RLIF - Competitions

Competitions

For more details on this topic, see List of rugby league competitions.

The RLIF oversees the international game of rugby league, including the Rugby League World Cup, first held in 1954 in France and the first competition to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". Since then the World Cup has been held a total of thirteen times, with the most recent Cup being held in Australia during 2008 which was eventually won by New Zealand. The next event is due to be held in 2013. The RLIF has also sanctioned and overseen the Women's Rugby League World Cup since its inception in 2000. The tournament is now held in conjunction with the men's tournament every time that it is held.

Other international competitions and fixtures that the RLIF oversees include the European Cup, Mediterranean Cup, Pacific Cup, Rugby League Four Nations, Rugby League Tri-Nations, Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament under-age international cups and tournaments including the Student Nations Cup which was last held at the beginning of 2007. The World Club Challenge which features the northern hemispheres Super League champions taking on the Pacific's National Rugby League champions is not currently operated by the RLIF but by Britain's Rugby Football League.

Several domestic competitions are also aided and fall under the body of the RLIF including the Pacific's National Rugby League, Europe's Super League and Rugby League Challenge Cup as well as the American National Rugby League and the Russian Championship.

The game in Europe is only partially overseen by the Rugby League International Federation with the Rugby League European Federation also having a large say in the running and expansion of the game throughout Europe.