Rugby Football League (RFL), established on 29 August 1895 with 22 clubs from across north England, is one of the most competent governing bodies in the rugby world. Initially it was known as the Northern Rugby Football Union and later Northern Union (NU).
But gradually it came to be known as the Rugby Football League, which was formerly the name of the main league competition that this organization ran. It is now the governing body associated with the administration in the game of rugby in the United Kingdom. The body has its control over the Great Britain national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, the Rugby League National Leagues, Super League (Europe) and the junior and amateur games in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). The Rugby Football League is affiliated to the Rugby League International Federation and the Rugby League European Federation. But it is slowly becoming exclusively an English affair with the emergence of the Wales Rugby League, the Scotland Rugby League and the Rugby League Ireland.
The Rugby Football League holds a number of leagues and tournaments in England including the Super League (Europe) which has teams from France competing for the League Leader's Shield. The winner of the Super League (Europe) plays the winner of the Australian NRL competition to determine the champions of the World Club Challenge. The leagues below the level of the Super League (Europe) are the National Leagues one and two. There is also the National League Cup, a competition for the clubs with a group phase followed by the knock-out stages, along with the knock-out competition Challenge Cup.
The amateur competitions are administered by the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) and the National Conference League heads its list. It has fourteen teams competing in each of its three divisions- Premier Division, Division One and Division Two. The other major amateur tournaments administered by the BARLA are the North West Counties League, Pennine League, CMS Yorkshire League, Cumberland League, Barrow and District League and the Hull and District League. Few major clubs of the Rugby Football League are Middleton, Salford City Reds, Leeds Rhinos, Milford, Hull and many more.
The Rugby Football League has made rich contribution to the welfare of English national rugby. It has been the stage for players and coaches to bloom who have won high acclaim at the international level of the game. It is expected that the Rugby Football League would continue its tradition and supply high level rugby players to England national team in the coming years too.
