The point of this article is to introduce a sport that could potentially take North America by storm in the coming years: rugby league (League). To many, rugby may seem like one entity with one set of rules but, I assure you, it is not. The rugby ecosystem consists of several variations, the most recognizable being the rugby union (Union). Rugby sevens has also gained international notoriety due to its addition to the Summer Olympic Games, though it derives its rules from Union. League is a game that branched off from Union around the turn of the 20th century and morphed into a version of the sport that I like to view as a constructive hybrid between Union rules and American football. In my view, North Americans could learn to love League if the game had more exposure.
League differs from Union rules in a few notable ways. First, there are thirteen players on the field as opposed to fifteen. Next, scrums and rucks are uncontested. In short, you won’t see the body-piles and pushing matches in League that you would see in Union. There are no lineouts in League, either. In Union, a lineout is when a team throws a ball that has gone out of bounds back into play, and both sides line-up and lift players into the air to catch the ball. In League, when the ball goes “into touch” (out of bounds), the side that touched the ball last loses possession and the other side gains possession through a scrum. To summarize these differences: Union is a game that places importance on challenging for ball-possession at every step of the game, while League rules make ball possession less of a battle.
Instead, the attacking team has only six carries of the ball before possession is turned over – in League, this is referred to as having “five tackles.” Typically, once the referee calls “fifth tackle” the attacking team will either kick the ball (like a punt in American football, though without the special team and delay of game), will try to run the ball one last time, or may even attempt a field-goal. To note, a field goal in League involves no special team or ball-holder, the kicker simply receives the ball as they would in a normal set, drops it so that it touches the ground (this is a must, or else the goal will not count), and attempts to kick the ball between the goal posts.
Another great distinguishing feature of League is the 40/20 (or 20/40) rule. This rule plays out in the following ways: a kicker, who is behind their own 40-meter line, kicks the ball so that it lands on the field over the opponent’s 20-meter line, and then goes into touch. If this occurs, the kicker’s team will regain possession of the ball and a new set of six carries. The 20/40 rule follows the same logic, just switch the positions – the kicker kicks from behind their 20-meter line, the ball lands on the field over the opponent’s 40-meter line and goes into touch. This rule allows for massive gains in field position, though it requires a skillful and tactical boot to pull off.
When discussing League statistics and player rankings, it is important to learn the proper lingo: the forward pack includes the heavy-weights who do most of the legwork within sets; the “spine” consists of the hooker, the two halves, and the fullback, who are the all-around “playmakers”; and the backline consists of the wingers and centres, who are revered for their speed, agility, and try-scoring prowess. In the modern era of League, control of the middle of the field is what wins games. This lends to the logic that it is the forward pack that wins games – the forwards need to be powerful, fit, and able to tackle as well as they can run the ball. The spine is arguably as important, as they control the play of the ball, field positioning, and attacking strategy, though without strong forwards a team can quickly lose its edge.
With this most basic of primers on League rules out of the way, let’s talk about what is happening in Las Vegas in the coming weeks. The National Rugby League (NRL), Australia’s professional League competition, will be sending four teams to play a double-header in Vegas on March 2 at Allegiant Stadium (coincidentally, this is where the 2024 Super Bowl will be played). The teams include the Brisbane Broncos (2nd on the 2023 NRL ladder) versus the Sidney Roosters (7th), and the South Sidney Rabbitohs (9th) versus the Manly Sea Eagles (12th). To note, the NRL has seventeen teams, so this list of teams includes some of the most competitive teams from the 2023 season.
The Broncos are packed with talent, with their spine being almost second-to-none: their halves combination of Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds, along with Reece Walsh at fullback is especially hard to defend. The Broncos also have a forward pack that punches as hard as the team’s namesake. The Roosters bring a world-class spine of their own, but their backline struggled in key moments last year. The Rabbitohs have some forward and backline names to be jealous of, with Alex Johnson (the third-highest try-scorer of all time in the NRL) topping the list. Lastly, the Sea Eagles are set to be fierce competition with halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brookes, two of the leagues best, and fullback Tom “Turbo” Trbojevic best-in-class when injury-free. With such talent on either side, I would wager that the outcome of either game is anyone’s guess.
To round out the discussion, I will highlight why I feel the NRL is making this bold step into the American arena at the right time. First, League is a game that North Americans ought to find appealing. It plays like rugby, sure, but it has the feel of American football that so many of us are obsessed with. Even better, it lacks the delay-of-game nonsense that I find frankly boring and tedious about football: there are no time-outs to draw out the clock, there are no team switches (no offensive or defensive teams, everyone plays both sides), and play is largely uninterrupted. In short – League is a game for those who appreciate athleticism, tact, skill, and grit. Did I mention that after each tackle the defensive team must retreat 10m back? That means you have ball-runners charging more than 10-meters at full-tilt into the opposing line: big hits are inevitable, and they happen without helmets or pads.
As well, everyone loves football for its cult-heroes, the quarterbacks, tight-ends, running backs or receivers, and League offers a similar format to follow. The Halves are like the quarter-back: they pass the ball to who they feel will complete the play, though they are also tasked with making strategic kicks and need to be able to make big tackles when playing defensively. Hookers often play the role of “dummy-half,” wherein they will scoop the ball up off the back of a ruck and charge at an unprepared defensive line for quick meters. Fullbacks are experts at catching challenging kicks, and then running the ball for huge meters. Wingers make eye-catching plays in opponents’ endzones to score off high kicks or long passes, making for moments that could rival even the best Hail Mary passes of football.
The game of League could, in theory, be a success in North America. The talent pool is vast, as is the appetite for high-intensity sport. However, with the NRL being based in Australia it is interesting to consider what will come from this US-NRL partnership. One could argue that the NRL could open itself up for North American-based talent, which would only improve the player-pool in the NRL. As well, Australian-based League players could market themselves to NFL scouts, bolstering the talent of American football and its feeder programs. It is unlikely that the U.S. will ever enter a team into the NRL itself, but what about a national domestic League…league?
A cautionary tale for the U.S. is the ill-fated Toronto Wolfpack. Canada attempted to establish itself within the NRL’s UK-based cousin, the Betfred Super League, with the Wolfpack. The magic did not last long. This team no longer exists within the Super League and has since struggled to find its footing within the grass-roots patchwork of North American League. It is likely that the lack of efforts from the Wolfpack to draw on Canadian talent, and the fact that half of their games were played in the U.K., led to a fizzling of support for the team. Here’s hoping that the double-header in Vegas can kick-off further enthusiasm and opportunities for the game to establish itself and grow in North America – League surely deserves a chance to thrive.
