RUGBY UNION BREAKAWAY IN 1908 – THE HISTORY OF RUGBY LEAGUE IN AUSTRALIA AND HOW IT INSPIRED GENERATIONS OF LEAGUE LEGENDS

Rugby Union – 1908 Saw The Game Split in Australia

Since Rugby League split from Rugby Union in Australia in 1908, the game of Rugby League has been built on a long and extensive history that saw a clear difference in the rules that were Rugby Union, and has seen Ruby League here in Australia become known as the  “the greatest game of all”. The game was initially established as a rebel league, mainly due to the strict rules surrounding Rugby Union being an amateur sport where payments for matches were not permitted.

ABOVE: First Australian Kangaroos

Having eliminated Rugby Union Rules like line-outs, rucks and the removal of two players, the game quickly established itself as the primary format in New South Wales, with the game quickly spreading across the state. With its roots in the working class, Rugby League became the mainstay in Australian sport, especially as Rugby Union had its roots strongly embedded into prestigious English schools. Unlike New Zealand, this has historically been the case in Australia where Rugby League was the true working class game.

Foundations Steeped in Working Class

The first full season of Rugby League after the Rugby Union breakaway that was played in Australia was in 1908, and the following clubs were part of the foundation year:

• Glebe
• Newtown
• Western Suburbs
• South Sydney
• North Sydney
• Balmain
• Eastern Suburbs
• Newcastle
• Cumberland

The game of Rugby League became a more accessible format (as opposed to Rugby union) quickly spread north with the establishment of the Queensland Rugby Association which commenced in Queensland in 1909.

From 1910 onward, after successful tours of England from the Australian Kangaroos, and plummeting popularity of Rugby Union, the game of Rugby League had established itself as the premier sport in both new South Wales and Queensland, and fast forward to 2024, sees the National Rugby League competition include team from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand, with an exploding popularity in the South Pacific and in Papua New Guinea.

THE GLADIATORS (NORM PROVAN AND ARTHUR SUMMONS)
1963 (printed 1970s)
John O’Gready

Rugby League In Victoria

Despite Rugby Union being established around the 1850s in Victoria it has really remained a minor sport played primarily in the private schools and Victoria has been heartland for Aussie Rules Football since then. Here in Victoria, the game of Rugby League has been enjoyed on all levels, from players to spectators by since the early 20th century.

The establishment of Rugby League governing body, Victorian Rugby League in 1954 (now known as NRL Victoria) has seen a long and extensive history of league here in Victoria on a local Rugby league level, and since the introduction of the Melbourne Storm in 1998, the game has exploded and taken up a dominant position in the state, more so in the metro Melbourne area. With grass roots Rugby League exceeding all previous participation numbers, the game in 2024 will hit new levels and will see the biggest increase in participation in the games history, and we can wait to get amongst it.

Article References

https://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/league-of-legends/game-begins

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRL_Victoria

https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2009.46/the-gladiators-norm-provan-and-arthur-summons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union_in_Victoria