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NRL

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Australian National Rugby League (NRL)

The NRL arguably has the highest standard of Rugby League on the planet. Not only is it one of the main sports in Australia, it also has a huge following in other countries with a Rugby League fan base. It is highly regarded as one of the most entertaining leagues to watch across a variety of different sports. ​​

How Rugby League Became Popular in Australia

When Rugby League was founded in Huddersfield, England in 1895, it wasn't long before it gained popularity on the other side of the world. When the Australian's found out about the new idea of Rugby League (then known as the Northern Union), many clubs in New South Wales followed their lead. This lead to the birth of Rugby League in Australia. 

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Since then, the popularity of the sport spread across the country and Australia has become a Rugby League powerhouse. Not only are there many historic clubs in the New South Wales area, the sports popularity has spread across the country. Now there are teams in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. 

When did the NRL form?

Despite Rugby League being a professional sport in Australia since 1908, the NRL wasn't actually formed until 1997. It was a joint partnership with both the Australian Rugby League and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. The idea was to create a franchise where the quality of the teams could really thrive.

 

Prior to this there were two competitions with an unbalance of quality. Australian Rugby League was also gaining a lot of international attention and TV deals started became more lucrative. In order to maximise on this, changes needed to be made. The league was gradually reduced from 20 teams, to 14 by the year 2000. 

Who are the teams in the NRL?

The NRL is currently made up of 17 teams:

  • Brisbane Broncos

  • Canberra Raiders

  • Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

  • Cronulla-Southerland Sharks

  • Dolphins

  • Gold Coat Titans

  • Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

  • Melboune Storm

  • Newcastle Knights

  • North Queensland Cowboys

  • Parramatta Eels

  • Penrith Panthers

  • South Sydney Rabbitohs

  • St. George Illawarra Dragons

  • Sydney Roosters

  • Warriors

  • Wests Tigers​​​​

How Many Games are Played in a NRL Season?

A regular season in the NRL usually consists of 27 rounds, with each team playing 24 games. Rugby League in Australia is generally a winter sport and is played between March and October. Unlike the UK, where it is a summer sport. Although both competitions run at the same time, with the Super League generally starting a bit earlier on in the year. 

Who is the Best Supported Team in the NRL?

This can be quite a hard question to answer as this has changed throughout the years. However according to Market Researchers, Roy Morgan, Melbourne Storm are the most wideley supported club in the NRL as of June 2023. The Storm are one of the newer clubs in the NRL franchise and they really did enter the competition with a bang. You can read more about this in our article about the History of the NRL. 

What are the Best Betting Sites for the NRL?

We have a list of Best Rugby League Betting Sites that we analysed for NRL markets as well as the Super League. We use set criteria to ensure we can match you with the best site for what you are looking for. Wether it's competitive odds, regular bonuses or just a strong market offering, we have got you covered.  

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