Wales Rugby League
Encyclopedia
Wales Rugby League is the national governing body for rugby league football in Wales
.
In 1907 The Welsh Northern Rugby Football
Union was formed in Wrexham
, but the English Northern Rugby Football Union
refused it affiliation as they wanted the body located in the south of Wales and the Welsh body soon folded.
In 1926 the English body, now called the Rugby Football League (RFL) formed a Welsh commission in an attempt to convert rugby union
clubs to rugby league. The Wales Rugby League achieved governing body status in 2005 and employed its first professional chairman, Mark Rowley, in 2006. The WRL is responsible for the running of the game in Wales, for organising games and competitions and for selecting the squad for the national teams. In addition to managing professional and amateur national representative senior teams, WRL runs several age grade international sides from under 13s to a student team. The senior teams each play in annual European competitions, and the professional side compete in the World Cup
every 4 years.
In 2006 the WRL achieved autonomous status from the Rugby Football League
. In 2010, at a meeting of the Rugby League International Federation
in Melbourne, Australia, the WRL were made full members of the Federation.
WRL has 14 affiliated clubs, including four university clubs. Wales Rugby League is based at Treforest Industrial Estate
The national team will play in the 2011 Gillette Four Nations tournament against Australia, England and New Zealand.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In 1907 The Welsh Northern Rugby Football
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
Union was formed in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, but the English Northern Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
refused it affiliation as they wanted the body located in the south of Wales and the Welsh body soon folded.
In 1926 the English body, now called the Rugby Football League (RFL) formed a Welsh commission in an attempt to convert rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
clubs to rugby league. The Wales Rugby League achieved governing body status in 2005 and employed its first professional chairman, Mark Rowley, in 2006. The WRL is responsible for the running of the game in Wales, for organising games and competitions and for selecting the squad for the national teams. In addition to managing professional and amateur national representative senior teams, WRL runs several age grade international sides from under 13s to a student team. The senior teams each play in annual European competitions, and the professional side compete in the World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
every 4 years.
In 2006 the WRL achieved autonomous status from the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
. In 2010, at a meeting of the Rugby League International Federation
Rugby League International Federation
The Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
in Melbourne, Australia, the WRL were made full members of the Federation.
WRL has 14 affiliated clubs, including four university clubs. Wales Rugby League is based at Treforest Industrial Estate
The national team will play in the 2011 Gillette Four Nations tournament against Australia, England and New Zealand.
See also
- Rugby Football LeagueRugby Football LeagueThe Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
- British Amateur Rugby League AssociationBritish Amateur Rugby League AssociationThe British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
- Wales national rugby league teamWales national rugby league teamThe Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
- Rugby league in WalesRugby league in WalesRugby league is a sport played in Wales. The governing body of the game in Wales is the Wales Rugby League.There is a long but sporadic history of rugby league in Wales. Over the decades many hundreds of players have "gone north" to play for the leading English clubs...
- Rugby League National LeaguesRugby League National LeaguesThe Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...
- Rugby League ConferenceRugby League ConferenceThe Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
- North Wales League (rugby league)
- Rugby League Conference Welsh PremierRugby League Conference Welsh PremierThe Rugby League Conference Wales is the higher of two Welsh domestic leagues for the sport of rugby league. It forms a Premier division of the Rugby League Conference competition which covers all of Great Britain.-History:...