Rugby

The story goes that in 1823, a 16-year-old school boy named William Webb Ellis, was playing soccer when he decided to pick it up and run to the opposing goal line. His teammates were so enamored by this revelation that they devised a set of rules and decided to play this new game instead. When thinking about what to call it, they named it after their school: Rugby.

Over the next 72 years, the rules changed as the game evolved, but there was basic unity within the sport until the great rugby schism of 1895. This schism was, as many things still are today, over money. Northern English rugby clubs felt that their players should be compensated for their time, whereas Southern English rugby clubs wanted to preserve the amateur principle of the game. Thus Rugby League became the predominant sport in the North of England, and Rugby Union the sport of the South.

Under the Rugby League code a game lasts for 80 minutes. Each team is comprised of 13 players and four substitutes. Unlike in soccer, a substituted player can return to the field of play as part of another substitution later in the game.

Whenever a team gains possession, they are allowed 6 tackles (similar to downs) to advance their team down the pitch. Upon a 6th tackle, the ball is immediately turned over to the opposing team (which is why many times the ball will be kicked down field following the 5th tackle). Unlike American Football, the ball can only be passed backwards to a teammate, and...

 Prior to 1996, rugby league in the UK was a winter sport. Rupert Murdoch of News Corp International saw an opportunity for the sport to generate more television income, and raise the visibility and profile of the sport by forming a Super League, and switching over to being a Summer sport. So in 1996, Super League was formed.

The initial teams that played in the inaugural Super League in 1996 were those that had finished in the top ten in the last winter season, plus a team from London (the London Broncos) and a team from France (Paris Saint Germain). With an entrant from outside England the league could be, and was, named Super League, referring to all of Europe. Having a London team meant that there was a presence outside the traditional Northern strongholds of rugby league, which would give the league a potential foothold in rugby union country.

After 1998 Paris Saint Germain was no longer a member of the Super League. The league would have to wait for another eight years until a non-English club would play in the Super League. In 2006 the Catalans Dragons, from the French city of Perpignan, were fast tracked into the Super League. In 2009 the Celtic Crusaders (now known as Crusaders Rugby League) from South Wales joined the Super League, meaning that for the first time, three different nations were represented in the 14 team league (the league was expanded to 14 in the same season).

Over the course of the season teams...