Rugby league in the Americas

Rugby league is a minority sport in the Americas.It has been played at an organized amateur level in North America since it was first introduced as a competition sport in the 1990s after several decades of efforts to introduce the game.

No test nations in the Americas are currently recognized by the Rugby League International Federation.

There is a small league in the United States and national teams have represented Jamaica and the West Indies in the past. However, only the United States, Argentina and Jamaica have been affiliated with the RLIF.

Argentina

The Argentina national rugby league team represents Argentina in the sport of rugby league and are an affiliated member of the International Rugby League Federation.

The Argentina representative side played its first matches in March 2005 when they hosted the Australian Police Rugby League team for two matches.

Official Results of Test-matches:
*1st. Match: Australian Police 40 - Argentina 4
*2nd. Match: Australian Police 50 - Argentina 6

The most famous Agentinan rugby league player is Pablo Bouza who used to play for Harlequins RL. He now plays rugby union for Argentina.

Canada

Rugby league has been played in Canada in the past at an amateur level, but competitions have since disbanded and the sport is dormant. Rugby league has gained little recognition in face of the more popular sport of Rugby union.

In the late 1980's and early 1990's, a 4-team domestic competition, known as the 'Tri-Country Rugby League', was established with 3 Canadian clubs and one US club competing - Kingston, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec, and Adirondacks (USA). [ [http://rlwc2000.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=1385&p=2&stid=8089754] ]

There were two regional nines tournaments as recently as 2003, one in Ontario and one in Manitoba.

The national rugby league team has won two games, against USA in 1987 and Japan in 2000. While the Canadian Rugby Football League who organized these tournaments has long since folded; a new organization called "Rugby League in Canada" has been founded with an aim of restoring competition.

The Canada rugby league team has been participating in international competition since 1987, and last played as a national team on April 7, 2001 when they were defeated 56-24 by the Glen Mills Bulls at Jack Pearson Oval, Glen Mills.

Canada has participated in the World Sevens (1995, 1996) and Emerging Nations World Cup (2000) competitions. However, rugby league remains a largely unknown code in Canada and the national team remains uncompetitive as a result. In fact, the word "rugby" is usually used without qualification in Canada and refers to rugby union.

While the Canadian Rugby Football League has folded and the game with it a new organization called Rugby League in Canada has founded with an aim to recreate the national team and the game in Canada

;International Test Results (1987-2000)
* Canada def. Japan 28-12 (2000)
* Italy def. Canada 66-6 (15 November 2000)
* USA def. Canada 52-10 (13 November 2000)
* Japan def. Canada 14-0 (1999)
* USA def. Canada 68-0 (1999)
* USA def. Canada 32-6 (1998)
* USA def. Canada 50-10 (1997)
* France def. Canada 72-32 (1995)
* USA def. Canada 44-0 (1995)
* USA def. Canada 22-10 (1994)
* USA def. Canada 22-0 (1994)
* USA def. Canada 32-2 (1993)
* USA def. Canada 54-14 (1993)
* Canada def. USA 23-10 (1987)

OTHER REPRESENTATIVE MATCH:
* Tri-County XIII def. Maracaibo Oilers Sports Club (Venezuela) 24-16 at Montreal (1986)(Maracaibo Oilers Sports Club were Venezuelan Rugby Union side on tour to Canada in 1986, and included a Rugby League 13-a-side match on their tour itinerary. The Tri-County XIII was a representative team made up mainly of Canadians and some Americans from the 4-team Tri-County competition that was played at the time).

United States

Rugby League is a virtually unknown sport in the United States, with less than 400 local players spread across 10 teams. The sport is starting to grow in the United States with a lot of College football players coming to play rugby league examples include; Akarika Dawn, Nate Smith and Ian BlakeSeveral efforts had been made to introduce the sport to the United States since 1939, but competition only began between clubs in the North Eastern states in 1998 and the national team, the Tomahawks have competed since 1995.

West Indies

The West Indies were first introduced to Rugby League with the formation of the West Indies Rugby League Federation in 2003. One of the first things the WIRLF did was to find and invite league players from England who had a Caribbean back ground to join the West Indies team in future representative competitions.

The first games to be played by the West Indies team was the Middlesex Nines in 2004. Later in 2004 and 2005 they would also compete in the York Nines competition. The first thirteen-a-side game the West Indies played was against the South African Wild Dogs in London, September 24, 2004.

Jamaica

Rugby league has been played in Jamaica since 2005, when the Jamaica Rugby League Association, a five team competition was formed. The national team had debuted in 2004.

During 2005 the first local rugby league competition in the Caribbean took place in Jamaica, which is being hailed as a huge success for the WIRLF. The competition comprises the Vauxhall Vultures, Duhaney Park Sharks, Olympic Angels and the Jamaica Defence Force Warriors.

The JRLA National Premiership currently (2006) is co-ordinated by the [http://www.jrla.net Jamaica Rugby League Association] and consists of five teams:
* The Duhaney Park Sharks [http://www.sharksrugby.org]
* The Vaxhaull Vultures
* The Olympic Garden Angels
* The Army (Jamaica Defence Force) Warriors
* The Jamaica Constabulary Knights

Each team currently has a team playing in the Open Division competition.

All the teams (Sharks, Angels, Warriors, Knights and Vultures) are based within the nation’s capital of Kingston. There are many players who are from adjoining parishes such as St Catherine and St Andrew.

* 2005 Grand Final - Vauxhall Vultures defeated the Duhaney Park Sharks 32 - 20

References