Rugby Football League
Encyclopedia
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England
. Based at Red Hall in Leeds
, it administers the England national rugby league team
, the Challenge Cup
, Super League
and the Rugby League Championships. The social and junior game is administered in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association
(BARLA).
The Rugby Football League is a member of the Rugby League European Federation
and as a senior Full Member has a combined veto power over the Council with France.
The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisation. This has since been supplanted by Super League
and the Rugby League National Leagues
.
Established as the Northern Rugby Football Union (often shortened to Northern Union) in August 1895 by representatives of twenty-one Rugby Football Union
clubs at a meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield
, it changed its name in 1922 to the Northern Rugby Football League, mirroring its sister organisations overseas, the Australian Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby Football League. Eventually the "Northern" was dropped from its name at the beginning of the 1980s.
The RFL is part of the Community Board, which also has representatives from BARLA, Combined Services, English Schools Rugby League and Student Rugby League
.
Two days later, on 29 August 1895, representatives of 21 clubs met in the George Hotel
, Huddersfield
to form the "Northern Rugby Football Union" (usually termed Northern Union or NU). Twenty clubs agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union
, but Dewsbury felt unable to comply with the decision. The Cheshire club, Stockport, had telegraphed the meeting requesting admission to the new organisation and was duly accepted with a second Cheshire club, Runcorn, admitted at the next meeting.
The 22 clubs and their years of foundation were: Batley FC
1880, Bradford FC 1863, Brighouse Rovers FC 1878, Broughton Rangers FC
1877, Halifax FC
1873, Huddersfield FC
1864, Hull 1865, Hunslet FC
1883, Leeds FC
1864, Leigh FC
1878, Liversedge FC 1877, Manningham F.C. 1876, Oldham FC
1876, Rochdale Hornets FC
1871, Runcorn 1895, Stockport 1895, St Helens FC 1873, Tyldesley FC 1879, Wakefield Trinity FC
1873, Warrington FC
1876, Widnes FC
1875, Wigan FC
1872.
Former England rugby union captain, Richard Lockwood
became chairman of the Rugby Football League in 1945.
The British Amateur Rugby League Association
(BARLA) was created in 1973 in Huddersfield by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. Fewer than 150 amateur teams remained with a mere 30 youth rugby league teams. The 'breakaway' from the RFL was acrimonious and was strongly contested, with a vote 29-1 against recognising BARLA. Thanks to Tom Mitchell, this changed to a unanimous vote of approval for BARLA within 12 months.
Maurice Lindsay
became the Chief Executive of the RFL in 1992, proposing the Super League
, which replaced Championship as the sport's premier league competition from 1996 onwards. Maurice returned to Wigan in 1999 for his second stint at the club after Sir Rodney Walker
, then chairman of the RFL, sacked him after a campaign to unseat him failed.
The RFL accumulated losses of £1.9 million at the end of 2001, shortly before a major restructuring of the governing body and the appointment of Richard Lewis
as executive chairman in May 2002. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/08/07/03/RUGBYL_RFL.html Within a year of joining the RFL, he oversaw reunification with BARLA after nearly 30 years of division.
Then Widnes Vikings
chairman Tony Chambers claimed that Lewis showed his strong expansionist credentials in 2005 when he allegedly threatened to resign if Super League
clubs did not back a plan to save London Broncos (now Harlequins Rugby League), although he denies this.
Under Lewis, plans for a Super League licensing system were introduced.
Following Nigel Wood's appointment as RFL Chief Executive in October 2007, Lewis's role increasingly focusses on developing rugby league in the UK and internationally.
Two nominated members will also sit on the Youth & Junior Forum, a key device used to advance youth rugby league.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Based at Red Hall in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, it administers the England national rugby league team
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
, the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
, Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
and the Rugby League Championships. The social and junior game is administered in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
(BARLA).
The Rugby Football League is a member of the Rugby League European Federation
Rugby League European Federation
The Rugby League European Federation is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. It supports the Rugby League International Federation . The RLEF "oversees and co-ordinates the development of the sport in all its member...
and as a senior Full Member has a combined veto power over the Council with France.
The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisation. This has since been supplanted by Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
and the Rugby League National Leagues
Rugby League National Leagues
The Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...
.
Established as the Northern Rugby Football Union (often shortened to Northern Union) in August 1895 by representatives of twenty-one Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
clubs at a meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield
George Hotel, Huddersfield
The George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated in the centre of the city, is a Grade II listed building famous as the birthplace of rugby league football....
, it changed its name in 1922 to the Northern Rugby Football League, mirroring its sister organisations overseas, the Australian Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby Football League. Eventually the "Northern" was dropped from its name at the beginning of the 1980s.
The RFL is part of the Community Board, which also has representatives from BARLA, Combined Services, English Schools Rugby League and Student Rugby League
Student Rugby League
The Student Rugby League is the organisation which administrates university and college rugby league in the United Kingdom, on behalf of the Rugby Football League and BUCS....
.
History
On 27 August 1895, as a result of an emergency meeting in Manchester, prominent Lancashire clubs Broughton Rangers, Leigh, Oldham, Rochdale Hornets, St Helens, Tyldesley, Warrington, Widnes and Wigan declared that they would support their Yorkshire colleagues in their proposal to form a Northern Union.Two days later, on 29 August 1895, representatives of 21 clubs met in the George Hotel
George Hotel, Huddersfield
The George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated in the centre of the city, is a Grade II listed building famous as the birthplace of rugby league football....
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
to form the "Northern Rugby Football Union" (usually termed Northern Union or NU). Twenty clubs agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
, but Dewsbury felt unable to comply with the decision. The Cheshire club, Stockport, had telegraphed the meeting requesting admission to the new organisation and was duly accepted with a second Cheshire club, Runcorn, admitted at the next meeting.
The 22 clubs and their years of foundation were: Batley FC
Batley Bulldogs
Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895...
1880, Bradford FC 1863, Brighouse Rovers FC 1878, Broughton Rangers FC
Broughton Rangers
Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.-History:Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season...
1877, Halifax FC
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
1873, Huddersfield FC
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
1864, Hull 1865, Hunslet FC
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
1883, Leeds FC
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
1864, Leigh FC
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
1878, Liversedge FC 1877, Manningham F.C. 1876, Oldham FC
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
1876, Rochdale Hornets FC
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
1871, Runcorn 1895, Stockport 1895, St Helens FC 1873, Tyldesley FC 1879, Wakefield Trinity FC
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
1873, Warrington FC
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
1876, Widnes FC
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
1875, Wigan FC
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
1872.
Former England rugby union captain, Richard Lockwood
Richard Lockwood (rugby)
Richard "Dicky" Evison Lockwood was a rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1880s and '90s who at representative level played for England from 1887 to 1894, and was captain in January and February 1894, and at club level for Dewsbury , Heckmondwike /, and Wakefield Trinity...
became chairman of the Rugby Football League in 1945.
The British Amateur Rugby League Association
British Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
(BARLA) was created in 1973 in Huddersfield by a group of enthusiasts concerned about the dramatic disappearance of many amateur leagues and clubs. Fewer than 150 amateur teams remained with a mere 30 youth rugby league teams. The 'breakaway' from the RFL was acrimonious and was strongly contested, with a vote 29-1 against recognising BARLA. Thanks to Tom Mitchell, this changed to a unanimous vote of approval for BARLA within 12 months.
Maurice Lindsay
Maurice Lindsay (Rugby League)
Maurice Lindsay is the current Chairman of Preston North End FC and the former chairman of Wigan Rugby League Football Club and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it domininated the league in the 1980s.- Career :Lindsay was a...
became the Chief Executive of the RFL in 1992, proposing the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
, which replaced Championship as the sport's premier league competition from 1996 onwards. Maurice returned to Wigan in 1999 for his second stint at the club after Sir Rodney Walker
Rodney Walker (rugby league)
Sir Rodney Walker KBE is a British sports administrator.He was Chairman of Wakefield Trinity RLFC between 1986 and 1993; the Rugby Football League between 1993 and 2002; GB Sports Council between 1994 and 1996; Sport England between 1996 and 1998 and UK Sport between 1997 and 2003.In the Birthday...
, then chairman of the RFL, sacked him after a campaign to unseat him failed.
The RFL accumulated losses of £1.9 million at the end of 2001, shortly before a major restructuring of the governing body and the appointment of Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis (tennis and rugby league)
Richard Lewis is a former British Davis Cup tennis professional from Surrey.Lewis became executive chairman of the Rugby Football League in 2002. On 1 April 2009 he replaced Michael Farrar as chairman of Sport England.-Tennis career:...
as executive chairman in May 2002. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/08/07/03/RUGBYL_RFL.html Within a year of joining the RFL, he oversaw reunification with BARLA after nearly 30 years of division.
Then Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
chairman Tony Chambers claimed that Lewis showed his strong expansionist credentials in 2005 when he allegedly threatened to resign if Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
clubs did not back a plan to save London Broncos (now Harlequins Rugby League), although he denies this.
Under Lewis, plans for a Super League licensing system were introduced.
Following Nigel Wood's appointment as RFL Chief Executive in October 2007, Lewis's role increasingly focusses on developing rugby league in the UK and internationally.
Headquarters
The RFL is based at Red Hall in Leeds. Before this, it was headquartered at 180 Chapeltown Road, Leeds.The Board
The RFL board consists of five members:- Richard LewisRichard Lewis (tennis and rugby league)Richard Lewis is a former British Davis Cup tennis professional from Surrey.Lewis became executive chairman of the Rugby Football League in 2002. On 1 April 2009 he replaced Michael Farrar as chairman of Sport England.-Tennis career:...
, the Executive Chairman of RFL. A former tennis player, coach and Director of Tennis. - Maurice Watkins, a sports lawyer from James Chapman & Co in ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He is a director of Manchester United football club, a member of the FA Premier LeagueFA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
Legal Working, a member of FIFA’sFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Dispute Resolution Chamber and a Regional Director of Coutts Bank. He is President of the British Association for Sport and Law. - Bob Stott, an experienced Director in industry currently on the board of Morrisons PlcMorrisonsWm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
. - Ian Edwards, a former Media Director at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at WimbledonWimbledon, LondonWimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
. He was a sports correspondent for ITN and Head of Sport at BBC Manchester from 1987 to 1989. He has rugby league experience at French club CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
and rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
caps for Welsh club Cardiff RFCCardiff RFCCardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
. - Nigel Wood, finance director of RFL, a former accountant for the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and chief executive of Halifax RLFCHalifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
.
- Mark Wilding, has also recently been appointed as Chief Talent Scout for the RFL. Mark has previous experience in talent spotting was working on Supplier Management at DRL Limited.
Young People's Advisory Panel
The RFL launched the Young Peoples Advisory Panel in 2010, a group consisting of young people aged 16-25 from across England. The national panel meet at least three times a year at the RFL's Red Hall headquarters to discuss and debate the following:- Changes in the structure of youth rugby;
- Communications between young rugby league enthusiasts and the RFL;
- RFL policies which impact on young people.
Two nominated members will also sit on the Youth & Junior Forum, a key device used to advance youth rugby league.
Officials
The head of refereeing in the RFL is former referee Stuart Cummings. The RFL decided that from the 2007 there would be six full time referees - previously referees had been part time. The RFL still employs part time officials to supplement the full time referees in the Super League and to be touch/in-goal judges in the Super League. The National Leagues are still refereed by part-time referees. The full-time referees are:- Phil BenthamPhil BenthamPhil Bentham is an English professional rugby league referee.- First games :His first pro game was Sheffield Eagles V London Skolars on 22 February 2004....
- Steve GansonSteve GansonSteve Ganson is a rugby league referee. He is the second professional referee from the town as Premier League referee Chris Foy also hails from St Helens.- First games :...
- Thierry AlibertThierry AlibertThierry Alibert is a professional rugby league referee.M.Alibert is a full time professional referee, under jurisdiction from the Rugby Football League, and currently takes charge of Super League games, as well as selected Challenge Cup and international games...
- Richard SilverwoodRichard SilverwoodRichard Silverwood is a professional rugby league referee. He currently officiates in the Super League competition.-Biography:...
- Ian SmithIan Smith (rugby league)Ian Smith is a full time Super League referee.-Domestic career:Smith officiates in the Super League competition.His first pro game was Blackpool Panthers V Bramley Buffaloes in 1998....
- Ben ThalerBen ThalerBen Thaler is a professional rugby league referee. He officiates in the Super League competition.Ben's first pro game Leigh V York on 1 July 2001.His first Super League game was London Broncos V Leigh on 29 May 2005....
- James ChildJames Child-Referee career:James started refereeing at the age of 11 years as a member of the Dewsbury & Batley Rugby League Referees' Society. Since then he has enjoyed many notable successes, particularly as a touch judge having officiated at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Challenge Cup Finals, the 2007 and 2008...
Past Presidents of the RFL
- 1988 - 1989: L.J Bettinson, Salford
- 1989 - 1990: S Ackroyd, Halifax
- 1990 - 1991: Harry Jepson OBE, Leeds
- 1991 - 1992: Maurice LindsayMaurice Lindsay (Rugby League)Maurice Lindsay is the current Chairman of Preston North End FC and the former chairman of Wigan Rugby League Football Club and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it domininated the league in the 1980s.- Career :Lindsay was a...
, Wigan - 1992 - 1993: C.C Hutton, Hull Kingston Rovers
- 1993 - 1994: R Waudby, Hull
- 1994 - 1995: R Teeman, Bramley
- 1995 - 1996: Kath Hetherington, Sheffield Eagles
- 1997: W.J Mason, Hunslet
- 1998 - 1999: T Smith, Widnes Vikings
- 1999 - 2000: W Garrett, Warrington Wolves
- 2000 - 2001: Ralph Calvin, Whitehaven
- 2001 - 2002: M White, Swinton Lions
- 2002 - 2003: R Taylor, Rochdale Hornets
- 2003 - 2004: T Fleet, Widnes Vikings
- 2004 - 2005: Gary Hetherington, Leeds Rhinos
- 2005 - 2006: P Hindle, Castleford Tigers
- 2006 - 2007: S Wagner, Featherstone Rovers
- 2007 - 2008: G Liles, Hunslet Hawks
- 2008 - 2009: K Nicholas, Batley Bulldogs
- 2009 - 2010: C Hamilton, Oldham
See also
- Rugby league in EnglandRugby league in EnglandRugby league football is a team sport in England. The sport receives funding from Sport England as an "English priority" sport. The top-level competition in England—called Super League—is not an entirely all-English affair, as it includes a team from France, and also featured a team from Wales from...
- Rugby league in IrelandRugby league in IrelandRugby league is a team sport played in Ireland on an all-Ireland basis.- History :In May 1934 Wigan beat Warrington 32-19 in an exhibition match in Dublin...
- Rugby league in ScotlandRugby league in ScotlandRugby league is comparatively minor sport in Scotland, dwarfed by the popularity of association football, and to a lesser extent sports such as rugby union, curling and shinty...
- Rugby league in WalesRugby league in WalesRugby league is a sport played in Wales. The governing body of the game in Wales is the Wales Rugby League.There is a long but sporadic history of rugby league in Wales. Over the decades many hundreds of players have "gone north" to play for the leading English clubs...
- Rugby League International FederationRugby League International FederationThe Rugby League International Federation is the world governing body of rugby league football. It was formed in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. Its purpose is to, "foster, develop, extend, govern and administer the game of Rugby League throughout the world". Its headquarters are in Sydney, Australia,...
- Rugby League European FederationRugby League European FederationThe Rugby League European Federation is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere. It supports the Rugby League International Federation . The RLEF "oversees and co-ordinates the development of the sport in all its member...