subject: Rugby League As A Worldwide Phenomenon [print this page] Through the years, rugby league has become a sport that enjoys popularity in more than fifty countries worldwide. Four of the most renowned rugby league countries are England, Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is hailed as the countrys national sport. These four nations have participated heavily in the Rugby League Four Nations series, which will be played regularly until 2011, as a precursor to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Rugby league is played a t a professional level in some places, such as France and Wales, and is due to be played professionally in the United States by 2010. The country is close to launching its first ever fully professional rugby league, the National Rugby League USA, in 2010 or 2011. The new league aims to build the sport's profile in the United States. It also hopes to provide more talent for the national team.
It is a dominant winter sport in Australia, particularly Queensland and New South Wales. No professional team currently exists in either Scotland or Northern Ireland, although the Challenge Cup final has been held in Edinburgh Murray Field Stadium twice.
With the French losing interest in rugby union in the 1930s, rugby league started to gain popularity in France. The sport experienced criticism after World War II, and became actively marginalized through the 1990s. In 1996, Paris St-Germain, a French club, was one of the rugby league clubs which formed the new European Super League. The club however was dissolved in 1997 due to its failure to run at a profit and poor attendances.
With efforts being made by the Rugby League European Federation to expand the game to new areas, countries such as Germany, Lebanon, Malta, Russia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Jamaica, and others have also taken up the game and compete in international rugby league tournaments or matches. The sport has garnered international attention, and rugby league clubs began forming in many different countries.
The worldwide success of rugby league has slowly crept its way into Asia as well. Rugby league clubs started competing locally in Japan, and enthusiasts are hoping to see more of the sport in this region of the World.
