| Rugby league in Canada | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Governing body | Canada Rugby League |
| National teams | |
| First played | 1928 |
| National competitions | |
Rugby league football (French:Rugby à XIII) is a participation and spectator sport in Canada.
Games related torugby football have been played in Canada since the 19th century, with the first Rugby Union being established in 1861. However, therugby league made little headway in the country, whererugby union and laterCanadian football were the dominant field sports. In 1928 theGreat Britain Lions, Britain's national rugby league team, visited Canada on their way home from a tour of Australia and New Zealand. According to theImperial Rugby League Board, a domestic competition using rugby league rules was held in Canada the following year.[1]
From the late 19th century Canadian unions adopted rule changes, generally similar to changes made in the United States, which created the sport known asCanadian football. Through the 20th century football gained in popularity, displacing other codes. With support declining, theNova Scotia Rugby Union, which governed the sport inNova Scotia and theMaritimes, decided to adopt therugby league code in hopes of saving rugby from the incursion of Canadian football. The switch was first discussed in 1945, but the lack of a rule book precluded any action. The switch was finally agreed upon in 1946, and the switch was made the following season.[2]
With the exception ofHalifax schools, which had adopted football, all competitions in the Maritimes, – the senior level, Maritime, high school, and university competitions – made the switch to rugby league. Unlike most rugby league competitions, the NSRU continued to be recognized by theCanadian Rugby Football Union, and all players remained amateur. Though attendance and participation increased in the first year, it did not last, and football continued to increase in popularity throughout the Maritimes. The universities all switched to football by 1955, and the senior league shrank to just four teams. Rugby league continued to be played in many Nova Scotia high schools until 1959, and was still played elsewhere in the Maritimes into the 1960s, but disappeared thereafter.[2]
In the 1980s interest in amateur rugby league returned, and in 1986 a new competition, the Tri-Counties Rugby League, was established. Four teams competed in its first year, three from Canada, and one from the U.S., theNew York-basedAdirondacks club.[3] Later, theCanada national rugby league team was formed, and participated semi-regularly in international competition from 1987–2000. The team competed in the 2000Emerging Nations Tournament, but afterward went dormant as the governing body folded. Thereafter Canada's rugby league participation dwindled, though there were two regionalrugby league nines tournaments as recently as 2003, one inOntario and one inManitoba.[3]
In 2010, a new organization,Canada Rugby League, was formed with the intention of reviving the national team and building a new domestic competition. Under the CRL the national team played international games several times in 2010, including theAmerican National Rugby League's annual "War at the Shore" event, hosting theColonial Cup, and competing in theRugby League Atlantic Cup inJacksonville, Florida.[4][5] Two domestic teams, the Toronto City Saints and the St. Catharines Bobcats, were established, and are set to be joined by two new teams in 2011.Super League teamsSt Helens R.F.C. andSalford City Reds have also formed partnerships with Canadian rugby league,[6][7] andRugby League Review, one of the leading rugby league magazines around the world came on board as a sponsor of Canadian rugby league.[8]Setanta Sports will broadcast rugby league matches in Canada.[9] Canada won its first international match of the revival era on July 31, 2011 defeating Jamaica 40-10 in Markham, Ontario.
In 2016, the2025 Rugby League World Cup was jointly awarded to Canada and the United States, however both later withdrew.
In 2017,Toronto Wolfpack was formed as an expansion club of theBritish rugby league system, and competed for four seasons until theCOVID-19 pandemic, entering the league system inLeague 1 and seeing two promotions in three years to finish in theSuper League.[10][11]
Post-covid, the Wolfpack formed their own competition within North America after the failedNorth American Rugby League.
There are currently three (known) provisional competitions in Canada, theOntario Rugby League Competition, theBritish Columbia Rugby League Competition, and theAlberta Rugby League Competition, all are amateur.
Canada attempted to launch the professionalNorth American Rugby League along with the USA in 2021, however this never materialised. In 2023, Toronto Wolfpack, Canada's only professional club (who previously had completed in theBritish rugby league system) organised the Canada Cup, an international league for all of North America.[12]
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