Rugby league in Wales

There is a long but sporadic history of rugby league in Wales (Welsh: rygbi'r gynghrair).

Amateurism in Wales was seen as a means of holding together a community in which there were expectations by the public on their sportsman to not turn their back on international rugby.

The Northern Union's administrators began to ponder the possibilities of international competitions against an English representative side.

In 1907 a professional version of the "All Blacks" rugby team from New Zealand (nicknamed the All Golds by Australian press) toured England in what became the first set of international games played under the new NU rules.

The All Golds had not played under the Northern Union rules and underwent a week of intensive training.

The first Wales international league game took place at Aberdare on 1 January 1908 played against the All Golds.

Founder members were Neath, Cardiff, Llanelli, Bridgend, Ystradgynlais, Aberavon, Amman Vale and Blaina.

[3] Matches between teams in the Welsh Premier division generally draw crowds of around 300 spectators.

With the Rugby League Conference’s growth throughout England, the RFL and its WRL arm set up an amateur club, the Cardiff Demons who joined the Central South Division of the Rugby League Conference in 2001.

The Demons, who were mainly made up of former players from the university UWIC rugby league club, were quite successful and instantly saw interest from other parts of Wales grow.

The following year in 2003, the RLC expand creating the Welsh Premier division (now the South Wales Premiership).

Wales Rugby League achieved governing body status in 2005 and employed its first professional chairman, Mark Rowley, in 2006.

The Blue Dragons, as they were known, shared Ninian Park with the Bluebirds until the 1983/84 season, when the club went into liquidation.

South Wales finished 6th in the Second Division in 1996, and, because of small crowds, withdrew from the league before the following season.

In the Conference Youth League there were two Welsh sides: North Wales Crusaders and CPC Bears.

The two great eras of Welsh Rugby League coincide with the playing careers of Jim Sullivan and Jonathan Davies.

There is a very successful Wales A team selected from domestic Welsh players, which competes in the Amateur Four Nations competition.

The BBC covers the Rugby League Challenge Cup from the rounds in which the top clubs enter.