IRL - International Rugby League
As the Rugby Football Union in England refused permission
to obtain compensation for players of the northern clubs for loss of
earnings, 22 clubs founded their own association. At a meeting in the
George Hotel in Huddersfield in August 1895, the
Northern Union was
created.
In 1907 the major differences to Rugby Union laws were introduced with
the reduction in the number of players from 15 to 13, the "play the
ball" rule, the elimination of line-out, and a different scoring.
Renaming to Northern Rugby League
in 1922, the association is simply called
Rugby League since 1980.
Alongside England the sport spread especially in Australia and New
Zealand.
Instigated by the French the International
Rugby League Board was formed as a world
governing body on 1948, Jan 25. It has only five full member nations
AUS, FRA, GBR, NZL and PNG at all time.
The new Rugby League International
Federation (RLIF) was established by AUS,
GBR, NZL and PNG in August 1998. This also formally ended the so called
„rugby war” in Australia between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and
the 1995 created Australian Super League (ASL). Beginning with the 1998
season both leagues merged to the National Rugby League.
(This „rugby war” had influenced rugby league worldwide as all member
nations except AUS withdraw from International Rugby League Board
forming the Super League International Board instead.)
The board of RLIF changed the name to International Rugby League on 2019, Oct 15.
Chairmen
| International Rugby League Board | |
|---|---|
| 25.01.1948 - 1985 | |
| 1985 - 28.02.1997 | Kenneth Arthurson AUS |
| 28.02.1997 - 19.08.1998 | Neil Whittaker AUS |
| Super League International Board | |
| 18.12.1995 - 19.08.1998 | Maurice Lindsay GBR |
| Rugby League International Federation | |
| 19.08.1998 - 19.03.2002 | John McDonald AUS |
| 19.03.2002 - 01.06.2011 | Colin Love AUS |
| 01.06.2011 - 02.05.2014 | Scott Carter NZL |
| 02.05.2014 - 27.02.2018 | Nigel Wood GBR |
| 27.02.2018 - 11.11.2018 | John Grant AUS |
| 11.11.2018 - 15.10.2019 | Graeme Thompson SCO |
| International Rugby League | |
| 15.10.2019 - 01.02.2020 | Graeme Thompson SCO |
| 01.02.2020 - | Greg Barclay NZL |
Secretary General
| International Rugby League | |
|---|---|
| 01.12.2020 - | Danny Kazandjian FRA |
Player of the Year Awards
The best player in Rugby League is awarded the „World Golden Boot”, which is voted by journalists within Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand. 2008 - 2014 the RLIF hands out its own „International Player of the Year” award.
| World Golden Boot | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Wally Lewis AUS | Wynnum Many Seagulls AUS |
| 1985 | Brett Kenny AUS | Wigan RLFC ENG |
| 1986 | Garry Jack AUS | Balmain Tigers AUS |
| 1987 | Peter Sterling AUS Hugh McGahan NZL |
Parramatta Eels AUS Eastern Suburbs AUS |
| 1988 | Ellery Hanley ENG | Wigan RLFC ENG |
| 1989 | Mal Meninga AUS | Canberra Raiders AUS |
| 1990 | Garry Schofield ENG | Leeds RLFC ENG |
| The 1990 World Golden Boot was awarded retrospectively in 2011. |
||
| 1991 - 1998 | not awarded | |
| 1999 | Andrew Johns AUS | Newcastle Knights AUS |
| 2000 | Brad Fittler AUS | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| 2001 | Andrew Johns AUS | Newcastle Knights AUS |
| 2002 | Stacey Jones NZL | New Zealand Warriors NZL |
| 2003 | Darren Lockyer AUS | Brisbane Broncos AUS |
| 2004 | Andrew Farrell ENG | Wigan Warriors ENG |
| 2005 | Anthony Minichiello AUS | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| 2006 | Darren Lockyer AUS | Brisbane Broncos AUS |
| 2007 | Cameron Smith AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2008 | Billy Slater AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2009 | Greg Inglis AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2010 | Benji Marshall NZL | West Tigers AUS |
| 2011 | Johnathan Thurston AUS | North Queensland Cowboys AUS |
| 2012 | Kevin Sinfield ENG | Leeds Rhinos ENG |
| 2013 | Johnathan Thurston AUS | North Queensland Cowboys AUS |
| 2014 | Shaun Johnson NZL | New Zealand Warriors NZL |
| 2015 | Johnathan Thurston AUS | North Queensland Cowboys AUS |
| 2016 | Cooper Cronk AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2017 | Cameron Smith AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2018 | Tommy Makinson ENG | St. Helens RFC ENG |
| 2019 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck NZL | New Zealand Warriors NZL |
| 2020 - 2021 | not awarded | |
| 2022 | Joseph Manu NZL | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| International Player of the Year (defunct) | ||
| 2008 | Billy Slater AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2009 | Jarryd Hayne AUS | Parramatta Eels AUS |
| 2010 | Todd Carney AUS | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| 2011 | Billy Slater AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2012 | Cameron Smith AUS | Melbourne Storm AUS |
| 2013 | Sony Bill Williams NZL | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| 2014 | Sam Burgess ENG | South Sydney Rabbitohs AUS |
| World Women′s Golden Boot | ||
| 2018 | Isabelle Kelly AUS | Sydney Roosters AUS |
| 2019 | Jessica Sergis AUS | St. George Illawarra AUS |
| 2020 - 2021 | not awarded | |
| 2022 | Raecene McGregor NZL | Sydney Roosters AUS |
Last modified: 09.02.2023