List of rugby league competitions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of rugby league competitions that are still currently in existence. This includes both international tournaments played by national Test teams and also domestic club and provincial competitions. Throughout the list bold indicates the league is a professional or semi-professional competition.
International tournaments
Global
| Competition | Teams |
|---|---|
| Rugby League World Cup |  All Nations |
| Rugby League Four Nations |  England,  Australia,  New Zealand, Guest |
Continental
Regional
| Competition | Teams |
|---|---|
| Asian Cup | South East Asia |
| Balkans Cup | The Balkans |
| Mediterranean Cup | Mediterranean Countries |
| Nordic Cup | The Nordic Countries |
| Caribbean Carnival Cup | The Caribbean |
Challenge Matches
| Competition | Teams |
|---|---|
| Anzac Test | Australia vs New Zealand |
| The Ashes | Australia vs England |
| Baskerville Shield | England vs New Zealand |
| Polynesian Cup |  Samoa vs  Tonga |
| Melanesian Cup |  Fiji vs  Papua New Guinea |
| Colonial Cup |  Canada vs  United States |
| Griffin Cup |  Germany vs  Netherlands |
| Hayne/Mannah Cup | Fiji vs  Lebanon(One-off match) |
| Peter Leitch QSM Challenge | New Zealand vs Any Pacific Island Nations |
| State of Origin series |  Queensland vs  New South Wales |
| War of the Roses |  Lancashire vs  Yorkshire |
Domestic Leagues
Europe
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia & Herzegovina Championship | 1 | 2012 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| CZRLA First Division | 7 | 2011 | 1 |
| CZRLA Second Division | 4 | 2011 | 2 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danish Rugby League Championship | 2 | 2013 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super XIII | 11 | 1931 | 1 |
| Elite 2 | 9 | 1982 | 2 |
| National Division 1 | 8 | 1976 | 3 |
| National Division 2 | 25 | 1978 | 4 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super League[b] | 12 | 1996 | 1 |
| RFL Championship[c] | 14 | 2003 | 2 |
| RFL League 1 | 9 | 2003 | 3 |
| National Conference League | [d] | 1986 | 4 |
| Conference League South | 12 | 2012 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| RLI Premiership | 5 | 1997 | 1 |
| RLI Championship | 3 | ???? | 2 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italia Rugby Football League | 3 | 2010 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Rugby League Competition | 6 | 2014 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norge National Championship | 5 | 2010 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Championship | 9 | 1991 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serbian Championship | 8 | 2002 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campeonato Nacional de Liga | 6 | 2014 | 1 |
| Catalan Rugby League Championship | 9 | 2009 | 2 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden Super League | 3 | 2011 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine Super League | 7 | 2012 | 1 |
Multinational
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balkan Super League | 6 (Lv 1) 7 (Lv 2) |
2018 | Balkan nations |
Asia - Pacific
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Rugby League[e] |
17 | 1998 | 1 |
| New South Wales Cup |
14 | 1908 | 2 |
| Queensland Cup[f] |
14 | 1996 | |
 Melbourne Rugby League |
17 | 2001 | |
 NRL South Australia |
5 | 1952 | |
 NRL Western Australia |
14 | 1948 | |
 Northern Territory Rugby league |
6 | 1951 | |
| Ron Massey Cup[g] | 3 | ||
| NSW North Coast Division | |||
| NSW Greater Northern Division | |||
| NSW Riverina and Monaro Division | |||
| NSW Western Division | |||
| NSW Greater Southern Division | |||
| NSW Newcastle and Central Coast Division | |||
| Queensland Rugby League Central Division | |||
| Queensland Rugby League Northern Division | |||
| Queensland Rugby League South East Queensland Division | |||
| Sunraysia-Riverlands Rugby League | |||
| Limestone Coast Rugby League | |||
| Pilbara Rugby League | |||
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands League | 7 | 1994 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji National Rugby League | 14 | 2010 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZRL National Competition | 7 | 2010 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea National Rugby League | 12 | 1990 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNRL Shield | 5 | 2013 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand Rugby League Premiership | 6 | 2014 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tongan National Rugby League | 12 | 1988 | 1 |
Middle East - Africa
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana 13s Championship | 4 | 2015 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya Rugby League Premiership | 8 | 2017 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon Championship | 10 | 2002 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria Rugby League | 10 | 2019 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhino Cup | 8 | 2011 | 1 |
| Protea Cup | 4 | 2013 | 2 |
| Western Province Rugby League | 5 | 2012 | 3 |
| Jan Prinsloo Cup | ? | 2019 |
The Americas
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOP 1 - Brazilian Rugby League 13-a-side Championship | 8 | 2019 | 1 |
| TOP 2 - Brazilian Rugby League 13-a-side Second Division Championship | 4 | 2019 | 2 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
 British Columbia Rugby League |
6 | 2012 | 2 |
 Ontario Rugby League Competition |
3 | 2010 | |
 Alberta Rugby League Competition |
3 | 2019 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica National League | 8 | 2005 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
 North East Rugby League[h] |
4 | 2011[i][j] | 1 |
 Florida Rugby League[h] |
4 | 2014[k] | 1 |
 Pacific Coast Rugby League[h] |
6 | 2018[l] | 1 |
 Utah Rugby League[h] |
4 | 2024 | 1 |
Multinational
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Wolfpack Canada Cup | 10 | 2023 | 1 |
Domestic Cups
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Club Challenge | 2 | 1976 | Champions of NRL and Super League |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRL State Championship | 2 | 2014 | Champions of New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Derby Cup | 1934 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Cup[m] | 80 | 1896 | All Teams |
| 1895 Cup | 20 | 2019 | Tiers 2 and 3 |
| Conference Challenge Trophy | 58 | ???? | Tier 4 |
| BARLA National Cup | ? | 1973 | Amateur Clubs |
| Scottish Cup | 4 | ???? | Scottish National League |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serbian Cup | 2001 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copa España | 6 | 2013 | 1 |
Women's Rugby League
International tournaments
International
| Competition | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Women's Rugby League World Cup | Global |
Continental
Challenge Matches
Domestic Leagues
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRL Women's Premiership | 6 | 2018 | 1 |
| Brisbane and District Women's Rugby League | 12 | 2004 | 2 |
| Nellie Doherty Cup | 2 | 1999 | 1 |
| Sydney Metropolitan Women's Rugby League | 12 | 2005 | 2 |
| Tarsha Gale Nines | 12 | 2016 | 3 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFL Women's Super League | 8 | 2017 | 1 |
| RFL Women's Championship | 2017 | 2 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| RLI Women's Premiership | 3 | 2021 | 1 |
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG Women's Rugby League | 10 | 1990 | 1 |
Domestic Cups
| Competition | Teams | Instituted | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFL Women's Challenge Cup | 2012 | All Teams |
Wheelchair Rugby League
International tournaments
Domestic Leagues and Cups
Nines tournaments
International
- Global
Rugby League World Cup 9s- Super League World Nines (1996 to 1997)
- Regional
Domestic
See also
Notes
- The Super League and lower division are British competitions ran by the RFL. Despite this foreign teams do compete in these competition. For a list of Non-British clubs that currently compete in these competition see here.
- Successor to Rugby Football League Championship First Division instituted in 1895.
- Successor to Rugby Football League Championship Second Division instituted in 1902.
- 4 divisions: 12 in Premier Division, Division One, and Division Two. 14 in Division Three.
- The National Rugby League is an Australian competitions ran by the ARL. Despite this a foreign team does compete in this competition – New Zealand's New Zealand Warriors.
- The Queensland Cup is an Australian competitions ran by the QRL, a state governing body within the ARL. Despite this a foreign team does compete in this competition – Papua New Guinea's Papua New Guinea Hunters.
- The Ron Massey Cup is an Sydney based competitions ran by the NSWRL and CRL. Despite this a foreign team does compete in this competition from Fiji.
- Winner of each region enters playoff to decide the champion of the USARL competition
- New England Rugby League was the entire USARL competition until 2014, and as such was call simply "USARL". From 2014, and the formation of Florida Rugby League, until 2023 the competition was called "USARL Northern Conference".
- Not active in 2023
- Called "USARL Southern Conference" from 2014 to 2023
- Not integrated into the USARL competition until 2024
- The Challenge Cup has also seen teams from Ireland, France, Russia, and Serbia compete in the competition.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rugby league competitions.