeater . Werrikimbe National Park is the home of the rare (native) Hastings River mouse which was considered to be extinct until it was re-discovered in 1981. The Namoi River snapping turtle ( Elseya belli )
5220-556: 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
5336-523: The "Cotton Capital of Australia" as a rural community situated in the rich agricultural heartland of the Lower Namoi Valley in NSW. The town services a far greater rural community as well as the villages of Burren Junction, Pilliga and Gwabegar. The town is situated approximately 190 metres (620 ft) above sea level . Before the arrival of European settlers, the Wee Waa area was inhabited by
5452-602: The 1830s further squatters moved their sheep flocks onto the Northern Tablelands as they had been displaced by the Australian Agricultural Company , which dominated resources in the Hunter Valley. When the area was opened up for settlement in the 1830s, this led to the gazetting of nine pastoral districts. These districts had a small police force and a Commissioner of Crown Lands . Australian red cedar ( Toona ciliata ) cutters moved into
5568-526: 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
5684-518: 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
5800-515: 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,
5916-531: The Australasian-Pacific Aeronautical College. Cattle and sheep are the predominant types of livestock produced in the New England and they have been produced since their importation during the earliest days of European settlement. The Northern Tablelands produce some of Australia's best fine wool and beef cattle. The western slopes are major areas for cotton and wheat. Other primary production activities include dairying,
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#17327873972626032-674: 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
6148-754: The European Super League . Following this, Lyon played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles playing from 2007 to 2016, winning a premiership in 2008 and 2011 . The local soccer club is the Wee Waa United Football Club. In 2019, the club won the Namoi Premier League beating Narrabri FC 2-1 in extra time. The game was broadcast across the state on BarTV. Wee Waa produced Andrew Curry , the former Australian Olympic javelin athlete and
6264-534: 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
6380-635: The New England North West Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service (WRHS) commenced operation after four years of fundraising and planning. The New England North West WRHS operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an annual average of 130 missions. There is a wide range of 27 main national parks and over 30 nature reserves in the New England area of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service region, plus Mount Kaputar National Park which
6496-410: The New England Region, including the slopes in 1957 was 143,788 and in 1971 there were 164,128 people, according to the census data. In the 2006 census the New England region had a population of 180,000 which included the local government areas of Armidale Dumaresq, Inverell, Walcha, Glen Innes Severn, Gunnedah, Guyra, Gwydir, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tamworth Regional and Uralla. Gold
6612-735: The Northern Region or Northern Inland Region and includes the western valleys of the Gwydir River and Namoi River and their tributaries, and the foothills and spur ranges which generally form the western side of the central Northern Tablelands. Towns and districts such as Moree , Narrabri , Gunnedah , the city of Tamworth and Quirindi , are included in the New England region according to this basis. Smaller towns include, Manilla , Barraba , Bingara , Boggabri , Mungindi , Wee Waa and Werris Creek . The two traditional centres of New England are Tamworth and Armidale . Armidale
6728-427: The Northern Tablelands railway service commenced in the 1870s and the Main North railway line reached Werris Creek and west Tamworth in 1878, Armidale in 1883 and Wallangarra on the Queensland border in 1888. The Main North railway line is now closed north of Armidale. The Mungindi railway line from Werris Creek to Gunnedah opened in 1879, Narrabri in 1884 and Moree in 1897, Mungindi in 1914. The line
6844-446: The Northern Tablelands. The river oak ( Casuarina cunninghamiana ) grows along many creeks and river beds on the eastern and western slopes. Bolivia Hill and the adjacent nature reserve are the only recorded locations of the endangered Bolivia Hill boronia ( Boronia boliviensis ), Bolivia homoranthus ( Homoranthus croftianthus ), Bolivia Stringybark ( Eucalyptus boliviana ), the shrub Bolivia Hill Pimelea ( Pimelea venosa ) and
6960-423: 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
7076-402: The Oxley LAC. The topography of the region is dominated by the Northern Tablelands plateau. The eastern side of the plateau is drained by the various headwaters and tributaries of the Clarence River , Hastings River and the Macleay River . The eastern rivers are short and swift, and in many places form deep gorges and waterfalls. Notable waterfalls include the Apsley Falls at Walcha plus
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#17327873972627192-411: 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,
7308-485: The Tableland and on the north the boundary is indefinite . In 1840 there were 66 separate pastoral licences, in 1842 it rose to 98, 1845 – 116; and by 1848 there were 132. Only 10 new runs were registered between 1848 and 1855. In 1843 the Darling Downs district was separated from the New England. This region ceased to be a statistical division after 1874, but the counties of Arrawatta , Clarke , Clive , Gough , Hardinge , Hawes , Sandon and Vernon approximated
7424-447: 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
7540-421: 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
7656-469: 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
7772-667: The eastern escarpment having falls of around 2,000 mm average. Wattles ( Acacias ), native apples ( Angophora floribunda ), black sallee (Eucalyptus stellulata), Blakely's red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi), Hillgrove box ( Eucalyptus retinens ), New England blackbutt ( Eucalyptus andrewsii ), broadleaved New England stringybark ( Eucalyptus caliginosa ), manna gum ( Eucalyptus viminalis ), New England peppermint ( Eucalyptus nova-anglica ), ribbon gum ( Eucalyptus nobilis ), silvertop stringybark ( Eucalyptus laevopinea ) wild cherry and yellow box ( Eucalyptus melliodora ) and stringybark ( Eucalyptus caliginosa ) trees are common across
7888-450: 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
8004-407: 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
8120-407: 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
8236-406: 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
8352-463: The global launch party for the French electronic music duo Daft Punk 's album Random Access Memories . This caused much excitement in the town and it attracted an estimated 2,500 tourists. It was initially believed that footage recorded from the event would be used for a music video; however, this did not come to fruition. The town has a multi-function Sports Complex, which also acts as a de facto community centre. The most popular sport in Wee Waa
8468-585: 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
8584-470: The headwaters of the Macleay River in the early 1830s to harvest the valuable trees. The ranges between Kempsey and Glen Innes yielded about 300,000 board feet (710 m ) in 1950. Work commenced in 1838 with the use of convicts to build a road, then known as Major's Line , across the Great Dividing Range to link the wool-growing settlement of Walcha with Port Macquarie. This road was later named
8700-411: 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
8816-500: The invasive weeds and plants found in the New England region include: Common animals that may be encountered across the New England region include: kangaroos, echidnas , wallabies, possums and wombats. Common birds are: cockatoos, currawongs , magpies, crows, wild ducks, galahs, parrots, kookaburras , ravens, rosellas and emus (on the western slopes). Snakes, lizards, jacky dragons ( Amphibolurus muricatus ) and goannas may also be encountered. Endangered species that may be seen include
8932-440: 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 ,
9048-412: 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
9164-511: 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
9280-453: 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
9396-537: 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
9512-583: The nation's leading javelin specialist in the 1990s. Curry competed at two Olympic games; Atlanta 1996 & Sydney 2000. Additionally, Curry competed in three Commonwealth Games: 1994 Victoria, 1998 Kuala Lumpur, and 2002 Manchester. Wee Waa is known for its large population of southern blue-tip yabbies. On 4 September 1995, Eric Gordon set the Australian record, catching a specimen that measured 47cm. [REDACTED] Media related to Wee Waa at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Wee Waa travel guide from Wikivoyage New England (Australia) New England
9628-413: 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
9744-561: 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
9860-460: 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
9976-404: 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
10092-475: 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
10208-400: 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
10324-583: The plateau is somewhat less rugged, and is drained towards the west by the tributaries of the Severn River , the Gwydir River and the Namoi River . These rivers form part of the Murray-Darling Basin. There are large dams at Copeton Dam on the Gwydir and at Keepit Dam , Chaffey Dam and Split Rock Dam in the Namoi catchment, plus Pindari Dam on the Severn River . The Nandewar Range
10440-542: 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
10556-520: The production of grains, lamb, pork, fruit, potatoes, poultry, eggs, various mining activities, timber production, viticulture and aquaculture. The New England region is traversed by five major highways and a concentrated network of minor roads. On the tablelands the New England Highway , which links Tamworth, Uralla, Armidale, Guyra, Glen Innes and Tenterfield is a major route linking New South Wales and Queensland . The Newell Highway
10672-581: The region's limits. In 1847 these counties, with the exception of Hawes and Vernon formed part of the "Unsettled District" of the colony. By 1850 all major communication routes had been forged, with little government assistance. During the 1860s the famous bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt , robbed properties, mail coaches and hotels throughout the region. Thunderbolt was shot dead in May 1870 by Constable Walker at Kentucky Creek, near Uralla. The population of
10788-457: The region. The New England lies in the temperate zone, and the climate is generally free from extremes of heat and cold. The greatest heat is usually experienced in the north-west around Narrabri and Mungindi. Winter frosts are common on the Northern Tablelands and winter snow is not unusual in this area. The Northern Tablelands receives most of its rain between late summer and early autumn with an annual average rainfall of about 800 mm, with
10904-606: The remains of which can be seen today along the Styx River and at Gara Gorge. The first gold mining was recorded at Tia in 1866 and in 1873 a reef was discovered at McLeod's Creek, near Walcha. The discovery of the Torrington Tin Lode was made in 1881 but the small prospectors soon lost control to overseas mining companies. Tin and arsenic were mined from the 1880s at the Ottery Mine, near Emmaville. Copper
11020-472: The same route as the New England Highway to Wallangarra, Queensland was the first railway link between the states, however the coastal railway is now used and the New England line is disused north of Armidale. There is a daily passenger service from and to Sydney which extends to Moree in the north west and Armidale in the north. The train divides at Werris Creek. The New England region has
11136-501: 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
11252-496: 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
11368-524: 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
11484-526: 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
11600-663: 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
11716-802: The tablelands population to be reduced to 400 by the 1890s. The first European to explore the New England area was English explorer John Oxley , who crossed the southern part of the New England Range near the Apsley Falls before he discovered and named Port Macquarie in 1818. In 1827 Allan Cunningham travelled north along the western edge of the Range until he reached the Darling Downs in Queensland . In 1831 Thomas Mitchell reached Wallamoul Station near Tamworth and explored to
11832-505: The tablelands. Antimony, coal, gold, sapphires and tin have been the most important economic commodities mined in the New England region. There are numerous other business activities across the region ranging from small enterprises to large multi-national corporations that are producing goods for domestic and international markets. Aviation training is provided by the Tamworth-based BAE Systems flight training college,
11948-558: The town. The first commercial cotton plantation was established in 1961, irrigated with water from the Keepit Dam on the Namoi River. It was the first town built on the Namoi River. The town is subject to regular floods and is protected by a levee bank. However thousands of people were isolated on properties around Wee Waa in February 2012. The Wee Waa district has a mean summer minimum temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) and
12064-490: The towns and districts of Tenterfield , Glen Innes , Guyra , Inverell , Armidale and Walcha . A broader definition of the New England Region covering 98,574 square kilometres (38,060 sq mi), includes areas beyond the highlands which can also be considered to be the North West Slopes region and the Liverpool Plains . This definition is frequently known as New England North West or less commonly
12180-482: 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
12296-571: 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
12412-804: The vulnerable Bolivia wattle ( Acacia pycnostchya ). The rare Hillgrove spotted gum ( Eucalyptus michaeliana ) can be found near Hillgrove and in parts of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park . On the Western Slopes Caley's ironbark ( Eucalyptus caleyi ), McKie's stringybark ( Eucalyptus mckiena ), red stringybark ( Eucalyptus macrorhynca ), river red gums ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis ), rough-barked apple ( Angophora ), silver-leaved ironbark ( Eucalyptus melanophloia nophloia ), tumbledown gum ( Eucalyptus dealbata ), white box ( Eucalyptus albens ) and white cypress pine ( callitris columellaris ) are commonly found. Some of
12528-580: 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
12644-505: The west by the Kamilaroi people. In the highlands, the original languages (which are now extinct) included Anaiwan to the south of Guyra and Ngarbal to the north of Guyra. The population of the tablelands has been estimated to be 1,100 to 1,200 at the time of colonisation – quite low in comparison to the Liverpool Plains and Gwyder River region, estimated to be 4,500 to 5,500. Conflict, disease and environmental damage caused
12760-472: 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
12876-839: Was closely allied with the Country Party , which could have expected to form the government of such a new state. On 29 April 1967, a referendum in the region on the creation of a new state in northern NSW returned a 'no' vote of 54%, although the forced inclusion of the City of Newcastle, which is not a part of New England, was the major contributing factor that led to the 'no' vote. 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,
12992-635: 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
13108-454: Was discovered at Gulf Creek, near Barraba, in 1889 and the first mine was established there in 1892. At its peak, in 1901, the copper mine was one of the largest in the state. Asbestos was first mined at Woodsreef, also near Barraba, from 1919 to the 1980s. Mining had a major influence on the rise and fall of other towns and villages such as, Bingara, Bear Hill, Elsmore, Emmaville, Metz, Nundle, Stannifer, Tingha and Torrington. Construction of
13224-534: Was discovered in 1851 at Rocky River, approximately two kilometres west of Uralla and started a rush to the area. Then gold was found at Hanging Rock and nearby Swamp Creek in 1852. In the early 1850s some alluvial gold was found at Mulla Creek and Rywung (now Weabonga) on Swamp Oak Creek. In 1852 the first licenses to prospect were taken out. In the late 19th century several gold and antimony mines were established at places such as Halls Peak and Hillgrove , as well as two ambitious hydro-electric schemes to power them,
13340-479: 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
13456-612: Was opened from Narrabri to Burren Junction in 1903. The major weather events in the region were: New England has no clearly defined boundaries, and the term has several possible definitions. These boundaries also vary according to the units responsible for services, including county councils, local government areas, electorates and the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (formerly the Pastures Protection Boards) etc. The New England region does not have
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